Global English Flashcards
what does ‘world Englishes’ refer to
the different Englishes that have been in existence for some time
how do the different Englishes often arise and give an example
- arise through colonisation
- e.g. Singapore English and Indian English
criticism of ‘world Englishes’
although it’s a useful label, it doesn’t describe all the contexts for the use of English
brief summary of English as a Lingua Franca
- recent coinage
- language that is used where it’s no ones first language
- useful communication system between speakers of different languages
- mainly conducted in virtual contexts
- when people come together, their ELF will be shaped
criticism of English as a Lingua Franca
label may imply that ELF is just one language
positive of the label ‘Global English’
represents the extensive scope of English
criticism of the label ‘Global English’
- suggests world domination
- implies one unified form of English, which there isn’t
positive of the label ‘International English’
it’s a useful catch all phrase
how many speakers of English were there in 1600 to how many are there now
- 5million - 7million speakers in 1600
- 1.5billion - 2billion speakers now across 75 different global territories
what does the English language have a tendency to do + example
- has a tendency to pick up words from nearly every language that it’s come into contact with
- Sushi and emoji from Japan
- Goulash and itsy-bitsy from Hungary
what’s the main reason for the spread of English
dispersal and migration
when and what was the first dispersal of the English language
- dates back to early 17th century
- English spread to the ares that are now the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia
what happened to the English language in the areas of USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia
- English speakers settled in large numbers
- established new first language varieties of English
when and what was the second dispersal of the English language
- smaller groups of English speakers settled in areas such as South Africa, South Asia and parts of Africa
- occurred during various points between late 15th century to 18th century
what happened to the English language during the second dispersal of the English language
- English was used as means of communication among English settlers, traders and the local people as many spoke different languages
- English was first used as a lingua Franca
- then acquired a degree of power and status, often being adopted as an official language and gaining second language status
what are David Crystal’s estimations
- 400million L1 speakers
- 400+million L2 speakers
- 600million - 700million ELF speakers
what did the arrival of English coincide with
- arrival of people
- political power
- trade
- religion
- violence
what was the relationship between the English settlers/traders and the local people characterised by
- use of force
- subjugation of the local people and their languages
how is English perceived in the former colonial territories (e.g. Ghana, India)
- a reminder of the violent and oppressive colonial regimes
- an useful tool
- still used in these territories
what is pidgins
form of contact language that acts as a lingua franca, a type of communication adopted by people who share no common language
what are pidgins made up of
elements of different languages
how did Pidgins develop in the Caribbean
due to the history of slavery
what is creole
once Pidgin becomes a native language or once children are born to Pidgin speakers
what does Creole consists of compared to Pidgins
- wider vocabulary
- more complex grammar
what is a negative view on Pidgins and creole
that it’s an inferior form of language
what is the positive aspect of Pidgin
- fulfils a communicative need at a given time
- change form fairly quickly
what is the positive aspect of Creole
with their wider rage of vocal and grammar, Creoles often have many of the characteristic of ‘full’ languages
who invented the three circles of English
Brad Kachru
why is explaining the relationship between English in the UK and English elsewhere difficult
- usually represented visually
- usually never neutral
what is a criticism of Kachrus model
it can suggest an in-group privilege in being in the inner circle, with those languages on the periphery being furthest away from the real thing
who invented the circle of World Englishes
McArthur
what was McArthurs ideas
- ENL differs from one territory to another, and the standards of English are different
- there have always been large groups of ENL speakers in ESL territories due to colonialism
- large numbers of ESL speakers in ENL countries due to immigration
what are some criticisms of McArthurs circle of world Englishes
- oversimplified and has been replaced by Modiano’s model
- code-switching
- four categories don’t take into account that much of the world is bi or multilingual and that English is often spoken with a framework of code switching
what was Modianos model
English as an international language
what did Modianos model of English as an international language consist off
- English as an international language in the centre of diagram
- all the different Englishes around the edge having equal status
how does strevens represent English
using ‘family tree’ structures
what are the weaknesses of Strevens model
- American centric
- historically flawed
what are the strengths of Strevens model
highlights historic and geographical relationships between the Englishes
