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Lesson 1
An Introduction
How many varieties of English can you think of? Can you name a few? What particular variety of English do YOU speak? What variety or varieties do you think should be considered proper and correct?
Did you find the accents authentic? Which accent & variety did you find easiest/most difficult to understand? Which accent & variety did you find most interesting/amusing? Which accent & variety would you like to study more?
English as an institutionalised second language (L2) - 430,614,500 speakers (cf. Crystal 2003a)
English as a foreign language (EFL) English as a lingua franca (ELF)
USA/Canada : From early 17th century (English), 18th century (North Irish) to USA. From 17th century, African slaves to South American states and Carribean islands. From 1776 (American Independence) from British settlers to Canada. Australia: From 1770 New Zealand: From 1790s (official colony 1840)
South Africa: From 1795, 3 groups of L2 English speakers (Afrikaans/Blacks/Indians from 1860s) South Asia: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, from 1600 (British East India Company). 1765-1947 British sovereignty of India. SE Asia and South Pacific: Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong Philippines form late 18th century (Raffles founded Singapore 1819). Colonial Africa: West: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Gambia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Liberia, from late 15th century (only pidgins/creoles) East: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe from circa 1850
Changes in the English-speaking settlements of the first and second diasporas from 1750 to 1900
First, the populations of the overseas NS (native speaker) English-speaking settlements increased in size and became states with governments and with a growing sense of separate identity, which soon extended to the flavour of the English they used.
Changes in the English-speaking settlements of the first and second diasporas from 1750 to 1900
Second, in the United States, first of all, but later in Australia and elsewhere, the colonies began to take their independence from Britain, which greatly reinforced the degree of linguistic difference.
Changes in the English-speaking settlements of the first and second diasporas from 1750 to 1900
Third, as the possessions stabilized and prospered, quite large numbers of people, being non-native speakers of English, had to learn to use the language in order to survive, or to find employment with the governing class, further influencing linguistic development.
The devaluing of local language and culture Assumption of the inferiority of the indigenous language and culture vs. the superiority of the colonisers and their language Lack of confidence with L2 users of English, inferiority complex (Medgyes 1994)
Inferiority complex
L2 varieties of English are just beginning to win some recognition. For many L2 speakers good English is still synonymous with that of educated native speakers born and bred in the UK or North America. In your view, do non-native speakers of English suffer from an inferiority complex over their use of English? Should they do so?
Destruction of the ethnic identities of colonised peoples Loss of indigenous languages (heritage languages) as markers of identity Loss of place (ethnic homeland) as markers of identity
To what extent do you believe it is possible for groups of people to retain their ethnic identity when they lose the use of their mother tongue? How strong a role di you think the written language plays in forming and retaining a sense of ethnic group identity?
Recap
Which are the two dispersals of English? Where and when did they take place? How do they differ? What are the two main effects of colonialism which influenced the development of languages in the colonised areas? How do these two effects manifest themselves?
When non-native speakers of English talk to each other, they should not worry about making mistakes as long as they can communicate. Non-native speakers do not need to speak like native speakers, nor should they feel inferior to them Certain grammar mistakes should be considered variants of English, not mistakes
Speak English accurately Write accurately in English Pass international exams in English Read academic texts or literature in English Communicate with native speakers of English Communicate with non-native speakers of English