Global Englishes Flashcards

Question

Who explained how English sheds its foreign-ness and becomes an indigenous variety in former colonies? What are the phases?

Answer 1

Schneider 1 - FOUNDATION: >This is the initial stage of the introduction of English to a new territory over an extended period of time. E.g. the colonisation of India. >Two linguistic processes are happening at this stage: (a) language contact between English and indigenous languages; (b) contact between different dialects of English of the settlers which eventually results in a new stable dialect. > bilingualism is minimal. A few members of the local populace may play an important role as interpreters, translators and guides. >Borrowings are limited to lexical items; with local place names and terms for local fauna and flora being adopted by the English. 2 - EXONORMATIVE STABILISATION >At this stage, the settler communities tend to stabilise politically under British rule. >English increases in prominence and though the colloquial English is a colonial koiné (lingua franca), the speakers look to England for their formal norms. >Local vocabulary continues to be adopted into the local usage of English. >Bilingualism increases amongst the indigenous population through education and increased contacts with English settlers. >Knowledge of English becomes an asset, and a new indigenous elite develops. 3 - NATIVISATION: >According to Schneider, this is the stage at which a transition occurs as the English settler population starts to accept a new identity based on present and local realities, rather than sole allegiance to their 'mother country'. >By this time, the indigenous strand has also stabilised an L2 (second language) system which uses inter-language processes, code switching and features adopted from the settlers' koiné English. >Neologisms stabilise as English is made to adapt to local social, political and cultural practices. 4 - ENDONORMATIVE STABILISATION >This stage is characterised by the gradual acceptance of local norms, supported by a new locally rooted linguistic self-confidence. >By this time political events have made it clear that the settler and indigenous strands are inextricably bound in a sense of nationhood independent of Britain. >Acceptance of local English(es) expresses this new identity. >National dictionaries are enthusiastically supported, at least for new lexis (but not always for localised grammar). >Literary creativity in local English begins to flourish. 5 - DIFFERENTIATION >At this stage there is a change in the dynamics of identity as the young nation sees itself as less defined by its differences from the former colonial power as a composite of subgroups defined on regional, social and ethnic lines. >Coupled with the simple effects of time in effecting language change (with the aid of social differentiation) the new English koiné starts to show greater differentiation.

Answer 2

>based on trade languages with mostly Portuguese lexicon which slaves learned -> simplicity and similarity between creoles comes from the idea of monogenesis (one common origin)

Answer 3

>limited to English/French lexifier creoles | >jargon/pidgin from West African coast formed primary source

Answer 4

>non-standard dialects of colonial langs. developed into creoles >result of migration and nautical language >similarity only holds between those deriving from same colonial language >simplicity comes from non-standard being simpler

Answer 5

>Based on similarities between certain pidgins and early speech of children >frozen stages in 2nd language learning sequence >Also because speakers of the dominant language use foreigner talk (simplified speech) with L2 speakers

Answer 6

>creoles are crystallisation of some stage in second language learning process > speakers of the porto-creole did not have sufficient access to the model so create approximative system >similarity comes from universal properties of the language learning process >simplicity comes from simplification inherent in language learning

Answer 7

>creoles in Atlantic region emerged through relexification by slaves of West African langs. under influence of colonial langs. or transfer of African lang. structures in process of learning creoles

Answer 8

>slave plantations imposed communicative requirements on slaves lacking a common language

Answer 9

>creoles invention of children growing up on plantations who heard pidgins spoken without enough structure to function as native language so they used their innate language capacity to turn them into full languages >innate capacity is universal, hence the similarity >simple because they reflect most basic language structures