Firstly it explores how a particular view of english as an international language has come into being by examining its colonial origins its connections to linguistics and applied linguistics and its relationships to the global spread of teaching practices it then offers an alternative critical understanding through the concept of the worldliness of english this concept suggests that english can never be removed from the social cultural economic or political contexts in which it is . Language in social life series available online at the library culture discourse difference and disjuncture cricket english and cultural politics english and colonialism origins of a discourse introduction the complexities of colonialism two sides of the colonial english for the few colonial education policies in malaya anglicism and english studies spreading the word . Buy the cultural politics of english as an international language language in social life 1 by pennycook alastair isbn 9780582234727 from amazons book store everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The cultural politics of english as an international language pennycook 1994 portraying english as a threat to other languages has become a bit of a trope that dominates academic and public . Lectures in the school of applied language and intercultural studies dublin university and teaches courses in efl and esp to exchange students under the erasmus programme she has developed special subject courses for these students in the areas of text and context and irish studies her research interests are language and social context socio political effects of the spread of english