Which describes the Circle of World English theory?

• A. It posits a single global standard English.
• B. It categorises varieties into eight regions with their own standards and rejects World Standard English.
• C. It categorises varieties geographically into eight regions, each with its own Standard English, and rejects World Standard English.
• D. It argues for only non-standard varieties.

Answer: (C)

The idea tested here is that English isn’t viewed as one global standard, but as a set of regional Standards spread around the world. The Circle of World Englishes presents eight geographically defined regions, and in each region a distinct Standard English is maintained. This rejects the idea of a single World Standard English that everyone should use. The strength of this view is that it reflects how English is actually taught, judged, and used in different places: what counts as “correct” can vary from one region to another, with each region developing its own norms in spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. In short, it treats Standard English as regional rather than universal, which aligns with how English operates across diverse communities.