The four issues that I feel affect the teaching and learning of English worldwide are the impact of politically motivated educational policies, the debate over the value of native English teachers over non-native teachers, English-language testing based on L1 standards and the reasons behind Outer and Expanding Circle learners learning English. Firstly, the politics of nationalism and the educational policies encouraging the use of inner circle varieties of Standard English affect the teaching and learning of English in many countries. .
In Inner Circle countries such as the US, the 'English Only' movement, which insisted that America had only 'room for one language' aimed to 'subtract rather than add a language' (Jenkins 105), forcing L2 English learners to either 'sink or swim'. This was detrimental to L2 English learners as they suffered from alienation, ostracism, victimization, ethnic illiteracy and the loss of cultural identity (Jenkins 106).
In Outer Circle countries today, the difficulties faced because of political agenda and educational policies are different but no less challenging. National governments give biased preeminence to selected Inner Circle varieties as the only standard of English, considering local varieties 'deviant' forms (Jenkins 152). In India for example, Indian English has been seen as a deviation from British English instead of as a legitimate variety to be taught in schools. Indian English has retained both existing features of British English as well as infused mother-tongue items into written and spoken discourse with native Hindi words such as 'kashypa' included along English words in a sentence. English words also take on a different localized meaning such as 'issueless' (childless), and suffixes are added to English words and phrases such as 'Helloji' and 'Thank youji' as a means of politeness (Jenkins 154-155).
