DOCSLIB.ORG

What Is Standard English? •

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
What Is Standard English? • 'pure' SE. Similarly, when they write - itself a minority activity • the consistent use of SE is required only in certain tasks (such as a letter to a newspaper, but not necessarily to a close friend). More than anywhere else, SE is to be found in print. On this basis, we may define the Standard English of an English-speaking country as a minority variety (identified chiefly by its vocabulary, grammar, and orthography) which carries most prestige and is most widely understood. World Standard English? Since the 1980s, the notion of 'standard' If we read the newspapers or listen to the has come to the fore in public debate newscasters around the English-speaking about the English language. At national world, we will quickly develop the level, in several countries (but especially impression that there is a World Standard in the UK), the concern has focused on English (WSE), acting as a strongly the devising of an acceptable national unifying force among the vast range of curriculum for English in primary and variation which exists. However, a totally secondary education. uniform, regionally neutral, and At international level, the focus has unarguably prestigious variety does not yet been on the question of which national Is there a exist worldwide. standards to use in teaching English as a • Each country where English is a foreign language. In both contexts, World Standard first language is aware of its however, there is a need for clear under• linguistic identity, and is anxious standing about what Standard English (SE) English? to preserve it from the influence of actually is. Disentangling the issues is others. New Zealanders do not best done first at national level, where the want to be Australians; Canadians issues have been around a long time, and David Crystal do not want to be 'Americans' , and are reasonably well understood. From the Americanism is perceived as a dozens of definitions available in the investigates. danger signal by usage guardians literature on English, we may extract five everywhere (except in the USA). essential characteristics. community. In the words of one • All other countries can be grouped Defining Standard English US linguist, SE is 'the English into those which follow American • SE is a variety of English - a used by the powerful' (James English, those which follow distinctive combination of Sledd). British English, and those (such as linguistic features with a particular • The prestige attached to SE is Canada) where there is a mixture role to play. Some people call it a recognised by adult members of of influences. One of the most 'dialect' of English - and so it is, the community, and this motivates noticeable features of this divided but of a rather special kind, for it them to recommend SE as a usage is spelling. In certain has no local base. There is nothing desirable educational target. It is domains, such as computing and in the grammar and vocabulary of the variety which is used as the medicine, US spellings are a piece of SE to tell us which part norm of communication by the becoming increasingly widespread of a country it comes from. community's leading institutions, (program, disk, pediatrics), but we • The linguistic features of SE are such as its government, law courts, are a long way from uniformity. chiefly matters of grammar, and media. It is therefore the • A great deal of lexical distinctive• vocabulary and orthography variety which is likely to be the ness can be observed in the (spelling and punctuation). It is most widely disseminated among specialised terms of local politics, important to note that SE is not a the public. It will, accordingly, be business, culture and natural matter of pronunciation: SE is widely understood - though not by history, and in the 'domestic' spoken in a wide variety of accents everyone, and with varying com• columns of national newspapers (including, of course, any prestige prehension of some of its features (such as Want Ads). There is also accent a country may have, such as (thus motivating the demands of a certain amount of grammatical British Received Pronunciation). the 'plain English' campaigns). It distinctiveness, especially between • SE is the variety of English which mayor may not be liked. US and UK English . carries most prestige within a • Although SE is widely understood, • The notion of a 'standard pronun• country. 'Prestige' is a social it is not widely produced. Only a ciation' is useful in the internation• concept, whereby some people minority of people within a al setting of English as a second or have high standing in the eyes of country (e.g. radio newscasters) foreign language, but here too others, whether this derives from actually use it when they talk. there is more than one teaching social class, material success, Most people speak a variety of model - chiefly, British Received political strength, popular acclaim, regional English, or an admixture Pronunciation and US General or educational background. The of standard and regional Englishes, American. English that these people choose to and reserve such labels as 'BBC Would it be more prestigious for a use will, by this very fact, become English' or 'the Queen's English' report from an international body to be in • the standard within their for what they perceive to be a British or American spelling? • The question of prestige is not • Internationalism implies intelligi• The Drive for Identity easy to determine, at an interna• bility. If the reason for any nation The pressure to foster national identity is tional level, because of the wishing to promote English is to also very strong, and the signs are that different national histories which give it access to what the broader divergence is increasing. The 1990s has coexist. Would it be more English-speaking world has to seen no reduction in the number of prestigious for a report from an offer, then it is crucial for its conflicts which involve regions trying to international body to appear in people to be able to understand the establish their independence, and one British or American spelling? English of that world, and to be consequence of successful nationalism is Should it refer to cars or understood in their turn. In short, the early adoption of speech forms automobiles? What image do its internationalism demands an marking a linguistic distance between the authors wish to convey? Decisions agreed standard - in grammar, new nation and its colonial antecedents. about such matters are made in vocabulary, spelling, pronuncia• Two local factors readily foster this innumerable contexts every day. It tion, and conventions of use - and distancing: will take time before the world promotes the notion of a World • It is inevitable, first of all, that sees a consensus, and only time Standard English. when English is in close contact will tell whether this consensus • Identity implies individuality. If a with other languages, it will adopt will display the domination of a nation wishes to preserve its some of the characteristics of those present-day variety of English uniqueness or to establish its languages, especially their (such as American English), presence, and to avoid being an vocabulary and prosody. The develop a new, composite variety anonymous ingredient in a cultural latter, in particular, can be a major (as in the kind of English melting-pot, then it must search for source of local variety identity, as commonly heard in the corridors ways of expressing its difference is heard in the distinctive stress• of power of the European from the rest of the world. Flags, time rhythm of Indian or Community, and sometimes called uniforms, and other such symbols Caribbean English, or the rising 'Euro-English'), or create an will have their place, but nothing intonations of Australian and New entirely fresh variety, based on a will be so naturally and universally Zealand English. set of assumptions about those present as a national language - or, • Secondly, the fact that English is aspects of English which are most if there is none, a national variety found all over the world means useful for international purposes of an international language. In that it will be used to express an (as in the proposal in the early short, in the context of English, unparalleled range of fauna, flora, 1980s to develop a 'nuclear' kind identity demands linguistic distinc• and cultural features. Each of English which would include tiveness - in grammar, vocabulary, English-speaking country will only the most communicative spelling, pronunciation, or accordingly find itself with features of grammar and conventions or language use - and thousands of words to express its vocabulary). promotes the notion of a diverse local character. Whether we view It is, accordingly, difficult to know set of Regional Standard these words as part of a world what to expect, when a language develops Englishes. standard or a regional standard will a worldwide presence to the extent that The Drive for Intelligibility depend chiefly on the extent to English has. There are no precedents for The pressure for international intelligibili• which the world at large is such a geographical spread or for so many ty is very strong, and may by now be interested in the notions they speakers. Moreover, the speed at which it unstoppable. International travel, satellite express. Thus, in South African has all happened is unprecedented: broadcasting, world press and television, English apartheid and impala have although the history of world English can world stock markets, multinational corpo• become part of the general English be traced back 400 years, the current rations, intergovernmental agencies, and vocabulary, whereas dorp ('small growth spurt in the language has a history many other institutions have guaranteed a town or village') and bredie ('type of less than 40 years.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Language and the Internet
    This page intentionally left blank Language and the Internet David Crystal investigates the nature of the impact which the Internet is making on language. There is already a widespread popular mythology that the Internet is going to be bad for the future of language – that technospeak will rule, standards be lost, and creativity diminished as globalization imposes sameness. The argument of this book is the reverse: that the Internet is in fact enabling a dramatic expansion to take place in the range and variety of language, and is providing unprecedented opportunities for personal creativity. The Internet has now been around long enough for us to ‘take a view’ about the way in which it is being shaped by and is shaping language and languages, and there is no one better placed than David Crystal to take that view. His book is written to be accessible to anyone who has used the Internet and who has an interest in language issues. DAVID CRYSTAL is one of the world’s foremost authorities on language, and as editor of the Cambridge Encyclopedia database he has used the Internet for research purposes from its earliest manifestations. His work for a high technology company involved him in the development of an information classification system with several Internet applications, and he has extensive professional experience of Web issues. Professor Crystal is author of the hugely successful Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language (1987; second edition 1997), Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (1995), English as a Global Language (1997), and Language Death (2000). An internationally renowned writer, journal editor, lecturer and broadcaster, he received an OBE in 1995 for his services to the English language.
    [Show full text]
  • Department of English and American Studies English Language And
    Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Jana Krejčířová Australian English Bachelor’s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: PhDr. Kateřina Tomková, Ph. D. 2016 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. …………………………………………….. Author’s signature I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor PhDr. Kateřina Tomková, Ph.D. for her patience and valuable advice. I would also like to thank my partner Martin Burian and my family for their support and understanding. Table of Contents Abbreviations ........................................................................................................... 6 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 7 1. AUSTRALIA AND ITS HISTORY ................................................................. 10 1.1. Australia before the arrival of the British .................................................... 11 1.1.1. Aboriginal people .............................................................................. 11 1.1.2. First explorers .................................................................................... 14 1.2. Arrival of the British .................................................................................... 14 1.2.1. Convicts ............................................................................................. 15 1.3. Australia in the
    [Show full text]
  • In Britain, Standard English Is a Central Issue of Language
    Copyright © Michael Stubbs 2008. This article is slightly revised from chapter 5, pp.83-97, of Michael Stubbs (1986) Educational Linguistics. Oxford: Blackwell. WHAT IS STANDARD ENGLISH? Introduction In Britain, Standard English is a central issue of language in education, since Standard English is a variety of language which can be defined only by reference to its role in the education system. It is also an example of a topic which requires careful conceptual analysis, since there is enormous confusion about terms such as 'standard', 'correct', 'proper', 'good', 'grammatical' or 'academic' English, and such terms are at the centre of much debate over English in education. A major role for linguistics is the steady unpicking of unreflecting beliefs and myths about language, especially where such beliefs affect the lives of all children in schools. Topics in language in education must be approached from four directions. 1. We need a technical linguistic description of the forms of Standard English: for example, its syntax. 2. We need a sociolinguistic theory to explain its functions: how and when it is used. 3. We need an applied analysis of planning and policy: for example, how it should be taught. 4. And we require an ideological analysis of Standard English as a major factor in the ways in which people experience power and control in their lives. Standard English has to do with passing exams, getting on in the world, respectability, prestige and success. Anyone who expresses such perceptions is also expressing an awareness of the ways in which Standard English reflects the historical and social forces which created and maintain it.
    [Show full text]
  • Language Death David Crystal Frontmatter More Information
    Cambridge University Press 0521653215 - Language Death David Crystal Frontmatter More information Language death The rapid endangerment and death of many minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern, not only among linguists and anthropologists but among all concerned with issues of cultural identity in an increasingly globalized culture. A leading commentator and popular writer on language issues, David Crystal asks the fundamental question, ‘Why is language death so important?’, reviews the reasons for the current crisis and investigates what is being done to reduce its impact. By some counts, only 600 of the 6,000 or so languages in the world are ‘safe’ from the threat of extinction. On some reckonings, the world will, by the end of the twenty-first century, be dominated by a small number of major languages. Language death provides a stimulating and accessible account of this crisis, brimming with salutary and thought-provoking facts and figures about a phenomenon which – like the large-scale destruction of the environment – is both peculiarly modern and increasingly global. The book contains not only intelligent argument, but moving descriptions of the decline and demise of particular languages, and practical advice for anyone interested in pursuing the subject further. is one of the world’s foremost authorities on language. He is author of the hugely successful Cambridge encyclopedia of language (1987; second edition 1997), Cambridge encyclopedia of the English language (1995) and English as a global language (1997). An internationally renowned writer, journal editor, lecturer, and broadcaster, Professor Crystal received an OBE in 1995 for his services to the study and teaching of language.
    [Show full text]
  • English in South Africa: Effective Communication and the Policy Debate
    ENGLISH IN SOUTH AFRICA: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND THE POLICY DEBATE INAUGURAL LECTURE DELIVERED AT RHODES UNIVERSITY on 19 May 1993 by L.S. WRIGHT BA (Hons) (Rhodes), MA (Warwick), DPhil (Oxon) Director Institute for the Study of English in Africa GRAHAMSTOWN RHODES UNIVERSITY 1993 ENGLISH IN SOUTH AFRICA: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND THE POLICY DEBATE INAUGURAL LECTURE DELIVERED AT RHODES UNIVERSITY on 19 May 1993 by L.S. WRIGHT BA (Hons) (Rhodes), MA (Warwick), DPhil (Oxon) Director Institute for the Study of English in Africa GRAHAMSTOWN RHODES UNIVERSITY 1993 First published in 1993 by Rhodes University Grahamstown South Africa ©PROF LS WRIGHT -1993 Laurence Wright English in South Africa: Effective Communication and the Policy Debate ISBN: 0-620-03155-7 No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. Mr Vice Chancellor, my former teachers, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen: It is a special privilege to be asked to give an inaugural lecture before the University in which my undergraduate days were spent and which holds, as a result, a special place in my affections. At his own "Inaugural Address at Edinburgh" in 1866, Thomas Carlyle observed that "the true University of our days is a Collection of Books".1 This definition - beloved of university library committees worldwide - retains a certain validity even in these days of microfiche and e-mail, but it has never been remotely adequate. John Henry Newman supplied the counterpoise: . no book can convey the special spirit and delicate peculiarities of its subject with that rapidity and certainty which attend on the sympathy of mind with mind, through the eyes, the look, the accent and the manner.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Science
    Shakespeare: A critical analysis Shakespeare: Original pronunciation Narrator The Globe Theatre, which opened in 1994, very near to its former site, specialises in original productions of Shakespeare. But it wasn’t until 2004 that a play was performed in the original pronunciation, known as OP. The play was Romeo and Juliet. David Crystal, Honorary Professor of Linguistics, University of Wales Well, The Globe is known for its original practises. This is why it is here, to try and recreate the theatre as it was in 1600 and thereabouts. And when they started it off, they decided to do original costume, original music, with original instruments, original movement around the stage, and so on. But they never did original pronunciation, because they thought, quite wrongly, but understandably, they thought nobody would understand it. But it was very, very successful occasion, the seats were packed for that weekend, everybody loved it. And it was such a success that The Globe then decided to a second production the following year, a production of Troilus and Cressida. It transports you back through the centuries. It’s a very magical, almost hair-raising experience, especially in this space, to hear that accent, a space that’s, sort of, as close as we can get to a 400 year old theatre, and then an accent that’s as close as we can get to a 400 year old accent, with a 400 year old play. If anything, it rounds the experience of going to see a Shakespeare play out. Any period in the history of the English language can be studied from the point of view of how it was pronounced at the time.
    [Show full text]
  • The Pronunciation of English in South Africa by L.W
    The Pronunciation of English in South Africa by L.W. Lanham, Professor Emeritus, Rhodes University, 1996 Introduction There is no one, typical South African English accent as there is one overall Australian English accent. The variety of accents within the society is in part a consequence of the varied regional origins of groups of native English speakers who came to Africa at different times, and in part a consequence of the variety of mother tongues of the different ethnic groups who today use English so extensively that they must be included in the English-using community. The first truly African, native English accent in South Africa evolved in the speech of the children of the 1820 Settlers who came to the Eastern Cape with parents who spoke many English dialects. The pronunciation features which survive are mainly those from south-east England with distinct Cockney associations. The variables (distinctive features of pronunciation) listed under A below may be attributed to this origin. Under B are listed variables of probable Dutch origin reflecting close association and intermarriage with Dutch inhabitants of the Cape. There was much contact with Xhosa people in that area, but the effect of this was almost entirely confined to the vocabulary. (The English which evolved in the Eastern and Central Cape we refer to as Cape English.) The next large settlement from Britain took place in Natal between 1848 and 1862 giving rise to pronunciation variables pointing more to the Midlands and north of England (List C). The Natal settlers had a strong desire to remain English in every aspect of identity, social life, and behaviour.
    [Show full text]
  • Malaysian Undergraduates' Attitudes Towards Localised English
    GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies 80 Volume 18(2), May 2018 http://doi.org/10.17576/gema-2018-1802-06 Like That Lah: Malaysian Undergraduates’ Attitudes Towards Localised English Debbita Tan Ai Lin [email protected] School of Languages, Literacies & Translation Universiti Sains Malaysia Lee Bee Choo [email protected] School of Languages, Literacies & Translation Universiti Sains Malaysia Shaidatul Akma Adi Kasuma [email protected] School of Languages, Literacies & Translation Universiti Sains Malaysia Malini Ganapathy (Corresponding Author) [email protected] School of Languages, Literacies & Translation Universiti Sains Malaysia ABSTRACT Native-like English use is often considered the standard to be achieved, in contrast to non- native English use. Nonetheless, localised English varieties abound in many societies and the growth or decline of any language variety commonly depends on how it is perceived; for instance, as a mere tool for functionality or as a prized cultural badge, and only its users can offer us insights into this. The thrust of the present study falls in line with the concept of language vitality, which is basically concerned with the sustainability of non-global languages. This paper first explores the subject of localisation and English varieties, and then examines the attitudes of Malaysian undergraduates towards their English pronunciation and accent, as well as their perceptions of Malaysian English. A 26-item questionnaire created by the researchers was utilised to collect data. It was also tested for reliability, with returned values indicating good internal consistency for all constructs, making the instrument a reliable option for use in future studies. A total of 253 undergraduates from a public university responded to the questionnaire and results revealed that overall, the participants valued their local-accented English and the functionality of Malaysian English, but regarded this form of the language as substandard.
    [Show full text]
  • English Language at a Level
    English Language at A Level Studying English Language at A Level will be very different to what you will have done at GCSE, however, you will still use similar academic skills such as: analysis, application of linguistic terminology and essay writing. To prepare yourself, there are lots of helpful, interesting and fun things that you can do. Podcasts: • Listen to Radio 4’s ‘Word of Mouth’ podcasts available for free to download from the BBC Sounds app (which is also free!) or from the Radio 4 website. Michael Rosen, an English poet and author, hosts the show which features topics related to language such as: Lying (and how to tell when someone is), The First Language, The Language of Comics and even Biscuit Names! https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qtnz/episodes/player?page =2 • Listen to a podcast called ‘The Battle for English’ by lexicographer, Susie Dent (from Dictionary Corner on Countdown) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000gkv4 YouTube: • Watch videos about language and linguistics by David Crystal, a writer, lecturer, and broadcaster who has written over 100 books about language including: ‘Rediscover Grammar’, ‘Making Sense of Grammar’ (which are very accessible for A Level students). • Watch Ted Talks about language and linguistics on topics from ‘Why language is humanity's greatest invention’ to ‘ancient language forms’: https://www.ted.com/topics/language Blogs and websites: All of these blogs and websites are focused on the English language: its history, its functions and its ever-changing identity. Reading anything that takes your interest is a great place to start: • https://linguisticus.wordpress.com • https://grammararium.wordpress.com • https://aggslanguage.wordpress.com • https://blog.inkyfool.com/ • http://david-crystal.blogspot.co.uk • http://www.dictionary.com/ Books: • David Crystal: Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language/Rediscover Grammar/ Making sense of Grammar.
    [Show full text]
  • The Vocabulary of Australian English
    THE VOCABULARY OF AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH Bruce Moore Australian National Dictionary Centre Australian National University The vocabulary of Australian English comes from many sources. This document outlines some of the most important sources of Australian words, and some of the important historical events that have shaped the creation of Australian words. At times, reference is made to the Australian Oxford Dictionary (OUP 1999) edited by Bruce Moore. 1. BORROWINGS FROM AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL LANGUAGES ...2 2. ENGLISH FORMATIONS .....................................................................7 3. THE CONVICT ERA ...........................................................................11 4. BRITISH DIALECT .............................................................................15 5. BRITISH SLANG ................................................................................17 6. GOLD .................................................................................................18 7. WARS.................................................................................................21 © Australian National Dictionary Centre Page 1 of 24 1. BORROWINGS FROM AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL LANGUAGES In 1770 Captain James Cook was forced to beach the Endeavour for repairs near present-day Cooktown, after the ship had been damaged on reefs. He and Joseph Banks collected a number of Aboriginal words from the local Guugu Yimidhirr people. One of these words was kangaroo, the Guugu Yimidhirr name for the large black or grey kangaroo Macropus
    [Show full text]
  • Corpus-Based Study on African English Varieties
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Academy Publication Online ISSN 1798-4769 Journal of Language Teaching and Research, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 615-623, May 2017 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0803.22 Corpus-based Study on African English Varieties Xiaohui Xu Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China Abstract—Corpus-based research is more and more used in linguistics. English varieties are used a lot in daily communications throughout the world. African English varieties are discussed in this paper, including West African English, East African English and South African English. Kenya and Tanzania corpus is the main target corpus while Jamaica corpus is used as a comparative one. The tool used is AntConc 3.2.4. Index Terms—corpus, English varieties, African English, pidgins, creoles I. INTRODUCTION A. Standard English There is an agreeable division among scholars that the whole world is divided into three circles: the Inner Circle, the Outer Circle, and the Expanding Circle. In the Inner Circle, English is spoken as mother tongue; in the Outer Circle, English is usually spoken as a second language; in the Expanding Circle, English is usually spoken as a foreign language. Standard English is used in books, newspapers, magazines and nearly everything else that appears in print in the English-speaking world. This type of English is called “standard” because it has undergone standardization, which means that it has been subjected to a process through which it has been selected and stabilized, in a way that other varieties have not.
    [Show full text]
  • American English Speech Recordings
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 269 965 FL 015 695 AUTHOR Caristian, Donna TtTLE American Engli3h Speech Recordings: A Guide to Collections. INSTITUTION Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, D.C. SPONS AGENCY National Endowment for the Humar.ities (NFAH), Washington, D.C. PUB DATE May 86 NOTE l27p. PUB TYPE Reference Materials - Directories/Catalogs (132) -­ Tests/Evaluation Instruments (160) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Audiotape Recordings: Creoles: *Dialects; lnformation Sources; *Language Usage; *Language variation: National Surveys; *Native Speakers: *North American English; Oral Language; Reference Materials; *Regional Characteristics IDEN'tIFIERS Bahamas; Canada; Central America; England; Puerto Rico; United States ABSTRACT A directory of collections of audio :ec~rdings of varieties of American English spoken in North America and including English-based creoles contains information about collections of any size, classified according to the primary state in the U.S. represented by tha speakers in the sample and cross-referenced when more than one state is represented in the collection. Collections covering areas outside the United States are grouped separately, and include the Bahamas, Canada, Central America, Puerto Rico, England, and world-wide sources. Thp data, based on a survey, include information on each collection's location, institutional affiliation, content, characteristics of the sample, number of subjects recorded, numbe~ of hours recorded, dates and locations of taping, average length of the samples, contexts (free speech with or without interviewe~, directed interview, data elicitation, reading, or other), predominant or outstanding features of the content, subject or technical characteristics, access to COllections, and availabl~ research reports concerning the collection. The survey questionnaire is provided in the introductory section of the directory.
    [Show full text]