The Spread of English to America

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American English (AmE, AE, AmEng, USEng, en-US), also known as United States English or U.S. English, is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. It was the first major variety of the language that developed outside of Britain(Kretzschmar, W.2000). The spread of English resulted within the first diaspora which relatively involved large-scale migrations of mother-tongue English speakers from England, Scotland,and Ireland predominantly to, Australia, New Zealand and North America. The language that they brought with them changed over time (Kachru, B.1992). Since then, American English has been influenced by the languages of successive waves of immigrants to the US. For the purpose of this essay, I will briefly discuss the spread of English to America and describe the phonological,lexical and syntactical features of American Englishwith relevant examples.

By the 19th century,Standard English came to exist in two varieties, that is, British and United States.These were widely different in pronunciation, very close in grammar, and characterized by small but noticeable differences in spelling and vocabulary. For instance, phonology is a branch of linguistics concerned with the systematic organization of sounds in languages. At first,I will discuss the phonological features or the sound systems of American English.American English was influenced with features from the own varieties of the Scottish and Irish settlers who were already English speakers, for example, pronunciation of r after vowels ,while many British English speakers were losing the r after vowels. For example, most Canadians and Americans pronounce an r sound after the vowel in words like barn, car, card and farther, while speakers fro...

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...hat American English can be recognized as a variety of English distinct from British English, Australian English, and other national varieties in many of its and grammatical constructions.

To conclude, American English is the variety of the English language spoken in the United States. American English has grown up with the country. Most people around the world who learn English as a second language learn either American English or British English.American English is taught more and more, however, because of the worldwide success of American business and technology. This success also leads speakers of British English to adopt many Americanisms. Today, it influences other languages and other varieties of English because it is the medium by which the attractions of American culture, its literature, motion pictures, and television programs are transmitted to the world.

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