The global diffusion of English and the resultant birth of its varieties have had various sociolinguistic impacts. The present socio- economic-linguistic situation is such that communities need to communicate as never before. In the matter of communication in English the native speaker had an upper hand as the other variety speakers were expected to understand him. However, the elevated status of the non-native varieties of English and the financial emergence of many onetime third world countries, such as China and India have, if not subverted, balanced the situation. This paper attempts to throw some light on how intelligibility is perceived differently today