The spread of English as an international language has challenged traditional understandings of what English is and what the goals of learning and teaching English are. Concepts such as “native English speaker,” “second language learner,” “ESL,” “EFL,” and “communicative competence” have had to be revised as a result of the emergence of English as a global lingua franca. The term “English as an international language” is one of several that have gained prominence as the TESOL profession seeks to adapt to the realities of the spread of English beyond its traditional territories. In this presentation, the nature of English as an international language will be reviewed and the implications it raises for the teaching of English.