A English as a first or a native language, which is usually the first language a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. The first language of a child is part of that child's personal, social and cultural identity.
B English as a global language, which suggests English language as a global means of communication similar to aninternational auxiliary language, and often refers to the movement towards an international standard for the language, mostly associated with geopolitical matters.
C English as an additional language, which relies on the presupposition that learners would depend on their mother tongue to learn and use the target language being taught. It would be an addition to other language(s) already present in the individual's linguistic repertoire.
D English as a lingua franca, which is considered to be a global means of inter-community communication and can be understood as any use of English among speakers of different first languages for whom English is the communicative medium of choice and often the only option.
E English as a foreign language, which refers to the use of English by individuals whose native language is different, commonly among students learning to speak and write English. This term denotes the study of English in environments where it is not the dominant language and would be of subordinate importance.