Innovation in Language Learning

The chaotic pace of the world we belong to is visible wherever we go, and the strong influence of such turbulent dynamics undoubtedly leaves traces on a number of spheres of human endeavour, and language is no exception. People constantly travel around the globe – for work, education, and professional development, or just to explore new cultures and places and have some rest- and commonly rely on the English language, irrespective of their mother tongues. However, the bond between language and culture results in all the cultural nuances residing in our cognition somehow finding a way to affect the way we speak (both verbally and non-verbally) in a foreign language as well. While recognising some deeply rooted cultural traits in communication conducted in a foreign language can be a phenomenon all language learners (non-native speakers) can relate to, it can also lead to some misinterpretation or even failure in communication. In this regard, another question might arise when we use a foreign language while travelling– how complex or simple should it be? The question is not a novel one and the jury is still out on whether or not one should opt for adhering to all the language rules in everyday interactions abroad, usually revolving around some day-to-day topics. With all this in mind, and aware of the superiority the English language still has over all the other languages in international communication – this paper aims to highlight this role and explore some of the characteristics of English around the world – via the phenomena of Globish and World Englishes. The paper thus intends to investigate whether English used around the globe in day-to-day tourism-related interactions could be likened to the standard English variants (the inner circle English) or the one of Globbish (decaffeinated English variant) and what kind of correlation could be made between the English we know and all the World Englishes out there. Finally, the paper aims to conclude whether or not all the potential language inconsistencies interfere with understanding, that is proper communication.