World Englishes and Transnationalism

Abstract

This chapter explores the relevance of the sociolinguistic study of transnationalism for research on World Englishes (WEs) via a review of core literature and examples of metatheoretical and empirical scholarship in sociolinguistics. In doing so, the chapter integrates discussion of research on transnationalism, which explicitly positions itself within a WEs framework, as well as research on transnationalism with a focus on English that has implications for WEs research. Before delineating a series of research trajectories, the chapter argues for the need to first recognize and attempt to do justice to the polysemy of transnationalism. Against this backdrop, it then addresses implications for WEs research of a shift away from “methodological nationalism” to transnationalism, particularly given the similarities between criticisms of “methodological nationalism” and criticisms of WEs research. Turning then to metatheoretical and empirical research on language and transnationalism from a sociolinguistic perspective, the bulk of the chapter reflects on how a transnational perspective might inform WEs research.

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