The English language which was spoken by only a small group of mother tongue speakers started to gain speakers over time.

English is currently being spoken in approximately seventy-five territories either as a first language or an official second language.

English is spoken the most in India, the United States, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya, and Canada.  

Models of World Englishes

To distinguish between English as a native language (ENL), English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) is important.

ENL is spoken in countries where English is the primary language of the great majority of the population.

In contrast, ESL is spoken in countries where English is an important and usually official language, but not the main language of the country.

EFL occurs in countries where English is not actually used or spoken very much in the normal course of daily life.

The ENL/ESL/EFL distinction can be helpful in certain contexts. Like the motivation to learn English is likely to be far greater in countries

where English is an official language than in countries where students don't have the need to use English. This, however, may have some shortcomings. 

Many different varieties of English are spoken in ENL countries so there is no "standard model" of English. 

The spread of English makes it increasingly challenging to identify nations that may be accurately classified as EFL countries, which is a second issue with the three-way classification system.

Also, the system is based on the concept of monolingualism and there are large groups of ENL speakers in ESL territories.

Considering these shortcomings alternative classifications has been put forward.

Kachru's Three Circle Model 

It is the most useful and influential model and world Englishes are divided into three concentric circles:

The Inner Circle refers to the traditional cultural and linguistic bases of English. Countries in the Inner Circle include the USA and the UK.

The Outer Circle represents the institutionalised non-native varieties (ESL) in the regions that have passed through extended periods of colonisation. Countries in the Outer Circle include Bangladesh, Ghana and the Philippines. 

The Expanding Circle includes the regions where the performance varieties of the language are used essentially in EFL contexts. Countries listed as being in the Expanding Circle include China, Egypt and Korea.

The great advantages of this model over the ENL/ESL/EFL one are, first, that it makes English plural so that one English becomes many Englishes. 

Second, the model does not suggest that one variety is any better, linguistically speaking, than any other. 

The spread of English has resulted in the development of many Englishes and not the transplanting of one

model to other countries:

A classification system put forth by Gupta divides English usage into five groups: "monolingual ancestral," which refers to countries like Britain and the United States; "monolingual contact," which refers to Jamaica; "monolingual scholastic," which refers to India; "multilingual contact," which refers to Singapore; and "multilingual ancestral," which refers to South Africa.

Strevens and Görlach, among other academics, have proposed other models. McArthur, who also describes his own "Circle Model of Global English," provides a good summary of these concepts. Bolton offers a very helpful summary of 

methods for studying 

World Englishes. 

These English models 

and the Englishes' 

developmental cycles 

are closely related.

Developmental Cycles

There are three main proposals to 

the phases or processes through which varieties of English go.

According to Kachru, "non-native institutionalized forms of English go through" three stages.

1- non-recognition

2- co-existence of local and imported varieties

3- recognition

Non-recognition

The local variety is "non-recognized" during the first phase. At this stage, the local variety is disliked by its speakers, who think that some imported native speaker variety is superior and should serve as the standard for language instruction in schools. They will make an effort to sound like native speakers and speak the imported, exonormative variety, while demeaning individuals who solely speak the local type. 

Co-existence of Local and Imported Varieties

The presence of both local and foreign varieties can be seen during the second phase. 

Although it is used in a wide range of situations and for a variety of purposes, the local model is still regarded as being inferior to the imported one.

Recognition

The local variety is recognized as the standard and gains societal acceptance during the third phase. The local variety serves as a guide for language instruction in educational institutions. Locals who continue to speak the imported variety may be perceived as outsiders or acting in an unnatural manner in areas where the local variation has gained acceptance.

Moag proposed a "life cycle of non-native Englishes" after researching the growth of one specific variety, Fijian English. He listed five processes, four of which all varieties go through and one of which might only be experienced by some.

He referred to the first step as "transportation". When English first appears and stays in a place where it has never been spoken before. The second process, known as "indigenisation," is a long stage in which the new English variety begins to reflect the local culture and diverges from the original variety.

The new variety is used in an increasing range of circumstances and for an expanding range of purposes during the third process, known as the "expansion in use" phase. An increase in local variety is another aspect of this process. The local variety develops into the local varieties. 

The use of the local variety as a language learning approach in schools defines the fourth phase. Local literature in the new variety will be written throughout this phase. The fourth stage is referred to as "institutionalisation" 

The fifth and final phase sees a decline in use.  Moag claims that the Philippines and Malaysia are two examples of nations where the usage of the regional English decreases as a result of increased official promotion of a local language, such as Tagalog in the Philippines and Malay in Malaysia. This fall in usage may ultimately result in the extinction of English in these nations.

Schneider has a more modern and in-depth idea for how new Englishes are developed. He lists five phases in this cycle of growth. He refers to the first phase as the "foundation" phase. At this phase, English is used in a nation where it had not before been used. This frequently occurs as a result of the increase of English-speaking individuals in the country . 

"Exonormative stabilisation" is the second stage. This indicates that the variety spoken is very similar to the variety that the settlers 

imported.

Schneider views the third step, known as "nativisation," as the most crucial and dynamic one. By pairing of the imported STL and local IDG types, a new identity is established. Although the restructuring primarily affects vocabulary and grammar, this phase results in the largest impacts on the restructuring of the English language itself.

Phase four is known as "endonormative stabilisation," during which the new variety eventually replaces the established local norm or model. At this stage, a variety of formal settings use the local variety.