VARIETIES OF

ENGLISH
PRESENTED BY:
PRINCESS ALPHA F. ROCERO
SHERLYN H. CIPRIANO
ANGEL LYNNE BLAS
• WORLD ENGLISHES (WE) STANDS FOR THE LOCALIZED
VARIETIES OF ENGLISH AS THEY ARE USED OR SPOKEN IN
CERTAIN AREAS. IN THE ASIAN CONTEXT, THE CONCEPT WAS
INTRODUCED BY BRAJ KACHRU.

• THE FAMOUS “THREE CONCENTRIC CIRCLES OF ASIAN

ENGLISHES” ATTRIBUTED TO KACHRU PRESENTS THE
THREE CIRCLES: INNER CIRCLE WITH ENL (ENGLISH AS
NATIVE LANGUAGE) MEMBER COUNTRIES; THE OUTER
CIRCLE WITH ESL (ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE)
MEMBER COUNTRIES; AND THE EXPANDING CIRCLE WITH
EFL ( ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) MEMBER
COUNTRIES.
 The Expanding Circle

China Caribbean Countries Egypt

Indonesia Israel
Japan
Korea Nepal Saudi
Arabia
South Africa South America Taiwan
CIS Zimbabwe
The Outer Circle

Bangladesh Malaysia Singapore

Kenya Philippines Ghana
Pakistan Tanzania Nigeria
Sri Lanka India Zambia

The Inner Circle

USA
Australia
UK
New Zealand
Canada
• WITH RESPECT TO LEXICON, THERE ARE VOCABULARY
WORDS PECULIAR ONLY TO SOME ENGLISH VARIETIES
IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AS:

• 1. SINGAPORE ENGLISH: ACTSY (SHOW OFF), MISSY

(NURSE), CHOP (RUBBER STAMP), MARINA KIDS
(YOUNGSTER WHO SPEND THEIR LEISURE TIME AT
AROUND MARINA SQUARE, A SHOPPING CENTER,
GRADUATE MOTHERS (GRADUATE/WELL EDUCATED
MARRIED WOMEN WHO ARE ENCOURAGED TO HAVE
MORE CHILDREN AND ACCORDED CERTAIN PRIVILEGES IN
SINGAPORE AS COMPARED TO NON-GRADUATE MOTHERS.
• 2. PHILIPPINE ENGLISH: DEEP (PURISTIC OR HARD TO
UNDERSTAND), STICK (CIGARETTE), HIGH BLOOD (TENSE OR
UPSET), BLOW OUT (TREATING SOMEONE WITH A
MEAL OR SNACK), MOTEL (A HOTEL USED FOR
PREMARITAL OR EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIRS), MANUALIZE (TO
PREPARE MANUALS), GO AHEAD (LEAVE OTHERS WITH HOST’S
PERMISSION), STUDENTRY (STUDENT BODY), AMBOY (A FILIPINO
PERCEIVED TO BE TOO PRO-AMERICAN), PROMDI (FROM THE
PROVINCE), BEHEST LOAN (UNGUARANTEED BANK LOAN GIVEN
TO PRESIDENTIAL CRONIES), PULOT BOY (BOY WHO PICKS UP
TENNIS BALL IN A GAME) BALIKBAYAN BOX (WHERE FILIPINOS
RETURNING FROM ABROAD PUT ALL THEIR SHOPPING.
• 3. MALAYSIAN ENGLISH: ANTILOG (A MALE
HATED HATED BY A GIRL), POPCORN (A
LOQUACIOUS PERSON), KACHANG (PEANUTS),
SLAMBAR (RELAX), OPEN SHELF (GIRL WHO ARE
POPULAR AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT), DAY BUGS
( THOSE WHO COME TO ATTEND SCHOOL BUT DO
NOT LIVE IN RESIDENCE HALLS).
• THREE CONCENTRIC CIRCLES OF ENGLISH
THE STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW VARIETIES DIFFER; THIS IS BECAUSE
OF THE MOTHER TONGUE OR HOME LANGUAGES OF THOSE WHO LEARN OR ACQUIRE
ENGLISH LIKEWISE THERE IS THE DIFFERENCE IN SOCIAL FEATURES.

• ACROLECT IS THE USE OF OFFICIAL OR STANDARD LANGUAGE. IT IS ALSO

REFERRED TO AS THE STANDARD VARIETY OF LANGUAGE WHICH THE EDUCATED
SPEAKERS USE.
• BASILECT IS THE SUBSTANDARD USE OF LANGUAGE. IT IS ALSO CHARACTERIZED
AS THE LANGUAGE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT FROM THE STANDARD VARIETY, A
LANGUAGE USED BY THE LEAST EDUCATED PEOPLE OF SOCIETY.
• MESOLECT OR THE MIDDLE VARIETY IS MIDWAY BETWEEN THE ACROLECT AND
BASILECT. IT IS THE USE OF UNOFFICIAL OR INFORMAL LANGUAGE WHICH ARE
USED BY UNIQUE PEOPLE.
• EDULECTS RESULT FROM CERTAIN TYPES OF EDUCATION ASCERTAINED BY SOCIAL
CLASS BUT ARE CONVEYED OF TRANSFERRED BY THE KIND OF INSTRUCTION OF
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE COMING FROM HIGHER-INCOME
FAMILIES AND/OR BETTER EDUCATED CLASSES.
• WHEN IT COMES TO LANGUAGE VARIATION, THE TERMS
GENRE, REGISTER, AND STYLE ARE OFTEN
ENCOUNTERED.

• REGISTER IS A VARIETY OF LANGUAGE DEFINED

ACCORDING TO ITS USE IN SOCIAL SITUATIONS. IT IS A TERM
SEEN AS SPECIFICALLY OPPOSED TO VARIETIES OF
LANGUAGE DEFINED ACCORDING TO THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE USERS AND IS GIVEN A SUB
CLASSIFICATION INTO FIELD, MODE AND MANNER OF
DISCOURSE.
• (DAVID CRYSTAL,2008).
• WITHIN A LANGUAGE, THERE ARE VARIATIONS IN STYLE AND
REGISTER.
• STYLE REFERS TO THE DEGREE OF FORMALITY ATTACHED TO A
PARTICULAR INTERPERSONAL SOCIAL SITUATION WHICH IS
REFLECTED BY DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGE.
• REGISTER, ON THE CONTRARY, REFERS TO THE KIND OF
LANGUAGE WHOSE FORMS ARE OF A DEFINABLE SOCIAL
SITUATION REGARDLESS OF THE STATUS OF THE PARTICIPANTS.
(CRYSTAL, 1964)
• GENRE AND REGISTER OVERLAP AND ARE USED
INTERCHANGEABLY. WHEREAS, GENRE IS ASSOCIATED MORE
WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF CULTURE, REGISTER IS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF SITUATION.
• WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF AND RECOGNIZE
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION AS WE NEED TO BE
SENSITIVE TO THE PEOPLE AROUND US WHO BELONG TO
DIFFERENT CULTURAL HERITAGES AND HAVE THEIR OWN
LINGUISTIC IDENTITY. IF YOU ENCOUNTER THEM, YOU BE
ABLE TO AVOID MISUNDERSTANDING, AVOID
COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN, AND OVERCOME
LANGUAGE BARRIERS WITH LESS DIFFICULTY SINCE YOU
ARE EXPOSED TO THEIR OWN LANGUAGE FEATURES. THIS
WAY, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ENHANCE YOUR PERSONAL
AND SOCIAL INTERACTION.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING…