English as an international language

First, it means that the study of E as an international language must involve an investigation of bilingualism in both Outer and Expanding Circle countires, rather than on

LANGUAGE SHIFT (moving to the Inner Circle countries);

Second, because the current spread of E entails macroacquisition, the focus of investigation must be on bilingual E speech communities rather than on individual language learners.

2. URBAN MIGRATION

There is one type of migratin today that may be a significant factor in the continued growth of E today – urban migration.