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Language Arts 802: Development And Usage Of English Quiz 1: History Of The English Language
Contrast between British English and American English
The birth of the english language
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American Language VS. British English The two languages are very similar, so much that it is very easy to understand between the two countries. The languages do not need translation due to writing in what is called standard English. Standard English is the written English format used in all three countries making it very versatile and easy to understand. There only a handful of similarities between American English and British English. There is more of a difference than there are similarities.
British English is a very formal form of the English language. The UK practices formal speaking and dictation while the United States of America uses slang and informal English. Our spelling of the same words even differs from each other. In the United
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In Britain the way the speak and the way they act has something to do with their culture. They like to have a cultural emphasis of language, meaning they like to emphasize words that are adaptively important in their culture. The culture itself shows how it is different and why it is different from any other in the world. American English is much more homogenous than British English, meaning it is often harder to tell where in the USA someone is from just by hearing their accent. Linguists have identified somewhere between six and twenty-five American dialects, although the major divisions are between Northern, Midland and Southern dialects, which are roughly grouped together. In the US and in Britain we have what is known as an open communication system meaning, we can communicate with new sounds or words by combining two or more existing sounds or …show more content…
In a sociolinguist perspective “the idea of a spoken standardized language is a hypothetical construct” (Lippi-Green, 2012, pp. 57). They are the form of Britain English and American English that are used in textbooks and on broadcasting. Giles and Coupland observe that “A standard variety is the one that is most often associated with high socioeconomic status, power and media usage in a particular community” (1991, p. 38). Both native speakers and learners of English, where English is taught as a second or foreign language (hereafter ESL/EFL), speak dialect of English in everyday conversation (Kachru, 2006, pp. 10-11; Owens 2012, p.
Due to the certain accent’s stereotyping images, other “original English speaker” think they are uneducated, rude, and ignorance. TV comedy shows increased this negative image to audiences as making fun of their accent and laughed. The video introduced some words which are unfamiliar to us: cabinet is milkshake, gum band is rubber band, schlep is to carry, and pau hana means work is done. Those words and phrases are noticeable if they are native English speakers. On the other hand, I hardly notice those accents and dialects as a foreigner because I don’t have enough knowledge to judge what “standard English” is. In fact, we normally learn “standard English” in school as a foreigner, but we have a great chance to hear mixed dialects and accents everywhere because of mixed race society. Nevertheless, standard English accent is easier for me to understand. I easily distinguish and guess people’s hometown if they are foreigners by their accent. Still, it’s hard to recognize accents and dialect within states. Moreover, this video was difficult to understand because of the
It is apparent that there are many types of dialect within American English. The coexisting of two or more languages, either serving together in the same area or servicing different areas, is as old as language itself (Pei 106). This has happened throughout time and appears to be inevitable. It is impossible to believe an entire country could conform to one language, and then only one dialect of that language. Throughout history societies have survived for some time using different languages until these language barriers tore territories apart. It is apparent how, in America, barriers between dialects separate black men from white men even more than physical conditions.
In Robert MacNeil’s article “Do You Speak American?” MacNeil discusses how the United States English started to become more diverse through the ongoing changes in the way English is being spoken throughout the States.MacNeil includes different demographics, groups of people and dialects to depict the progress that has come about over the years. With this in mind, he wants people to view this change as a step in the right direction.He aims to persuade people who are against this shift, so they can grow to tolerate and view this growth in a more positive manner. Since this article was published after his show on PBS in USA magazine he aims to convince people who have an above average knowledge of the English language to view change as a progressive
The United States is made up of multiple cultures, race, and languages. Many people come from Mexico or Asian parts of the world, like China in search for a better life. One of the struggles many people have when coming from a different country is the language, in this case English. Everyone has a unique way of communicating. In the United States, after people learn English they realize they use different Englishes without knowing, in order to communicate, whether it be with parents, professors, or your own pets.
In our society, there are many cultures with language and dialect variations, but Standard English is the language of the dominant culture. Therefore, it is necessary for all students to learn to write and speak Standard English effectively. However, for many students of Urban school districts, especially African Americans, writing and speaking effective Standard English can occasionally pose a problem. Many African American students speak a variation of Standard English (Black Vernacular Speech) whose linguistic patterns sometimes conflict with those of Standard English. It is true that African American speech is an essential aspect of their African American culture, so the educational system would be doing African American students a disservice by insisting that they learn Standard English as a primary discourse. It is also a fact however, that in order to be viewed as a successful, functional member of society, Standard English, if learned as a secondary discourse, should be written and spoken as fluently as the primary discourse.
Despite the fact that English is considered one language, there are many regional varieties called dialects spoken all over the world. Although these dialects are mutually intelligible by English speakers, they are quite different. For example, British English is markedly different than American English. British speakers pronounce words differently and use a different vocabulary. Some words and phrases have different meanings in American English versus British English. One example is the word “bathroom.” If an American were to ask where the bathroom is in a British home, they might be sent to a room with a bath and no toilet, which is probably not what the American wanted. The two dialects may even differ in grammar in some cases. For example, “gotten” is considered correct in American English, but in British English, “got” is used.
Woolard, Kathryn A. “ Language Variation and Cultural Hegemony: Toward an Integration of Sociolinguistic and Social Theory.” American Ethnologist. Vol. 12, No. 4 (November 1985), pp. 738-748. 31 May 2010. Print.
Thus, both Black English and Standard English are used in various social contexts where each one has its own status,
There are many different dialects across the world. They can change depending on your region, your age or even your gender. Many people would react to a different dialect as wrong or they want to try and eliminate it. When in reality, both are correct. They just sound incorrect due to the fact they are not accustomed to hearing it. If English is just one language, why are there so many different ways to speak it? The study of dialects or the variations in language from one place to another provides the answers. In observing my own dialect, I have found three words or phrases I say or pronounce differently from the people around me. One is the pronunciation of the word ketchup. Two is the word used to describe a spinning maneuver preformed while driving a vehicle. Three is the normality of the question, “Do you have fry sauce?” in different states.
Oxford College and many other American institutions are culturally diverse. English is the formal language for American education system. At the same time, English is the lingua franca, hence widely spoken across the globe. Nevertheless, English has hundreds of dialects and thousands of accents which sometimes make communication between two English speakers ineffective. Non-native English-speaking students at Oxford College and many other American learning institutions have poor learning experience. This is due to the restrictive nature of English as the only language of instructions. However, as integral factors for provision of a better or a higher education, multilingual lessons, and a new pedagogy are required to fit the need for a continuously
The American class system is divided into three sets of social categories: upper class, middle class, and lower class. These class divisions are determined based on an individual’s status and power in the society and may also be determined through an individual’s education, occupation, and income. Having a divided society based on social and economic status leads to the formation of different conversational styles. The use of standard or nonstandard English dialects often reflect an individual’s social class and it will vary according to the social group one is categorized. Language is affected by the social structure because individuals will differ from one another in the way an individual speak. Being divided by
The English language arose from the early Anglo Saxon inhabitants in ancient England and spread to Scotland and other European countries via the British Empire and later to the United States through colonial political and economical influences. It later dispersed to other parts of the world through these same influences to become one of the leading languages of the world. It has over the years developed by adopting different dialects to create a language, which is the standard lingual Franca in many countries. The rapid growth of the English language and its adoption by different cultures across the globe is sufficient ground to make it the global language.
For this reason, English-speaking people constituted majority of the settlers who brought in the deferent dialects spoken in different parts of Britain (Bueltmann et al., 2014). These varieties of the early British English had a substantial impact on the emergence of the various dialects across America. For instance, some words that are regarded as American were actually the lower speech words in the British English at the time. In addition, these settlers spoke English very similar to the one spoken in America today. This implies that they contributed in terms of
“In the world were over seven thousand languages have exisisted, one language had become dominate. This dominant language is English.” “In the majority of countries throughout the world speak English as their second or first language, no longer just America or England.” English has taken many forms, American English, the Queen’s English, Australian, Canadian English, and several others. Even American English has taken several types of English, Jersey English, East Coast English, West Coast English, Southern English, slang English, and Ebonics. All of these languages have major variants between them, but are all of them are still understood aboard. Without English the world couldn’t operate, because there would be no one language that could be understands all over the world.
Luckily, the United Kingdom’s official language is English, although more than 300 languages are spoken throughout the city because of its diverse culture. English is known for having many different dialects therefore, the U.S. and the U.K. may differ slightly (Languages of the United Kingdom). Translations may be needed in some parts of the city, luckily we have technology that can help us with that.