For the linguistic component, learners are expected to be exposed to native varieties, non-native varieties, and those localized features that are needed to express the learner’s own culture. These three types of linguistic input are intended to be offered to learners in different proportions based on their proficiency level. They must first be exposed to a native variety, either British English or American English. Gradually, they can be exposed to non-native varieties of other speakers for the purposes of comprehension, for example, providing the learner with opportunities to listen and read materials produced by non-natives such as Indians or Singaporeans. Once they have reached the advanced level, they are encouraged to learn how to describe and explain their own cultures in English to speakers from other countries. The objective they are supposed to achieve is no longer native-like performance. Instead, they are required to develop effective communication skills. Phonologically, they are expected to produce intelligible English and understand English with non-native accents; lexically, to use high-frequency words to express what they want to say, and to understand both high-frequency and low-frequency words; syntactically, they are required to produce comprehensible sentence structures and comprehend non-native syntactic structures. When evaluating how much students have achieved, attention is not paid in particular to individual phonological, lexical, and syntactic errors that do not affect meaning. Instead, the teacher examines how successfully the task has been completed. The above pedagogical suggestion is based on a core-periphery hypothesis of English as an international language (EIL), in which EIL comprises multiple layers of English with speakers from different first language (L1) backgrounds who share a common core, each layer featuring some peripheral nativized features. This common core, derived primarily from native varieties, is essential for English to play the role of a lingua franca. Meanwhile, the peripheral features reflect the nativized culture of each ethnic group. With these nativized features, people with different L1 backgrounds can exchange their unique beliefs, customs, and lifestyles. Along with the development of English, some nativized features may move gradually to the center, for example, kongfu (功夫) and fengshui (風水), which are words originally used only by Chinese speakers and are now extensively accepted by other speakers of English.