 STUDENT:

Abigail Hidalgo Mañón

 REGISTRATION NUMBER:
100503085
 COURSE:
Acquisition of a foreign language
 TEACHER:
Pedro Tavarez Dacosta
1-English as a foreign language

English as a Foreign Language (EFL), or English as a Second Language (ESL),

are both terms used to describe the teaching and learning of English in contexts where it
is not the first language of the students.

In other words, EFL is the teaching and learning of English in countries where
English is not the native language, i.e., teaching English to speakers of other languages.

There are many reasons people might want to learn English as a foreign
language. For some, it is a requirement for employment or getting a college degree.
Others learn English to travel and communicate with people from different cultures.
Whatever the reason, learning English as a second language is a noble cause.

The term "ESL" has been seen by some to indicate that English would be of
subordinate importance; or example, where English is used as a lingua franca in a
multilingual country. The term can be a misnomer for some students who have learned
several languages before learning English. The terms "English language learners"
(ELL), and, more recently, "English learners" (EL), have been used instead, and the
students' native languages and cultures are considered important.

Methods of learning English are highly variable, depending on the student's level
of English proficiency and the manner and setting in which they are taught, which can
range from required classes in school to self-directed study at home, or a blended
combination of both. In some programs, educational materials (including spoken
lectures and written assignments) are provided in a mixture of English, and the student's
native language. In other programs, educational materials are always in English, but the
vocabulary, grammar, and context clues may be modified to be more easily understood
by students with varying levels of comprehension. Adapting comprehension, insight-
oriented repetitions, and recasts are some of the methods used in training. However,
without proper cultural immersion (social learning grounds) the associated language
habits and reference points (internal mechanisms) of the host country are not completely
transferred through these programs.[2] As a further complication, the syntax of the
language is based on Latin grammar hence it suffers inconsistencies. The major engines
that influence the language are the United States and the United Kingdom and they both
have assimilated the language differently so they differ in expressions and usage. This is
found to a great extent primarily in pronunciation and vocabulary. Variants of the
English language also exist in both of these countries (e.g. African American
Vernacular English).

The English language has a great reach and influence, and English is taught all over
the world. In countries where English is not usually a native language, there are two
distinct models for teaching English: educational programs for students who want to
move to English-speaking countries, and other programs for students who do not intend
to move but who want to understand English content for the purposes of education,
entertainment, employment or conducting international business. The differences
between these two models of English language education have grown larger over time,
and teachers focusing on each model have used different terminology, received different
training, and formed separate professional associations. English is also taught as a
second language for recent immigrants to English-speaking countries, which faces
separate challenges because the students in one class may speak many different native
languages.

2-Englishs a second language

English as a Second Language (ESL or TESL) is a traditional term for the use or

study of the English language by non-native speakers in an English-speaking
environment (it is also known as English for speakers of other languages.) That
environment may be a country in which English is the mother tongue (e.g., Australia,
the U.S.) or one in which English has an established role (e.g., India, Nigeria). Also
known as English for speakers of other languages.

English as a Second Language also refers to specialized approaches to language

teaching designed for those whose primary language is not English.

English as a Second Language corresponds roughly to the Outer Circle described by

linguist Braj Kachru in "Standards, Codification and Sociolinguistic Realism: The
English Language in the Outer Circle" (1985).

3-British English
 British English (BrE) is a term used to distinguish the form of the English
language used in the British Isles from forms used elsewhere. It includes all the varieties
of English used within the Isles, including those found in England, Scotland, Wales, and
the island of Ireland. Though the term is standard, some find it inappropriate as
logically Scottish English is included in British English, implying the existence of
English as spoken in England as a category, but " English English" is cumbersome, and
suggests that English refers to the language as spoken in England. The term British
English is used especially by those outside the British Isles, as well as by linguists and
lexicographers; British people themselves generally use the term 'Standard English' or
merely 'English'.

As with English around the world, the English language as used in the  United
Kingdom and Ireland is governed by convention rather than formal code: there is no
equivalent body to the Académie française, and the authoritative dictionaries
(e.g. Oxford English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary
English, Chambers Dictionary, Collins Dictionary) record usage rather than prescribe it.
As a result there is significant variation in grammar, usage, spelling, and vocabulary. In
addition, vocabulary and usage change with time; words are freely borrowed from other
languages and other strains of English, and neologisms are frequent.

While there is a meaningful degree of uniformity in formal written English in the

UK and Ireland, the forms of spoken English used vary considerably more than in most
other areas of the world where English is spoken, both geographically and socially, so
the concept of "British English" is difficult to apply to the spoken language. Dialects
and accents vary not only between the nations of the British Isles, for example
in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, but also within these countries themselves.
There are also differences in the English spoken by different socio-economic groups in
any particular region. The written form of the language, as taught in schools, is the same
as in the rest of the English-speaking world (except North America), with a slight
emphasis on words whose usage varies amongst the different regions of the UK. For
example, although the words " wee" and "little" are interchangeable in some contexts,
one is more likely to see "wee" written by a Scottish or Northern Irish person than by an
English person. In publishing, English English norms tend to be used.

For historical reasons dating back to the rise of London in the 9th century, the form
of language spoken in London and the East Midlands became standard English within
the Court, and ultimately became the basis for generally accepted use in the law,
government, literature and education within the British Isles. To a great extent, modern
British spelling was standardised in Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English
Language ( 1755), although previous writers had also played a significant role in this
and much has changed since 1755. Scotland, which only underwent parliamentary union
in 1707, still has a few independent aspects of standardisation, especially within its
autonomous legal system.

The widespread usage of English across the world is partly attributable to the
former power of the British Empire, and this is reflected in the use of British written
forms in many parts of the world. The most common form of English used by the
British ruling class is that of south-east England (the area around the capital, London,
and the ancient English university towns of Oxford and Cambridge). This form of the
language is associated with Received Pronunciation (RP), which is still regarded,
incorrectly, by many people outside the UK as "the British accent". However, only
approximately 5 percent of Britons speak RP, and it has evolved quite markedly over
the last 40 years. Moreover, there is much more tolerance of variation than there was in
the past.

From the second half of the 20th century to the present day, the preeminence of the
English language has been augmented by the economic, military, political and cultural
dominance of the United States in world affairs. Nevertheless, the British Isles retains a
major cultural influence in particular on the English used, as a first or additional
language, in some Commonwealth countries and former British colonies (including
influence to a greater degree in India, South Africa, New Zealand and Hong
Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, but to a lesser degree in Australia, and only to a
limited extent in Canada).

4-American English

Andy Kirkpatrick (World Englishes: Implications for International Comunication

and English Language Teaching, 2007)

Without a doubt, American English is the most influential and strong variation of
English in the world today. A number of reasons have contributed to this.
 For starters, the United States is currently the most dominant nation on the planet,
and power always comes with influence.

Second, American popular cultura, particularly the international reach of American

films and music, extends America´s political influence.

Third, the international achievement of American English is frequently affiliated

with the extraordinarily rapid development of communications technology.

American English is a kind of the English language which is used in the United
States of America. It is one of the two most popular kinds of English in the world (the
other one is British English).

The biggest difference between American English and British English is in

pronunciation. Differences in vocabulary and grammar are quite small. People who
speak American and British English can easily understand each other.

American English consists of many regional kinds of English. For example, people
in New England, New York City, and the South of the USA speak English in different
ways.

When people talk about teaching or learning American English, they usually think
of the General American standard of English. General American is the kind of English
used by educated Americans, on television and in the press, and described in
dictionaries of American English, such as Merriam-Webster and Random House
dictionaries.

5-English as a lingual franca

English as a lingua franca (ELF) refers to the use of English as a common means of
communication among people with different mother tongues. For instance, a Danish
tourist in Athens asking a Greek passer-by for directions; a French teacher discussing
with a Spanish colleague during an international conference in Oslo; a group of Italian
students chatting with Portuguese and Turkish students via Skype about their eTwinning
programme; German, Chinese and Hungarian co-players sending each other online
messages about their team’s future strategy in the game: they all communicate in
English as a lingua franca.
 Nowadays, English is the most widely employed language in Europe and beyond
and, very frequently, the only option for people who do not share their mother tongue or
have another language in common. Using it is important not only for personal
communication in various social domains, including the Internet, but also, for
professional reasons. It is a ‘shared’ language, in other words, that opens doors for
better social and professional opportunities.
6-English as a global language

As can be seen in more detail in the section on English Today, on almost any basis,
English is the nearest thing there has ever been to a global language. Its worldwide
reach is much greater than anything achieved historically by Latin or French, and there
has never been a language as widely spoken as English. Many would reasonably claim
that, in the fields of business, academics, science, computing, education, transportation,
politics and entertainment, English is already established as the de facto lingua franca.

The UN, the nearest thing we have, or have ever had, to a global community,
currently uses five official languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian and Chinese,
and an estimated 85% of international organizations have English as at least one of their
official languages (French comes next with less than 50%). Even more starkly, though,
about one third of international organizations (including OPEC, EFTA and ASEAN)
use English only, and this figure rises to almost 90% among Asian international
organizations.

As we have seen, a global language arises mainly due to the political and economic
power of its native speakers. It was British imperial and industrial power that sent
English around the globe between the 17th and 20th Century. The legacy of British
imperialism has left many counties with the language thoroughly institutionalized in
their courts, parliament, civil service, schools and higher education establishments. In
other counties, English provides a neutral means of communication between different
ethnic groups.

But it has been largely American economic and cultural supremacy - in music, film
and television; business and finance; computing, information technology and the
Internet; even drugs and pornography - that has consolidated the position of the English
language and continues to maintain it today. American dominance and influence
worldwide makes English crucially important for developing international markets,
especially in the areas of tourism and advertising, and mastery of English also provides
access to scientific, technological and academic resources which would otherwise be
denied developing countries.

7-English as a international language

English is  truly international language, and an extremely useful communications

tool. While learning grammar and vocabulary is important, if you want to make your
voice heard, you’ll need to know how to speak clearly – and that means learning
pronunciation.

Research suggests that pronunciation can account for up to two-thirds of

communication breakdown between non-native speakers. OUP’s recent position paper
‘English Pronunciation for a Global World’ explains why pronunciation training should
be central to English learning, and which elements are the most important ones to focus
on to make your speaking clearly understood.

There are some English sounds and elements of speech that are important to practise
if you want to make it easier for others to understand you. Here is a quick summary
(there is more information in the table at the end of this article).

1. Most consonant sounds are important to pronounce clearly

2. Aspiration (the air which is released as you say a sound) of /p/, /t/, and /k/ at the
beginning of a word – so that ‘pear’ doesn’t sound like ‘bear’
3. Consonant clusters at the beginning or in the middle of a word, e.g. ‘strength’
4. Vowel length – the distinction between long and short vowels, e.g. ‘fill’/’feel’,
and between vowel length in different contexts, e.g. ‘back’/’bag’
5. Sentence stress, to clearly show the emphasis on the main word/idea
6. Word stress, e.g. ‘effort’ pronounced as efFORT is difficult to understand
 BIBILIOGRAPHY

https://langster.org/en/blog/teaching-english-as-a-foreign-language-tips-and-resources/

https://www.thoughtco.com/english-as-a-second-language-esl-1690599

https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/b/British_English.htm

https://englishproficiency.com/blog/what-is-american-english/

https://www.antimoon.com/terms/american_english.htm

http://enrichproject.eu/professional-development/24-english-as-a-lingua-franca

https://www.thehistoryofenglish.com/english-as-a-global-language

https://learningenglishwithoxford.com/2022/04/20/english-as-an-international-language/