La préposition en français. By Ludo Melis. Paris: Ophrys, 2003. Pp. 150. ISBN 2708010492. €10.

Reviewed by: World Englishes: An introduction by Gunnel Melchers and Philip Shaw Liwei Gao World Englishes: An introduction. By Gunnel Melchers and Philip Shaw. (The English language series.) London: Arnold, 2003. Pp. x, 229. ISBN 0340718889. $24.95. This book presents a description of global variation of English in lexis, grammar, phonology, and pragmatics. It also includes sections on the principles of linguistic variation, the roots of English, the spread of English, and the future of English. The book is intended as a linguistic textbook for readers who are acquainted with basic terminologies in linguistics. The book contains seven chapters. In Ch. 1, ‘The roots of English’, Melchers and Shaw provide a review of the early development of English from around 450 ad to the latter half of the nineteenth century, when the pronunciation of English became standardized. Ch. 2, ‘The spread of English’, discusses the historical spread of English in different countries and regions, which has resulted in English’s reaching almost every corner of the globe. In Ch. 3, ‘Variation in English’, M&S provide a unique framework for the description of varieties of English. In so doing, the authors set up the basis for the detailed analysis of individual varieties in Chs. 4–6. In addition, this chapter discusses the dimensions for the classification of world Englishes. Ch. 4, ‘The inner circle’, discusses native varieties of English in the world. Countries and regions examined include England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Liberia, and the Caribbean. Aside from linguistic descriptions, the authors also present a general overview of each of these countries and regions, its people, and its general linguistic situation. In Ch. 5, ‘The outer circle’, M&S discuss varieties of English in regions that were colonized by English-speaking countries. After an introduction to the social and political issues involved in the use of English and the common features of the ‘New Englishes’ (John T. Platt, Heidi Weber, and Mian Lian Ho, The New Englishes, Boston: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1984), M&S provide a descriptive account of English in South Asia, Africa, Southeast Asia, and other regions including the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific. Again, this chapter includes not only the linguistic description of English varieties but also a brief introduction to the social history of the countries and regions examined. Ch. 6, ‘The expanding circle’, deals with countries and regions where English is learne primarily as a foreign language. Issues discussed include the rise of English, domains for English, essential features of expanding-circle English, the possible influence of English on other languages, and implications for the choice of a teaching model. In Ch. 7, ‘What’s next’, M&S discuss the future of English. They identify three major forces responsible for the development of English: US power, globalization, and information technology. Following the main text, this book includes two appendices: one is a presentation of the speakers whose speech is included on the accompanying CD, and the other contains reading questions for each chapter. Reference and an index are included at the end. Liwei Gao Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Copyright © 2006 Linguistic Society of America

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