World Englishes as dynamic systems. Reconsidering language variation in the light of complexity

The recognition of a privileged status to English does not solve the problem of communication in all multilingual domains. In the same fashion, multilingualism as something more than an accumulation of languages is a complex framework according to which the circles of English become crucially relevant to the question of ‘linguistic ownership’ and its implications. Thus, reconsidering language variation in the light of complexity allows cross-disciplinary overviews concerning global and local changes within World English(es). Some possible case studies such as African American English, Offensive Nigerian English, and the existence of other understudied variations of English show how the sharp line between local dialects and the standard variety can develop new complications throughout the long journey of pidginization, creolization, assimilation and the melting processes which have gone through the step of codification.