Global English Flashcards
World Englishes
Refers to different English varieties that have been in existence for some time. Which have arisen because of colonial rule in the past.
World Englishes spoken by large numbers of people in many post-colonial societies, and these varieties have their own distinctive versions of standard English
Example of British Colonisation
1788- British colony in Australia
1858- British Colony in India
1957- Indian Independence
English as a lingua franca (ELF)
Is a more recent coinage.
It means a language that speakers have in common, where it is no one’s first language
This was the case for Latin in medieval Europe and it is the case very frequently with English
It can serve as a useful common communication system between speakers of different languages
Global English
Blurs the distinctions between the other two labels (world Englishes & ELF) and represents the extensive scope of English use in modern times.
But the label can,make it seem as though there is just one unified form of English when there are clearly many.
- recognises English as a general form that everyone uses. Too much of an umbrella term
- does not acknowledge all the varieties e.g Indian English
International English
Is a catch-all phrase for all of the labels - world English, ELF, global English
World Englishes - a forms of English that were abroad some time ago
Facts and stats
In 1600 - between 5-7 million people spoke English. Nearly all of them in the UK
Today - between 1.5-2 billion people across at least 75 different global territories speak English
David Crystal
-Estimates there are around 400 million L1 speakers
Over 400 million L2 speakers
Between 600-700 million ELF speakers
L1
English first language
L2
English as second language
Difference between L2 and ELF
L2
- children only learn English when in school
- but they use it more due to school/work/ daily basis
ELF
- do not use English on daily a basis, only when they need it
Stevens World map of English 1980
- Represents English using a ‘family tree’ structures
- Focuses more on connections and the history
Compared to circle theory?
- does not suggest a hierarchy compares to circle theory
- there is no English better than the other
Kachru’s ‘circles’ theory 1992
- Many varieties of English are found across the globe
- Has classified these varieties as those in the ‘inner circle’ ‘outer circle’ ‘expanding circle’
Inner circle
- English is native language
- comes for free: language they first acquire as babies
- UK, USA
Outer circle
- English is second language
- countries colonised by Britain
- English was imposed upon them even though they had a native language
- official language in many public domains (media, administration, education, legalisation)
- include standard/non standard varieties
- India, Singapore
Expanding circle
- English is a foreign language (EFL)
- does not have an official status, only used for international aspects
- taught in school as a choice like foreign language e.g. French
Kachrus circles theory evaluation
+ shows the impact of colonisation and the different varieties of English that have formed
- suggests in the inner circle, there is a perfect version of English. Like there is a privileged group that can speak the best but this is not the case. Many people speak non standard form.
- suggests outer circle English is worse
McArthur’s circle of world Englishes
Comprehensive looking
At the centre is ‘world standard English’
English undergoing eradication - the different varieties
+ very specific and more comprehensive.
+ more complex compared to Kachru’s circles theory which is simplified too much
+ acknowledges the different varieties
- There isn’t a ‘world standard english’. It has never existed
Modiana 1999
Proposed Putting English as an international language in the centre of the diagram, with the different Englishes around the edge having equal status.
+ no hierarchy
- suggests equal status but no sense of hierarchy, but there is no way to show connections in variations like Stevens map. Suggests they are all different.
Schneider’s dynamic model 2007
Considers how post - colonial varieties of English have evolved.
Time is an important factor as well as a range of other social and political considerations.
Schneider dynamic model stages
- Foundation
English is brought to a new territory by colonisers . Due to trade and expansion
A pidgin language forming
Colonisers and colonised gave separate and distinct linguistic norms
The colonised may use some English borrowings to aid communication - Exonormative stabilisation
The colonised territory begins to establish a bilingualism. English is beginning to be used as a spoken language and is made more official in education/ administration
Still looks at native English speakers for correct usage - Nativisation
Native English speakers establish themselves to new country.
Increased inter-ethnic and linguistic contact
Boundaries between native speakers of English and non native become increasingly fuzzy - Endonormative stabilisation
Point where colonised country becomes independent. They are inspired by the for ‘nation building’
Community seeks their own unique identity through language use
Local norms are developed and accepted in society
New dialects of English begin to emerge - Differentiation
Newly independent country is table new nation
New variety of English is now well established
Group specific ethnic/regional/social varieties emerge leading to internal diversity
Inner circle variety - American English
Jamestown 1607 - first permanent English colony in New world (America)
lots of Americanism come from Middle English words
Examples of americanisms
Fall =autumn
Trash and guess = suppose (Shakespeare)
Inner circle variety American English - spellings
Noah Webster 1806
First American English dictionary - changed/ simplified spelling of several English words
- ize ending instead of ise
Colonize apologize - er instead of re
Center - or instead of our
Color humor
Local varieties of English
English dialect - MLE
Outer circle variety Jamaican English history
Slave trade period 16-19 century
West African people forced and shipped to USA and Caribbean to work on plantations
Separated from those who spoke the same language
A basic stripped-down form of communication was developed known as a Pidgin language (native lan as children born to pidgin speakers)
Later developed into Jamaican creole, wider vocabulary, more complex grammatical constructions
Links to Schneider model
Features of outer circle variety of Jamaican English grammar
- no subject verb agreement
She sing in de choir (sings)
- auxiliary verbs are usually dropped because they arn't content words. Do not affect the meaning & seen unnecessary Dem ready (they are ready)
- passive constructions are avoided
Dis record play a lot (is played a lot) - do not use ‘s’ to make nouns plural
Two book, dem creature
Outer circle variety
Indian English history
- British influence made an influence on India. 18th century
- British gradually had control over government, education. Created divide between those who saw English as key to Western knowledge & those who wanted to preserve local language
- independence 1947. Enormous economic growth. English seen continues to be used as a symbol of personal identity by many
Outer circle variety
Indian English
Features
-phonology : little distinction between
/b/ /v/ /w/ sounds - pronounce interchangeably
- Lexis : several words words from Indian language used alongside English in Indian English
Achaa ‘good yes’
Bas ‘stop’
Yaar ‘friend’
Compound words with ‘wallah’ meaning person associated with. E.g. Bookwallah, ticketwallah
Grammar : progressive aspect is used with stative verbs, ‘ I am knowing, Ian believing you’
‘No’ is often used as a tag e.g. He went back no?
- David crystal, Graddol, McArthur (3 alternative views)
- David Crystal- English’s growth has become so great, nothing to stop its growth as a global lingua Franca
- Graddol’s - the current global wave of English may lose momentum
- McArthur’s - English going through such a radical change around the world that it is fragmenting into a ‘family of language’
- Nicholas Ostler a linguist (3 alternative views)
- postulates English will go the same way as other powerful languages in history
- as American and British power declines around the world, English will also lose power
- instead of another language taking its place, technology will allow us to translate any language, everyone will speak any language they want & world will understand
- Mario Saraceni linguist (3 alternative views)
- challenges the idea that English has spread from England to the wider world
- prefers to describe it as a relocation of English
- against Kachru
