The English Language
Syllabus
1 General introduction about the importance of the Engl. Language
2 Varieties of English (Am. English – Brit. English)
differences in: vocabulary
pronunciation, accent
spelling
grammar
3 Standard English (RP) vs. Regional dialects
4 Historical development of
a) British English
b) American English
5 Differences between OE – ME – ModE
1 Introduction
English is one of the most widespread languages in the world. As for the number of people
speaking English it is the most used language. It is the mother tongue for inhabitants of the
following countries: the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
Then there is a great number of countries where English is spoken as second language.
Among these there are some African countries like the Republic of South Africa and also
some Asian countries, e.g. India.
English is not only the native language for many people in the world but also it is used for
practical purposes in various branches of human activity e.g. in business, technology or
sports.
2 Varieties
The term British English is used by linguists to contrast the form of English used in Britain
with American English and also Australian English. The American variety of English has
become quite popular with many non-native speakers and its influence can be seen- to a
certain extent – even on British English.
In comparison with British English, American English is simpler in spelling (harborharbour, traveling-travelling), and grammar (do you have? – have you got?). Some words
have different pronunciation in American English, e.g. farm /fa:rm/, doctor /daktr/. In
vocabulary, some American words are used instead of British ones, e.g. apartment-flat,
sidewalk-pavement, line-queue, …
3 Standard English (RP) vs. Regional dialects
Standard English
From the 15th century onwards standards of pronunciation and vocabulary gradually became
established. In the 18th century there was a lot of discussion about “correct“ English, and
Samuel Johnson’s dictionary, published in 1755, came to be considered an authority on the
correct use of words. Dialects (= forms of a language used in a particular region) were
considered inferior to standard English, also called the Queen’s/King’s English or BBC
English. Today, standard English is used by educated speakers and is taught in schools and to
foreign students. Standard English used to be associated with the accent (=way of speaking)
known as Received Pronunciation (RP). Phonetic transcription of British English in
dictionaries is usually based on RP.
Regional English (dialects of English)
Modern dialects have their roots in Old English or Middle English. The old East Midlands
dialect developed into standard English, while others became the many regional dialects
spoken today. Dialects are often characterized by use of non-standard forms such as double
negative structures (e.g. I don’t want none) etc. Dialects are usually spoken with a regional
accent. Most British people can recognize “Cockney“, a London dialect of the working class.
Characteristics of a Cockney accent include dropping the letter “h“ e.g. ‘ouse for house, and
pronouncing “th“ in words like think as /f/ … etc.
4 Historical development
a) British English
English is basically a Germanic language with a lot of Latin words in it. This linguistic
mixture is a result of historical events. Languages spoken in what is nowadays the UK:
1)Celtic languages
2)Latin- spoken by the Romans during their invasion
3)Germanic languages – brought by the Anglo-Saxons (OE)
4)Norman influence (French) – French merged with Anglo-Saxon – a new language created
(ME) /1066-1400/
5)In the period of Renaissance – a revival of interest in Greek and Latin – the classical
influence.
6)In the period of colonial expansion – some words from foreign countries entered English,
e.g. Arabic, Persian, native American languages, …
b) American English
There are about twice as many speakers of American English as of other varieties of English,
and four times as many as speakers of British English. The leading position of the US in
world affairs is partly responsible for this. Americanisms have also been spread through
advertising, tourism, telecommunications and the cinema.
The development:
British people who went to the US in the 17th century spoke a variety of dialects. After they
reached the US their language developed independently of British English. New words were
added for food, plants, animals, etc. not found in Britain. Many were taken from the Indian
languages of native Americans. The languages of Dutch and French settlers, and of the huge
numbers of immigrants entering the US in the 19th and 20th centuries, also contributed to the
development of American English. Inventions such as electric lighting, the typewriter,
telephone and television added large numbers of words to the language.
5 Differences : OE – ME – Mod.E
OE (700-1100)
The vocabulary of OE consisted of an Anglo-Saxon base with borrowed words from the
Scandinavian languages (Danish and Norse) and Latin. Latin gave English words like street,
kitchen, kettle, cup, cheese … The Vikings added many Norse words: sky, egg, cake …Celtic
words also survived mainly in place and river names (Devon, Dover, Kent, Trent, Severn,
Avon, Thames)
ME (1100-1450)
In 1066 the Normans conquered Britain. French became the language of the Norman
aristocracy and added more vocabulary to English. French also affected grammar and
spelling.It wasn’t till the 14th century that English became dominant in Britain again.King
Henry IV became the first king of England since the Norman conquest whose mother tongue
was English.
ModE – began around the 16th century and is still changing