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English 273History of the English Language

(H.O.T.E.L.)

Linguistics

To study English linguistically is to study its structure, its historical development, and its variety and relationship to other languages.

English: the Lingua Franca

A Lingua franca is a bridge language, allowing people from different cultures to communicate even if they have different native languages.

English: the Lingua Franca

•India•Official Language: Standard Hindi

•Primary Language: English (Indian English)

English: the Lingua Franca

Kenya•Official Language: Bantu Swahili

•Official Language: English

International Usage

English is a Lingua Franca, not because it is spoken by more people than any other language, but because many people speak it and because it has greater international usage than any other language.

Lingua Franca

English has remained a Lingua Franca even after colonization because the onset of the technological revolution, particularly the use of the Internet, increased the need to know English.

Lingua Franca

The power of the Internet in maintaining English as a Lingua Franca has been changing recently because of foreign Internet browsers and because of the translation capabilities of U.S. browsers and websites.

Ngugi wa Thiong'o

•Ngugi wa Thiong'o is an Kenyan author who currently teaches Comparative Literature at the University of California at Irvine. He wrote Decolonizing the Mind while imprisoned for speaking against the Kenyan governmental authorities.

In 1967, Thiong'o eventually renounced English and began

writing exclusively in his native language: Gikuyu (kikuyu)

Caribbean English

Because of colonization, the Caribbean is divided, with some areas being French-speaking, other areas Spanish-speaking, still other areas Dutch-speaking, and finally, some areas, English speaking.

Jamaican English

•Creole EnglishSometimes referred to as Jamaican Patois or Jamaican Creole; it has no standardized spelling and is often used in informal settings and in popular music.

Jamaican English•Jamaican Standard English (JSE)

Combination of American and British English, particularly in terms of vocabulary. It incorporates some lexicon from Jamaican Patois and is usually the language of education, government, and media. JMS is used for writing and is used within educational institutions.

English in India

IndiaOfficial Language: Standard Hindi

Primary Language: English (Indian

English)

Today, English remains a primary language in India because of the class associations with language

and because of globalization.

National Variations of American English

One of the most important terms in the study of English in American (U.S.) is dialect.

National Variations of American English

Dialect--a dialect is the variation of a standard language used by a particular cultural, social group

Dialects of SAE

African American Vernacular English (AAVE)--this is the largest dialect

White Vernacular English (WVE) (sometimes referred to as EAVE-- European American Vernacular English)

Hispanic Vernacular English (HVE)

Dialects of SAE

Each dialect of SAE has its own variations--according to region, ethnicity, economics, and gender.

AAVEExamples of words and phrases in the AAVE

Lexicon

Ashy

Saditty

Kitchen

PotLiquor

Get my praise on

Nigga

Dogg

AAVE

•It is not only the lexicon which distinguishes AAVE from SAE but also the highly metaphorical nature of AAVE

AAVE

Being rooted in the language of the newly arrived Africans and their descendants, AAVE became not only a language to communicate but also a language of hidden meaning.