In the contemporary world, the English language is the proffered language of communication in many communities. Most of them are not native English speakers and have acquired English literacy as their secondary language. However, it is a medium of ‘intra-national’ and ‘international’ communications (A. Matsuda & P. Matsuda, n.d.). Throughout the world all communities use a structurally different dialect of English, hence the term ‘Englishes’. Like Australia, there are many countries in the world that are not monolingual, as many Englishes speakers mark their specific variety of English through distinctive phonological, lexical structures showing the uniqueness of their national, regionals or social groups, further making the countries culturally …show more content…
Englishes in use today across the Australian, African and Asian continents are the results of eighteen and nineteen-century colonialism (Urszula, 2013). Various colonisers brought with them a version of European-base language to make a standardisation in their home location and overlaid the languages of indigenous peoples. Particular region, environmental, geographical and political factors also affect the forms of English, as vocabulary, pronunciation differ from one place to another, like Australian English, American English, Indian English (Urszula, 2013). The Indian linguistic B. Kachru (as cited Kachru & Smith, 2008) has put forward that today’s Englishes are can be viewed in three concentric circles: the Inner circle – represents countries where English is used as a primary language like U.K, U.S.A, Australia, Canada New Zealand; Outer circle – include countries like India, Philippines, Singapore and Nigeria, where English has been adopted due to colonisation as an additional language for intranational purposes like education, law and administration; Expanding circles – includes countries like China, Japan, Korea and the Middle East, where English is primarily used for inter-national …show more content…
Children who are familiar with social practices of school are well recognised than those who bring their own language practices, as their language differs from the ways valued by the school Discourse. The challenge for all teachers is to include each of these children as an insider to the classroom Discourse (Green, 2006). It can be accomplished when educators aware of the difference in the ways children use language to interact and to present information and respond in ways that are helpful to children. Laone & Muri (2017) tell that every child has something to say and it needs to be valued and supported. More likely children can be eager learners when their lives are brought into classroom. According to Halliday’s theory of systematic functional linguistics (SFL), language is on a continuum form of very informal to formal. This is called ‘Register’ – refers to the ways the language forms people choose to vary according to the context of use (Green, 2006). Academic language is a set of registers through which schooling activities are accomplished. Schleppegrell (2012) explains when educators engage in a conversation that clarifies what the child intends to contribute as well as model alternative ways of using language for purposes of learning can support the development of academic learning. The home literacy environment shapes
The Interactionist Perspective focuses on the primary role of sociocultural interaction in children’s development of language knowledge. This perspective contends that children acquire language through their attempts to communicate with the world around them. This perspective encourages teachers to focus on providing many social interactions in which oral and written language are used. Teachers should provide students with many “talking: opportunities, so children can begin to understand the ways in which language functions. Adults play an important role as they support children’s language development by serving as an expert who often creates conditions that make for effective communication. Adults can use the zone of proximal development by
The aim of this essay is to explore language acquisition and compare and contrast different theories of language acquisition and language development. Language in its most basic form is used to communicate our needs and wants. It encompasses a range of modes of delivery including signing, spoken and written words, posture, eye contact, facial expressions and gestures. So how do we learn ‘language’? Are we born with the skills for communication, or is it something that we have to learn or have taught to us? Four theories are looked at in this essay to determine how children acquire and then develop language. These theories include behaviourist, nativist, cognitivist and sociocultural. This essay will highlight some similarities and differences in each theory and what impact these have on a child’s acquisition and development of language. Lastly we will look at the implications of these theories when working with children. Can a classroom teacher deliver a quality literacy program based on just one of these theories or does it need to incorporate components of all four? Sims, (2012) pp. 21 states ‘’High-quality learning experiences in the early years of life enhance children’s cognitive and language skills’’. This places a great responsibility on educators and teachers alike to provide an environment which is rich in learning opportunities that will encourage both the acquisition and development of language.
In 1985, Braj Kachru put forward the famous “Three Concentric Circles” framework to explain the spread and usage of global English. The inner circle includes the country where people speak English as native language. Then, the outer circle refers to the society which English is treated as a second language while the extending circle indicates the nation which English has the status of foreign language. (Bolton, 2000, p.266) Due to the colonization, English has maintained and gained official status in Hong Kong. Based on the theory, Hong Kong should be categorized into the outer circle. However, English is mainly adopted in international communication rather than in personal domains. (Groves, 2009, p.57) In this view, Hong Kong also has the trait of extending circle. Furthermore, Hong Kong has gone through a transition from British colony to a Special Administrative Region of China. The dramatic change of social politics called for a great change of linguistic situation.
What is the main processes of standardization? There is four main processes for standardization , First Codification developing and standardizing a standard for a language. All this take place through dictionaries , printing and education , this need the lowering of internal variability in the chosen variety and put norms of grammatical usage and vocabulary .The selected variety was codified in grammar books and dictionaries. Second Selection of on variety and one language , the selection of the language spoken by the kings and powerful people .The modification of the dialect of the South-East Midlands as the National Language of all England was a political requirement for the national aim .Third Elaboration that to be sure that the new
Finally, there are many different varieties of English, or as it is called Englishes, such as Singaporean English, Indian English and Nigerian English. Each variety of English expresses the identity and culture of its speakers. It has been predicted that in the distant future these forms of English will fragment into mutually unintelligible varieties. Therefore, this fragmentation may slow the spread of English as a global language.
It is within the school community that educators play a pivotal role in developing a literate society. All students can benefit from schools using an inclusive ‘elaborated code’ especially marginalised students. It is imperative that educators encourage students to enter the classroom discourse without fear, lack of self-worth and ready to bridge the gap between home and school Discourse (Campbell & Green, 2006, p. 5). For many primary school students who are learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D), the educator can play a pivotal role in developing a literate classroom, regardless of the cultural background by strengthening the student-teacher and teacher-students-parent relationships and providing opportunities for EAL/D students to use their home language and exposing English speaking students to range of languages in the
Hepworth, M. D. (2012), Tutorial Notes, '69214339 TMA01', Unpublished Work. Leith, D. and Seargeant, P. (2012), 'A Colonial Language', in Seargeant, P. and Swann, J. ed. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a History, Diversity, Change (U214, English in the World), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 113-117. 101.
Since the establishment of the British Empire, the spread of English language has been experienced in many parts of the globe. The success can be attributed significantly to the colonization activities that the empire had embarked on. They would train the indigenous community English language as they suppressed the local dialect. This massive spread is termed as lingual imperialism (Osterhammel 2005, pp. 14). The English language has become the first and second language of many nations across the world, and this makes it an international language. The native’s proportion to the non-native who speaks English cannot be compared with nations in the isle of Britain and far are speaking the language .considering that more than 70%
It has been adopted by different sectors making it one of the most used languages in the globe. This has been attributed to its effective nature, easy learning and rich history. However, conservative groups exist who argues that there should be global language since it may cause the emergence of superior cultures. Nevertheless, it is evident that different cultures ranging from the early polish immigrants, the African American community, the advertising and media will greatly benefit from the globalization of the English language. This will prove in the end that English is indeed a global
Language is the basis of human communication. It is a cultural and social interaction, and the way language is used is influenced by the circumstances in which it takes place (Emmitt, 2010, p. 49; Green, 2006, p. 2). Children become aware that there are different types of language, including languages used at home, at childcare and at school, as they observe and participate in various language situations (Fellowes & Oakley, 2014, p. 39). Some of these languages may be unfamiliar, and children will need to learn the different roles and uses of language. The different roles of language in a child’s life are, therefore, part of their growing understanding of how to behave in society and in a particular context. As they experience different types and uses of language, children develop an understanding of how to use language appropriately for any given situation.
Standardization of the English Language There are several important events before 1500 that, when listed together, show a series of steps in the struggle for English language supremacy. These steps are mainly governmental, legal and official events that pushed English usage. In 1356 The Sheriff's Court in London and Middlesex were conducted in English for the first time. When Parliament opened in 1362 the Statute of Pleading was issued declaring English as a language of the courts as well as of Parliament, but it was not until 1413 that English became the official language of the courts everywhere. Thirteen years later in 1423, Parliament records start being written in English.
In order to visualize the “global” as an adjective in the collocation “global language”, a study has shown the numbers of people speaking the language. According to them, there are about 6000 languages in the world and not surprisingly English is at the top of the list of most dominant. In the world there are 375 million first-language speakers, approximately the same number of second-language speakers and about 750 million foreign-language speakers (David Graddol, The Future of English? A Guide to Forecasting the Popularity of the English Language in the 21st Century. British Council, 1997). According to magazine Economist, more than one billion people speak some form of English. These numbers could make people think that English is really conquering the world which can be both positive and negative.
They sense a threat to their own cultures and fear that their languages will gradually lose their communicative functions, to end up finally as a dialect merely suited for local usage. As far as language is concerned, local/national languages are not replaced by English on the fundamental level of grammar, only their vocabulary is enriched by lexical items for which there is usually no local alternative. A case in point is the influence of English on Indian languages, which has been mainly lexical in the adoption of technical terms. Meanwhile, there has been a mild influence on the morphology of regional languages in that the acquisition of both direct loans pointed out that English carries a set of ideologies, values, and norms based on the history of its development and use. Local cultures should not see communication networks in association with English as a threat, but rather as an opportunity to promote their own languages and traditions and to revitalize them by entering into dialogue with
The Concentric Circles Model proposed by Kachru is a method encapsulating the “types of spread, the patterns of acquisition and the functional domains in which English is used across cultures” (Kachru, 1992: 356). On the basis of these three characteristics, the scholar divided countries into three groups: The Inner, The Outer and The Expanding Circles. The Inner Circle refers to countries traditionally regarded as the bases of English, that is, nations where English is the mother tongue of a substantial part of the popula...
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.