An

1
World EnglishesLesson 1

• An
• Introduction

2
Varieties of English or Englishes

• 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?

3
The English Language In 24 Accents
http//www.youtube.com/watch?vdABo_DCIdpM

• 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?

4
The historical, social and political context

• English as a first language (L1)
• - 329,140,800 speakers (cf. Crystal 2003a)
• 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)

5
First diaspora of English Migrations to North
America, Australia, New Zealand

• 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)
• L1 varieties of English new Englishes

6
Second diaspora of English Colonialisation of
Asia and Africa

• 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
• L2 varieties of English New Englishes

7
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.

8
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.

9
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.

10
The legacy of colonialism

• 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)

11
The primitive languages of the barbaric
savages

• A knowledge of the English tongue and its
  authors, therefore, appears to hold a place of
  first importance for the moral and intellectual
  elevation of the Hindoos. The English language
  will not only prove a more correct medium of
  giving public instruction to the students, but it
  will facilitate their progress to useful
  knowledge. All the Indian languages have been for
  many ages the vehicle for every thing in their
  superstition which is morally debasing and
  corrupting to the mind
• London Missionary Society, 1826

12
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?

13
Native vs. non-native

• In the days of the empire, the natives were
  the indigenous populations and the term itself
  implied uncivilized, primitive, barbaric, even
  cannibalisticWith the spread of English around
  the globe, native in relation to English
  has acquired newer, positive connotations.
  Native speakers are assumed to be advanced,
  civilized and educated. But as NSs lose their
  linguistic advantage, with English being spoken
  as an International Language no less, and as
  bilingualism and multilingualism become the
  accepted world norm, and monolingualism the
  exceptionperhaps the word native will return
  to its pejorative usage. (Jenkins, 2000)

14
The loss of ethnic identity

• 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

15
Language and 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?

16
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?

17
Do you agree or disagree?

• 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

18
How important is it to you to be able to?

• 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