The document discusses several key terms related to English language varieties:
- ENL refers to English as a native language, such as forms of English spoken in countries like the US, UK, Australia.
- EFL describes learning English in a non-English dominant country, like learning English in Vietnam.
- ELF refers to using English as a common language between speakers with different first languages, like for global business or diplomacy.
It also explains differences between standard English, which is taught in schools and used formally, versus non-standard varieties like regional dialects that differ in vocabulary and phrases. The largest English variety by native speakers is American English, followed by other major varieties like British, Canadian and Australian
The document discusses several key terms related to English language varieties:
- ENL refers to English as a native language, such as forms of English spoken in countries like the US, UK, Australia.
- EFL describes learning English in a non-English dominant country, like learning English in Vietnam.
- ELF refers to using English as a common language between speakers with different first languages, like for global business or diplomacy.
It also explains differences between standard English, which is taught in schools and used formally, versus non-standard varieties like regional dialects that differ in vocabulary and phrases. The largest English variety by native speakers is American English, followed by other major varieties like British, Canadian and Australian
The document discusses several key terms related to English language varieties:
- ENL refers to English as a native language, such as forms of English spoken in countries like the US, UK, Australia.
- EFL describes learning English in a non-English dominant country, like learning English in Vietnam.
- ELF refers to using English as a common language between speakers with different first languages, like for global business or diplomacy.
It also explains differences between standard English, which is taught in schools and used formally, versus non-standard varieties like regional dialects that differ in vocabulary and phrases. The largest English variety by native speakers is American English, followed by other major varieties like British, Canadian and Australian
Question 1: Explain the following terms: ENL (English as a native language),
EFL (English as a foreign language) and ELF (English a lingua franca). Give examples to illustrate the definitions. - ENL (English as a native language): The variety of the English language spoken by people who acquired English as their first language or mother tongue. English as a Native Language (ENL) is commonly distinguished from English as an Additional Language (EAL), English as a Second Language (ESL), and English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Here are several examples: American English, Australian English, British English, Canadian English, Irish English, New Zealand English, Scottish English, and Welsh English are examples of native Englishes. -English as a Foreign Language (EFL): The term used to describe the study of English by non-native speakers in countries where English is not the dominant language. This is not to be confused with English as a Second Language also called English as an Additional Language. Which is the practice of learning English in a predominantly English-speaking country. For example: students learning English in Vietnam, for example, are termed EFL students because English is not the country's official language. -The term English as a lingua franca (ELF) English as a lingua franca (ELF) is the use of the English language as a global means of inter-community communication and can be understood as "any use of English among speakers of different first languages for whom English is the communicative medium of choice and often the only option. ELF refers to the teaching, learning, and use of English as a common means of communication (or contact language) for speakers of different native languages. ELF is defined functionally by its use in intercultural communication rather than formally by its reference to native-speaker norms whereas English as a second or foreign language aims at meeting native speaker norms and gives prominence to native speaker cultural aspects. Here are several examples: English is the contemporary worldwide commerce, education, science, technology, diplomacy, entertainment, radio, seafaring, and aviation lingua franca. It has increasingly overtaken French as the lingua franca of international diplomacy since the conclusion of World War I. Question 2: What are the differences between Standard English and the varieties of English?
- The standard language is a variety of language that is used by governments, in the
media, in schools and for international communication. In contrast, there are non- standard forms of a language that are used, for example, in different regional dialects and these non-standard varieties are different from each other. Standard English (SE) is the variety of English that has undergone substantial regularisation and is associated with formal schooling, language assessment, and official print publications, such as public service announcements and newspapers of record, etc.SE is local to nowhere: its grammatical and lexical components are no longer regionally marked, although many of them originated in different, non-adjacent dialects, and it has very little of the variation found in spoken or earlier written varieties of English. Standard English is a dialect pre-eminently used in writing that is largely distinguishable from other English dialects by means of its grammar. The term "Standard" refers to the regularisation of the grammar, spelling, usages of the language and not to minimal desirability or interchangeability (e.g., a standard measure). All linguistic features are subject to the effects of standardisation, including morphology, phonology, syntax, lexicon, register, discourse markers, pragmatics, as well as written features such as spelling conventions, punctuation, capitalisation and abbreviation practices. - The variety of English with the largest number of native speakers is American English, with 225 million native speakers. The other major varieties of English are Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English, South African English and Indian English. There are many varieties of English spoken in the world. The oldest variety of English is British English, spoken in the United Kingdom. Approximately 60 million people are native British English speakers. The variety of English with the largest number of native speakers is American English, with 225 million native speakers. The other major varieties of English are Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English, South African English and Indian English. Some linguists also recognize another classification of a variety of English known as World English. All varieties of English share the same basic tenets of the language, but certain words, phrases or linguistic constructs may differ. For instance, in British English, one says I’m going to hospital. In American English one says I’m going to the hospital. In British English one may say he is going to the cinema, in American English one says he is going to the movies, and in South African English, the phrase is going to the bioscope. Varieties of English may be further divided into dialects such as Anglo- Cornish or Welsh English in Great Britain, Gallah or Gulf Southern in the United States and Bengali English and Southern Indian English in India. Whatever the variety or dialect, English speakers the world over may communicate with each other, with only occasional gaps in understanding. Three dialects can be defined: Northern, Midland, and Southern. Each has its subdialects.