World Englishes

• David Crystal - an indigenous language currently disappears every two weeks
• Matthew Engel suggests that by 2120 American English will completely absorb British English
• The spread of English is credited to the British Empire and colonisation.
• Engel 


  Hates Americanisms, claim they are ruining the British English.
• Algeo 


  American English is expanding British English, and this is a good thing
• Crystal

  Colonisation isn’t the only reason for the spread of English, the power associated with the countries who speak English increases its influence and its growth
• Beneke


  80% of all interactions in English are between non-native speakers
• Kachru 1990s - Three circles of English

  • inner circle = English as a main language for example, UK,USA and Australia
  • outer circle = English is present due to colonisation for example, India and Singapore
  • Expanding circle = English present, but not through colonisation such as China and Japan.

  Evaluation of model = Varieties in the centre are seen as better than other varieties (elitism), low temporal validity e.g internet, doesn’t address the diversity within the circles
• McAurther’s model of world englishes

  Evaluation = model suggests ones at the middle are the best, Englishes in Europe are missed out,

  
• Saraceni


  Suggests that we should cut the ‘ psychological umbilical cord’ between England and Englishes. Argues that English should not be seen as belonging to any one group, no one variant to be seen as more genuine than the other
• Quirk


  Argued that it is important to adhere to a standard form of English, called other variants of English ‘ deficit linguistics’.
• The Guardian


  In a recent poll, English was voted the world’s favourite language
• Longest word in the English language


  pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
• Which word has the most meanings in the language


  Set
• English as a lingua franca


  A tool of communication where two parties don't share a common language. Enables trade. ELF features include ; ‘who’ and ‘which’ interchangeably.
• Schneider 2007 - illustrates how the colonisation process shapes international varieties of English


  Phase 1 = FoundatIon. English is brought to a place by a colonising power, emerging bilingualism. E.g British made a trading post in Singapore, early 19th century.

  Phase 2 = Exonormative stabalisaton. ‘Elite’ bilingual spreads, dominated by more powerful political party. E.g In Singapore, British English is considered prestigious, associated with education and power.
• Schnieder P2

  Phase 3 = Nativisation. Bilingual speakers make a new variety of English ties are loosened with settler’s country of origin. E.g new variety of English in Singapore ‘Lah’ and ‘ah’ are used more.

  Phase 4 = Endonormative stabilisation. A new linguistic norm is established. E.g Singlish

  Phase 5 = Differentiatiion. Varieties emerge leading to internal diversity