I Illustrations: Divided by a Common Language + Bridge One (Unit 1)
Course introduction
I Illustrations: Divided by a common language + Bridge One (Unit 1)
II Review of schedule, evaluation and resources (syllabus)
III.1 Why Study English? Learn English (0:44)
/ The Story of English: “An English-Speaking World” General intro (5 minutes)
“Majority English”
Until recently dialect was defined as a variety of "the standard language" as spoken in a particular area. The most recent dictionaries have dropped the word "standard." Everyone speaks a dialect. Even the Queen of England does.
THE QUEEN'S DIALECT
A dialect is characterized by the words, pronunciation and grammar particular to an area or group. The Queen's English, for example, belongs to the dialect of the upper class in England which represents less than 10% of British English and about 1% of all the people who have English as their native tongue. Needless to say the influence of this particular dialect is far greater than the number of its speakers.
THE MAJOR DIALECTS
British English (BrE), American English (AmE), and Majority English (MajE) are the three main dialects of the English Language.
THE NATIONAL DIALECTS
Besides these three there are also nine official national dialects:
Aus(tr)E = Australian English
CanE = Canadian English
CarE = Caribbean English
IndE = Indian English
IrE = Irish English
NZE = New Zealand English
PakE = Pakistani English
SAfrE = South African English
ScotE = Scottish English
MAJORITY ENGLISH
Please be warned: Majority English, the English of the non-native speakers, is not an official term nor is it generally known. EFL = English as a Foreign Language, and ESL = English as a Second Language are the most common terms for non-native English.
Majority English is not regarded as a dialect because it is so new and young that very few people see that it is a dialect. It can be compared to American English during the first hundred years or so of its existence when it was regarded not as a dialect, but as bad British English. BrE and AmE now represent about 17% and 70% respectively of all native English.
Visualize BrE as a small group of full-grown pine trees and AmE as a larger group of full-grown birch trees. Place MajE in this scene as short young oak trees growing almost everywhere not occupied by the pines and birches. Can you envision the future landscape?
III.2 Why Study English? The Future of the English Language (4:14)
IV “Global American: Global English”
(http://www.pbs.org/speak/ahead/globalamerican/global/)
Linguists see three main “Englishes” forming along with dozens of offshoots.
One includes Britain, the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where distinct dialects of English are already spoken by about 350 million people.
A second includes South Asia and such African countries as Kenya and Tanzania, where pidgin Englishes – in numerous forms – are dominant.
And a third is broken English used for basic communication in the rapidly industrializing regions of East Europe, East Asia, Latin America and the Mid-East.
V The Adventure of English: “Global Spread” (8: 0-33)
VI Why Study American English? (http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/REF/c1)
American English has grown steadily in international significance since World War II, parallel to the growth of U.S. political, economic, technological and cultural influence worldwide. American English is currently the dominant influence on "world English" largely due to the following:
1. Population: U.S. vs U.K. (SAE/SBE ca 70% vs 17% of all native English
2. Wealth of the U.S. economy vs. the U.K., & influences
3. Magnitude of higher education in America vs the U.K.
4. Magnitude of the publishing industry in America
5. Magnitude of global mass media and media technology influence
6. Appeal of American popular culture on language and habits
7. International political and economic position of the U.S.
VII The Story of English: “An English-Speaking World” AmE intro (16 minutes)
VIII “Global American”: (http://www.pbs.org/speak/ahead/globalamerican/ )
India will soon be the world's most populous country. By 2050 India, with a population of 1.6 billion, will have overtaken China (1.4 billion). If India becomes a predominantly English-speaking country, as I expect will happen, China will have to follow suit or risk relegation. There are high stakes in the global language game. But there's not much we can do about it. Events will take their course. Everyone should calm down--and learn English.
IX “Born in the USA” (http://www.pbs.org/speak/ahead/globalamerican/slang/)
The Global Spread of American Slang; Globalization and English as a Foreign Language
X DYSA? video (title sequence & intro: 3 minutes)