Asian English users are considered to have a different, perhaps better grasp of English than native English speakers. The roles and use of English have been expanding. As a vehicle of linguistic communication, a nativised medium and one of the pan-Asian languages of creativity, English has been shaped and reformed by Asian users, arousing the interest of English teachers, scholars and learners.

As an English-language teacher and teacher trainer in China, the writer benefits greatly by relating concepts, theoretical framework, principles, and cases to English-language teaching practices in the Chinese context. The book offers insights into practising English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching in Asian local contexts. Therefore, the writer recommends the book to scholars, teachers and students.

The 11 chapters of Is English an Asian Language? provide the first comprehensive account of the distinctive features, implications and practices of Asian English by analysing the Asian English corpus. Andy Kirkpatrick traces the history of English development in Asia and discusses and illustrates the changes and reforms of English to suit the cultures and needs of Asian users. The book offers a significant contribution to ‘lingua franca’ research.

The book is divided into three parts, with 11 chapters in addition to the introduction. The introductory chapter articulates the notable contributions and the organisation of the book.

Part I (Chapter 1) outlines the historical development of English in the two major population centres of Asia (India and China), Southeast Asia and the Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as the similarities and differences among the countries discussed. English is an efficient communication vehicle, and a widening gap is forming between proficient users and non-proficient English users. As Graddol (Reference Graddol2010: 10) remarked in the context of India, ‘We are fast moving into a world in which not to have English is to be marginalised and excluded’. Speakers from these countries and beyond increasingly use English as a lingua franca.

Part II analyses Asian English varieties (Chapter 2–Chapter 5). Andy Kirkpatrick introduces Asian corpus of English (ACE) compilation and operation to investigate the use of English as a lingua franca by Asian multilingual speakers and how it has been shaped as an Asian language (Chapter 2). Chapter 3 describes Asian varieties of English developed in certain Asian countries and notes how people sharing similar linguistic and cultural backgrounds use those varieties as markers of identity. Then, as English is adopted as a lingua franca across Asia, speakers focusing primarily on communication and code mixing between English and the relevant Asian languages are less likely to be understood by those who are not familiar with their native culture. Consequently, educators cannot ignore the multilingual nature of EFL in terms of teaching. Chapter 4 investigates the content of Asian multilingual conversations in English as a lingua franca, focusing on the observation and analysis of the selected samples from the ACE to provide insight into the widespread use of English as a lingua franca among Asian multilingual speakers. The naturally occurring samples from the ACE provide further evidence of how English is in and of Asia. Chapter 5, Transfer of Features and Communicative Strategies, exemplifies the transfer of pragmatic norms from the speaker's first language into English and the transfer of words and grammatical items from the speaker's first language into his or her use of English as a lingua franca, illustrating the essentially multilingual nature of EFL. To communicate successfully, speakers of English as a lingua franca adopt three types of strategies (listener, participant, speaker) in relation to lexical anticipation, lexical repetition, lexical suggestion, correction, request repetition/clarification, participant paraphrasing, participant prompting, spelling out the word, and being explicit.

Part III discusses the implications and practices of Asian varieties of English. In Chapter 6, Graddol examines how selected Asian English varieties have adapted words from Asian languages and English. With great creativity and humour, Asian people borrow words from local languages and incorporate them into the new variety, creating a hybrid version that reflects local cultures. Varieties of English reflect and represent cultural values and personal experience. Regarding vernacular transformations (Ashcroft, Reference Ashcroft, O'Sullivan, Hubbard and Lee2016: 126), bilingual speakers reconstitute and resemiotise English into Asian varieties of English, analysed through a translanguaging lens: ‘A translanguaging lens posits that bilinguals have one linguistic repertoire from which they select features strategically to communicate effectively’ (Garcia & Li, Reference Garcia and Li2014: 22). Instead of a British monopoly, ex-colonised people have subjugated the language in Asian terms in postcolonial settings.

Chapter 7 discusses non-standard Asian English and English forms as a lingua franca, focusing on morphosyntactic forms. Simplification and regularisation have operated on English over the years. The simplification of the inflectional system can be identified in the change of old English to modern. Regularisation means some verbs to mark past tense have moved from the strong form to the weak form. Non-standard forms are used as a lingua franca by Asian multilingual speakers without causing problems in communication or understanding; non-standard morphosyntactic forms in Asian varieties of English mirror the vernacular varieties of English.

Chapter 8 is mainly about the functions English plays in Asian societies in law, religion and popular culture. English and legal systems influenced by British colonialism include the judicial systems of Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Singapore. English is the only language of these courts but is part of a multilingual legal ecology offering fairness and transparency. English plays a significant role in religions across the region. It also plays a role among other Asian religions, such as by attracting and retaining young people. Although some regions in Asia have shifted to English as their worship language, traditional dress, food, and religious rites help followers maintain faith and identity. In Asian culture we find locally developed vernacular English varieties, representing a rebellion against standard English and showing how English is being shaped by new users in Asia. Chapter 8 discusses the roles of English and reflects the relationship between English and native languages. In Chapter 9, Kirkpatrick suggests innovative ways in which the new Asian-centred English can be taught and co-exist with indigenous languages. Chapter 10 discusses the challenges that must be faced when English plays a role as a language in and of Asia in four parts: the roles of English in ASEAN; the issues and challenges in ASEAN, where English is the sole working language; the qualifications and proficiencies required and the role of assessment; and proposals for language teaching in Asia.

In conclusion, this book is useful and likely to be appreciated by lingua franca researchers, EFL teachers, and students. It offers useful insights for English-language teachers, policymakers and scholars. Combining theory and practice, the book plays a groundbreaking role in the ever-expanding field of lingua franca. It covers critical reflections on the practices of English teaching and learning in Asia. English is being reshaped by Asian users and influenced by multiple cultures in Asia. This book goes a step further in unveiling the conflicts between local languages and English in language teaching. Using local languages as media of instruction in the early years of primary school can be helpful for difficult knowledge acquisition. As noted, more teaching practice suggestions and case studies would have been beneficial. However, finding different Asian English teaching settings in which to apply the book's insights will not be difficult.

The book may serve as a useful guide for graduate students who seek a comprehensive understanding of accent-related issues in the globalised world. Second, research concerning accent perception, pronunciation teaching and evaluation in Hong Kong introduced in this book may inspire scholars who plan to conduct research on this topic in other regions where English is spoken and learned as a second language. Third, this book is also worth reading for practitioners of English education because it may drive them to reflect on the criteria they adopt in their daily teaching activities.

This volume could be further developed in two ways. First, the final chapter discusses the implications of Asian varieties, especially from the perspective of education. It would be useful to present comprehensive proposals in multicultural communication, legal systems and policy to match the preceding chapters. Second, proposals for education need qualitative research findings to provide persuasive evidence.

Overall, English in and of Asia – accent, acceptability and Asian English – significantly contribute to lingua franca research, especially the study of varieties of English and EFL in Asia. Asian language education researchers could find different educational settings in which to apply the book's insights.