Theories on English in the World
Theories of English in the world, often explored under the umbrella of
"World Englishes," aim to understand the diverse ways English is used
globally, moving beyond a single, standardized form.
Language Origins and Contact Theories
Monogenetic Theory by Hugo Schuchardt (late 19th century)
Monogenism or sometimes monogenesis is the theory of human origins which
posits a common descent for all humans.
Used to support the idea of shared colonial linguistic ancestry (e.g., West
African Pidgin Portuguese).
It assumes that some type of pidgin language, dubbed West African Pidgin
Portuguese, based on Portuguese was spoken from the 15 th-18th centuries in
the forts established by the Portuguese on the West African coast.
All pidgins and creoles originate from a single source.
FR: Taylor & Thompson (1960s)
Polygenetic Theory by John Atkins (1723)
Pidgins/creoles developed independently in response to unique contact
situations.
Good for arguing language development is context-dependent, not universal.
John Atkins, an English naval surgeon, was one of the earliest scientists to be
a proponent of the polygenist theory. In his book A Voyage to Guinea (1723)
he said, "I am persuaded that the black and white race have sprung from
different coloured parents”.
E.g. Bambuti mythology states that the supreme God of the pygmies, Khnum,
created three different races of humans separately out of three kinds of clay:
one black, one white, and one red.
F.R: Charles Hamilton Smith, a naturalist from England, published the book
The Natural History of the Human Species in 1848.
Substratum Theory by modern sociolinguistics (referenced by
Trudgill)
Substratum theory in linguistics explains how a language can be influenced by
a previously spoken language in a region.
The substratum is the language that is being replaced by a dominant
language.
Language change influenced by contact with another language/substrate.
e.g. "like" from American English into British English via media
FR: Chambers and Trudgill (1997) – English can be described as consisting of
an autonomous standardised variety together with all the non-standard
, varieties. Standard English is not the English language but a variety of it that
is widely accepted. In their book, Dialectology.
Bakhtin’s Theory of Heteroglossia (1935)
All languages contain multiple voices and are shaped by conflicting influences
(social class, culture, history). Language contact always creates hybrid forms.
Bakhtin’s research highlights the inherent diversity and stratification of
language, where different social groups, dialects, and even individual idiolects
contribute to a complex linguistic landscape.
Offers a more literary, sociocultural perspective on how languages evolve and
mix.
F.R: “Bakhtin’s notion of heteroglossia highlights how creoles and World
Englishes result from dynamic, contested interaction rather than linear
inheritance.”
Schneider’s Dynamic Model (2007)
The closer the contact, or higher the degree of bilingualism or multilingualism
in a community, the stronger the effects of contact.
The structural effects of language contact depend on social conditions.
Therefore, history will play an important part.
While more focused on spread than origins, it explains how new Englishes
become distinct, often through contact and creolisation processes.
English evolves in five identifiable stages in postcolonial contexts (Foundation
→ Exonormative Stabilisation → Nativisation → Endonormative Stabilisation
→ Differentiation).
F.R : “Schneider’s Dynamic Model helps contextualise how the linguistic
features of creoles or new Englishes become institutionalised, complementing
theories of linguistic origin.”
Halliday’s Functional Theory of Language Evolution
Halliday views language as a social function that helps us learn how to
become part of society.
Language evolved to meet the social needs of human interaction — grammar
developed out of function, not structure.
“Halliday’s functional theory contrasts with Universal Grammar (Chomsky
says human languages share a common innate grammatical structure) by
positioning language as a tool shaped by social need, aligning with creole
development as pragmatic rather than innate.”
Noam Chomsky – Universal Grammar (UG)
Language does not change ; it evolves
Theories of English in the world, often explored under the umbrella of
"World Englishes," aim to understand the diverse ways English is used
globally, moving beyond a single, standardized form.
Language Origins and Contact Theories
Monogenetic Theory by Hugo Schuchardt (late 19th century)
Monogenism or sometimes monogenesis is the theory of human origins which
posits a common descent for all humans.
Used to support the idea of shared colonial linguistic ancestry (e.g., West
African Pidgin Portuguese).
It assumes that some type of pidgin language, dubbed West African Pidgin
Portuguese, based on Portuguese was spoken from the 15 th-18th centuries in
the forts established by the Portuguese on the West African coast.
All pidgins and creoles originate from a single source.
FR: Taylor & Thompson (1960s)
Polygenetic Theory by John Atkins (1723)
Pidgins/creoles developed independently in response to unique contact
situations.
Good for arguing language development is context-dependent, not universal.
John Atkins, an English naval surgeon, was one of the earliest scientists to be
a proponent of the polygenist theory. In his book A Voyage to Guinea (1723)
he said, "I am persuaded that the black and white race have sprung from
different coloured parents”.
E.g. Bambuti mythology states that the supreme God of the pygmies, Khnum,
created three different races of humans separately out of three kinds of clay:
one black, one white, and one red.
F.R: Charles Hamilton Smith, a naturalist from England, published the book
The Natural History of the Human Species in 1848.
Substratum Theory by modern sociolinguistics (referenced by
Trudgill)
Substratum theory in linguistics explains how a language can be influenced by
a previously spoken language in a region.
The substratum is the language that is being replaced by a dominant
language.
Language change influenced by contact with another language/substrate.
e.g. "like" from American English into British English via media
FR: Chambers and Trudgill (1997) – English can be described as consisting of
an autonomous standardised variety together with all the non-standard
, varieties. Standard English is not the English language but a variety of it that
is widely accepted. In their book, Dialectology.
Bakhtin’s Theory of Heteroglossia (1935)
All languages contain multiple voices and are shaped by conflicting influences
(social class, culture, history). Language contact always creates hybrid forms.
Bakhtin’s research highlights the inherent diversity and stratification of
language, where different social groups, dialects, and even individual idiolects
contribute to a complex linguistic landscape.
Offers a more literary, sociocultural perspective on how languages evolve and
mix.
F.R: “Bakhtin’s notion of heteroglossia highlights how creoles and World
Englishes result from dynamic, contested interaction rather than linear
inheritance.”
Schneider’s Dynamic Model (2007)
The closer the contact, or higher the degree of bilingualism or multilingualism
in a community, the stronger the effects of contact.
The structural effects of language contact depend on social conditions.
Therefore, history will play an important part.
While more focused on spread than origins, it explains how new Englishes
become distinct, often through contact and creolisation processes.
English evolves in five identifiable stages in postcolonial contexts (Foundation
→ Exonormative Stabilisation → Nativisation → Endonormative Stabilisation
→ Differentiation).
F.R : “Schneider’s Dynamic Model helps contextualise how the linguistic
features of creoles or new Englishes become institutionalised, complementing
theories of linguistic origin.”
Halliday’s Functional Theory of Language Evolution
Halliday views language as a social function that helps us learn how to
become part of society.
Language evolved to meet the social needs of human interaction — grammar
developed out of function, not structure.
“Halliday’s functional theory contrasts with Universal Grammar (Chomsky
says human languages share a common innate grammatical structure) by
positioning language as a tool shaped by social need, aligning with creole
development as pragmatic rather than innate.”
Noam Chomsky – Universal Grammar (UG)
Language does not change ; it evolves
