The position of English as a global language is commonly asserted. This course will examine the complex web of circumstances which lie behind the assertion. The presumption of the course is that it is useful and possibly essential for teachers of English to know something of the life story of the language, its varieties and place in the world at the beginning of the 21st century. A significant part of the course will examine, through the medium of seminars and workshops, how the global nature of the language can be exploited in teaching and learning environments. For MA(ILE) students or students with program director or course instructor's approval only.