Vocabulary I – World Englishes: (not)

just British and American

• Global English
• Some varieties – Australian, Canadian, Indian, Caribbean
• Specialized forms – Headline English, Business English

Professor Stephan Hughes

Why are two billion people learning English?

http://www.ted.com/talks/jay_walker_on_the_world_s_en
glish_mania

Professor Stephan Hughes

 Which English should be taught in language
classrooms?
• Watch the video to find out:
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XT04EO5RSU

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 Is control of English shifting away from British
and American speakers?
• Watch the video to find out:
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ29zDW9gLI

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 Global
English as an English
International
Language (EIL)

Globish

English as a
Lingua
Franca

Internation
al English

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Kachru’s circles of English (Bhatt, 2001)

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 The 3 groups of English speakers (Kachru, 1992)

• Norm-providing: USA, UK
• Norm-developing: India, Nigeria
• Norm-dependent: Brazil, China

– Source: Bhatt (2001). "World Englishes". Annual Review of Anthropology (Annual

Reviews) 30(1): 527–550

Professor Stephan Hughes

“English is the language of problem-solving”. If people from
other nationalities want to share their ideas with the rest of
the world, they have to do so in English.
English teacher and presenter Patricia Ryan, however,
argues for a different approach: we should move away from
an English-only policy in knowledge-sharing. If widely
adopted, how would this impact on teaching and translation?

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 Global English actually does exist

In the areas of translation and professional writing

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 Global English – implications

• Need for a global language in a globalized world

• Decadence of other languages (cultural genocide)
• Practicality of learning English
• Reduction of problems in translation (gain on one end, loss on the other)

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 Global English style guide

• A guide for professional writers,

editors, translators and
proofreaders.
• Click here for the first chapter of
the book online

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 It aims to get rid of …

• Translation-generated ambiguities
• Uncommon non-technical terms
• Unfamiliar grammatical constructions (for non-natives)
• Complex English sentence structures
• Unnecessary inconsistencies

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 And consequently bring the following benefits

• Readability
• Clarity and consistency
• Accuracy
• Less technical support
• Searchability
• Text reliability

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Let’s take a look at features of some of these varieties.

Once again, the major (but not ONLY) differences between

them and the British or American standards are in
vocabulary

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Australian
English
Australian English could
be said to fall
somewhere in between
British and American
English. Strong
historical ties with the
UK and continuing high Australian American
levels of immigration English English
from the UK ensure this;
however, the increasing
exposure to US English
via the media has
resulted in many
Americanisms being
prevalent within
Australian English. Professor Stephan Hughes
The next slides present a few idiomatic
expressions heard in Australia. Can you identify
any similarities with expressions/phrases used in
the British or American varieties?

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• It doesn't matter what you say he'll always argue the toss.
• The police officer that made Luke pull over could smell alcohol for miles,
there was no need for him to blow in the bag.
• It’s a great day for some fun and sun. Meet us at the beach and don't forget
your budgie smugglers.

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• Oh, please, come off the grass! You don´t expect us to believe that, right?
• Back when we were knee high to a grasshopper, we were never careful
with our things.
• When I get together with my cousins, we spend most of the time talking
ninety to the dozen.

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• I don't think he's in his right mind - he's not the full quid.
• When companies face economic difficulties, the first thing they normally do is
downsize, which leaves the blue collar worker with the rough end of the
pineapple.
• Come on, no need to spit the dummy. It's not the end of the world.

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• I'll be stuffed! Aren't there too many zeros on that check?
• Councilors argue that the new urbanization project poses severe
environmental risks; they’re not wrong there.
• The exams were not too bad, after all. I was really expecting the worst.

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Do you remember Snow White and the Seven
Dwarves?

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Let’s hear an adapted version of the story told by Australian
actor Eric Bana.

Let’s see some key vocabulary is on the next page before we

watch.

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• Bogan • A good for nothing
• A spunk person
• A top bird • A good looking person
• A buck fifty • A diva, a traffic stopper
• A block of flats • A dollar and fifty cents
• That’s classy • A condominium
• A “dimmy” • That’s typical
• A deadset spunk • An apple
• Have a patch • A Greek god/goddess
• Have a defacto • Make out
relationship • Live together unlawfully

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Snow white and the Seven Little Bogans.

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Canadian English
Canadian English exemplifies the historical ties with
the UK and the geographical proximity with the US,
to the point of people often erroneously referring to it
as the 51st state.

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• Has anyone got a loonie or toonie for me to buy a nanaimo bar?
• The dishes are all piled up in the kitchen sink. The fix-it guy said it was the
garburator.
• If the Americans are known as Yankees, the Canadian are referred to as
Canucks.

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• I was a quiet kid; I didn’t cry much and my mum never had to use a soother.
• If you don’t have at least a university education, you’ll probably end up in a
joe job.
• Is there a parkade near the office that charges reasonably? I can’t afford not
to car to work.

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Indian English
Classic 19th-
century literature
European words
that have been
Indianized

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 Here are some more examples (written Indian English)

• His insatiable thirst for knowledge accomplished him with all modern
standards of scholarship. (equipped)
• Our Company lays great stress on technical training and knowledge
upgradation. (development, enhancement)
• When I have a job I'll have to begin a whole new search for my better half...
Back to the newspaper matrimonials on Sundays. (marriage
advertisements)
• The official and Service atmosphere... Set the tone for almost all Indian
middle class life, especially the English-knowing intelligentsia.
(Anglophone)

Professor Stephan Hughes

Now look at what David Crystal says about the trajectory of
Indian English.

1. How does he rate the overall proficiency of Indian

speakers of English?
2. Is Indian English the same as Hinglish?
3. How does a language spread?
4. Why does Crystal think that the next Google will come
from India?

Professor Stephan Hughes

 Caribbean English (Creole)
Caribbean English encompasses Standard English,
Localized English, Mesolects (a blend between English
and Creole).

The vocabulary comprises loan words from French

Creole/patois, Spanish, West African languages (islands
like Jamaica), Dutch, Portuguese, Hindi and Bhojpouri
(the last two peculiar to Trinidad Tobago and Guyana
due to the large local population of Indian descent).

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• to give sb fatigue
• galvanize
• to lime
• be miserable (kids)
• to catspraddle sb
• a touchous person
• a lagniappe
• macafouchette
• to ramajay
• to have a tabanca
• to sweet mouth
• have hard ears
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• to taunt, to provoke
• corrugated roofing
• to hang around
• cause trouble
• to floor sb with a hard
blow
• a short-tempered person
• a free gift, bonus
• leftovers
• to show off
• to be lovesick
• to flatter
• stubborn
Canadian stand-up comic Russell Peters
talks of his experience with Caribbean
English

What peculiarities does he notice of the way

Jamaicans, Trinidadians and Guyanese speak?

Professor Stephan Hughes

 What do these sentences have in common?

• ATHLETE RUNS INTO TROUBLE

• DIET PILLS HAVE FAT CHANCE OF SUCCESS
• NEW DIRECTOR KEEPS ROYAL BALLET ON ITS TOES
• SHOEWORLD CO. TO FOOT THE BILL
• NEW LAW MAKES RABBIT OWNERS HOPPING MAD

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 The use of puns in headlines

Varies in sarcasm and malice in accordance

with the paper’s reputation and target
readership

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Do you remember some of these in Portuguese?

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Professor Stephan Hughes
Some of the key features of newspaper English

Here are some examples

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Here are some more headlines with the link to the
online articles. Observe the play on words
whenever possible.

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Scalping battle puts fans in the middle

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 Dancing with the Bear

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New race to the Moon heats up

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Social media history becomes new job hurdle

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In business, the key word is…

COMPETITION
 Cutthroat competition

• The reason for the port strikes is the section in the port package on self-
handling, in particular. As far as the first point is concerned, Parliament’s
amendments make clear what is expected of the Commission, and within
what time limit. The second point is more complicated. If self-handling is able
to take place within excessively wide margins, there is a danger of it
degenerating into cutthroat competition, with all the adverse
consequences this entails.
– http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+CRE+20030311+
ITEMS+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN
 Other adjectives that collocate with “competition”.

• ADJ. cut-throat, fierce, intense, keen, serious, severe, stiff, strong,

tough intense competition for the contract | direct Public transport is run in
direct competition with the private sector. | fair, free, healthy, open |
domestic | foreign, global, international, overseas | economic
Observe the following collocations

Using “competitive”
• He was criticized for being too Eurocentric and failing to pay attention to the
competitive threat from South East Asia.
• Businesses can sustain their performances over the long term by having
some competitive edge/advantage to keep them ahead.
• For the money-conscious consumer, alternative retail outlets can offer
organic food at more competitive prices.
• First Chicago will enhance its competitive position and boost its financial
growth through the transaction, which is expected to add to earnings
immediately.
• Mall stores are under more competitive pressure than at any other time in
their 40-year history, with new discounters and superstores increasingly
moving in alongside traditional malls.
• Decades of management theorizing around the world have produced piles of
books, many of which promise to deliver the secrets of success. But there is
no consensus on competitive strategy.
• CSM can provide an in-depth assessment of automotive suppliers for
competitive benchmarking and profiling activities, as well as potential
merger and acquisition, and/or strategic alliance purposes.
• The recovery potential to be taken into account in the competitive
analysis is thus reduced by the impact of these other factors, since they do
not involve any direct causal link with the merger.
• Samarco may, at its discretion, cancel any competitive bidding without
being subject to any type of claim on the part of the bidders.
 We can make an ongoing list with this type of words (those
that are not translated)

• Standard • Business plan

• Benchmark • Budget
• Default
• Marketing
• Feedback
• Holding
• Fazer um print
• Slow food
• Deadline

Professor Stephan Hughes

 Final considerations

• What are the major differences between British and American English?
• What should a teacher or translator be aware of when dealing with English
from varieties other than British or American?

Professor Stephan Hughes

Here is a shortlist of some online dictionaries and glossaries for
some of the varieties presented in the previous slides.

Professor Stephan Hughes

 Australian English

• Australian English Dictionary

http://www.lexilogos.com/english/australian_english_dictionary.htm
• Australian Slang Dictionary http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html
• Australian National Dictionary Centre http://andc.anu.edu.au/

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 Canadian English

• http://www.translationdirectory.com/article1051.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadian_English_
dictionaries

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 Indian English

• Indian English Dictionary http://www.amritt.com/india-english-dictionary/

• Dictionary of Indian English
http://www.vsubhash.com/Dictionary_Of_Indian_English.asp

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 Caribbean English(es)

• Jamaican Patois Translator http://www.jamaicanize.com/

• Jamaica's Online Dictionary
http://www.visitjamaica.com/about-jamaica/jamaica-talk.aspx
• The Skettionary - an online Caribbean dictionary http://www.skettel.com/
• Glossary of Trinidadian English
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Glossary_of_Trinidadian_English

Professor Stephan Hughes

 Bibliography

 Bhatt (2001). "World Englishes". Annual Review of

Anthropology (Annual Reviews) 30(1): 527–550