AO1 & AO2 Flashcards
(42 cards)
5 examples of why English is spoken globally
- Language of Western medicine
- Technological power
- Military power
- Political power (British Empire)
- Economical power
Jenkins: The first diaspora
“The first diaspora involved relatively large-scale migrations of mother-tongue English speakers from England, Scotland and Ireland to North America, Australia, New Zealand. In these countries, English became established as the mother-tongue variety”.
Leith: Lexical items
Only a few lexical items such as “cougar” and “skunk” came from the Native Americans
The second diaspora
The second diaspora was about colonisation in the 15th,16th and 17th centuries. English was established as a 2nd official language in British colonised countries such as Kenya, India and Nigeria. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, English has been used as the language of business and education.
Jennifer Jenkins: English as a lingua franca
- Used by speakers of different languages, allowing them to communicate with each other
- Alternative for English as a foreign language rather than a replacement -> functional communication tool
- May include innovation
- Accommodation and code-switching are seen as useful -> depends on context, not an “all-purpose” English
Key features of English as a Lingua Franca
- Dropping third person present tense -s (misses, shouts, walks etc)
- Omission of definite (the) and indefinite (a) article or inserting them when not typically used
- Overusing explicitness (e.g. black colour) instead of just (black)
Jennifer Jenkins argues what about native speakers of English?
Native speakers of English should not see themselves as the gatekeepers of the English language and dictate rules of “correctness”. She argues that the function and purpose of the conversation is the most important thing when it comes to “English as a Lingua Franca interactions”.
Robert Philipson said what about the spread of English as a global language?
“The spread of English as a global language disadvantages other languages, causing them to lose prestige or die out.”
Schneider’s Dynamic Model
Shows that English sheds its foreignness to become a native language in the place that it was transported
The Foundation Stage of Schneider’s Dynamic Model
English appears in a new territory
Colonial expansion and trade results in the spread of English world-wide
In the early stages, bilingualism is slow to spread, starts with some simple borrowings to aid communication
The Exonormative Stabalisation Phase of Schneider’s Dynamic Model
English begins to be used, modelled from outside (exo) standards and norms
The politically dominant country determines the linguistic behaviour and so English is established as the language of administration, law and education
The Nativisation Phase of Schneider’s Dynamic Model
Old and new languages become more closely linked
Settlers establish their new environment and inter-ethnic contact increases and a new variety of English develops -> traditionalist English speakers may resent this
The Endonormative Stabalisation Phase of Schneider’s Dynamic Model
Develops new “endo” (inside) standards and norms
Becomes codified = develops own rules & principles
New norms are developed and accepted in society = reflected in literature documents and so a prestige is established
The Diffferentiation Phase of Schneider’s Dynamic Model
Develops its own regional and social differences
Group specific varieties e.g. ethnic, regional, social leads to internal diversity
Steven’s Map of World Englishes
Illustrates the dominance of English
Separates British & American English
Suggests a hierachy
Doesn’t reflect the sub-varieties within each country
Kachru’s Circles
Inner, Outer, Expanding circles
Inner= Norm providing, English as a L1 (UK, USA, Canada, Australia)
Outer= Norm developing, includes colonised countries, English as an L2 (e.g. Singapore, India, Ghana)
Expanding= Norm dependent, Lingua Franca, accessible form of English (e.g. China, Russia)
• Implies a weakening of “correctness”
• Doesn’t address diversity of English within the circles
• “Inner” and “Outer” suggests a value judgement about “better” usage
McArthur’s Wheel
Unlike other models, implies an equality between different varieties of English: they’re different, but equal
However; the notion of a “World Standard English” in the middle and having everything else derive from that is wrong as it implies a “correct form” of English
David Crystals Views on Global English
People want to have a version of English that links to their culture and adapts to their needs
For example, when native people arrived in America and formed American English due to the new environment
What is a pidgin language?
A pidgin language is a simplified speech used for communication by people who speak different languages
What is a creole?
A creole is a language that forms at the blend of 2 or more languages - develops when people who speak different languages live in the same area.
Another example is when people who speak a pidgin language as their second language have a child but the pidgin language becomes the child’s first language
Singlish - What does Singaporean English derive from?
146 years of British colonial rule
How does the Singaporean government feel about Singlish?
The Singaporean government made attempts to encourage its population to speak RP, through the “Speak Good English” movement, as it has high levels of prestige
Negative views and attitudes about Singlish
Singlish is regarded has having low prestige and being “slang” or “broken” English, which could harm Singapores position as a centre of international trade
1999 PM of Singapore described Singlish as “English corrupted by Singaporeans”
