Language In The World Flashcards
English as a lingua Franca
The role of English as a bridging language in interactions where it is not everyone’s first language
Word Emglishes
Varieties of English that are used in different countries around the world p. Eg. Philippine English, Spanglish, Canadian English
Global English
The idea of English as a worldwide language
International English
The idea of English as a language that is used in international contexts of all kinds
Diaspora
The dispersal of people and their languages to different parts of the world
First language
Self explanatory
Pidgin
A trade language, usually not the language of either of the speakers
Second language
Self explanatory
Creole
A variety that has developed from a pidgin or trade language to become a stable language used by speakers as their mother tongue
Acrolect
Refers to a standard or official language variety in contexts where creole is spoken
Basilect
Referring to the most informal style that speakers use
Mesolect
A middle style of language, between standard and colloquial varieties
Schneider’s model
- Considers how post colonial varieties of English have evolved:
- from the foundation stage: English used in a new territory
- exonormative stabilisation: where English begins to be used. At this stage, English speakers in the country still look outside for the norms and standards of their English variety
- nativization : old and new languages become closely
- endonormative stabilisation: where the country has gained independence and the English being spoken there has developed its own sense of standards and norms
- differentiation: new variety developing its own regional and social differences
What is endonormative?
Looking within the immediate community for the norms of language use
What is exonormative?
Looking beyond the immediate community for the norms of language use
David Crystal views about the ways in which English is developing around the world, and what might happen to it in the future
-the momentum of English’s growth has become so great that there is nothing likely to stop its continued spread as global lingua Franca
What’s McArthur’s view on the development of English in the world and what might happen to it in the future?
English is going through such radical change around the world that it is fragmenting into a family of languages
What’s Nicholas Ostler’s view on English?
English will go the same way as other powerful languages in history. As American and British power declines around the world, English will lose its pre-eminent role. Technology will intervene, allowing us to translate any language into any other language, so that ‘everyone will speak and write in whatever language they choose, and the world will understand’
What’s Mario Saraceni view on English?
English has spread from England to the wider world, and instead prefers to describe it as a relocation of English.m
Why is English the dominant world language?
- 1.4 billion speakers of English
- spoken as a second or foreign language by an estimated 950 million people worldwide. In addition to the 427 million native speakers of English
The British Empire
- 1922, largest in history
- education in the colonies: acquisition of the English language, and the future academic and financial success of those living in colonised countries came to depend mainly on their English language ability
- Post World War II, when the colonised countries started to gain independence, the English language maintained its influence by being selected as an official or national language by learns who were themselves the products of colonial education
Future of English
Theoretically possible that English itself will be succeeded by another language, promulgated by the economic, political and cultural might of its native speakers.
Eg. English was preceded by Latin as the world’s dominant language, which was put in place by The Roman Empire and perpetuated by education and religion.
