Language and Global English
In order to gain your AO2 marks, you need to know key theories:
Global language
Primarily alludes to such language being spoken in several different countries
Although, it suggests that there is some power and prestige linked to the language
Global English facts
5% of the total population are native English speakers
What makes English a global language is its 2.3 billion speakers worldwide (D.Crystal)
Out of 195 countries, 67 have English as the primary language of official status
27 countries make English their second official language
Arguments
Some believe that there is no such thing as English anymore
Others suggest that if English continues to fragment then communication will become increasingly
difficult
Whilst English may be the dominant language now, it may not keep such status for much longer
English as a ‘Lingua Franca’ (ELF)
This refers to the role of English as a bridging language in interactions where it is not
everyone’s first language
This used to be the case with Latin
Jennifer Jenkins
Language should be fit for intelligibility purposes
We need to accommodate for differences in pronunciation
Consonant sounds are important, but stress-based or syllable-based sounds are less so
, Creole
A fully developed language, which includes elements of its parent languages
It has a complete grammar of its own and full expressive power
This develops among the children of pidgin speakers
Pidgin
Not a fully developed language, which arises when speakers of two different languages
encounter one another and have a need for limited communications
The pidgin incorporates words from both source languages and has a simplified grammatical
structure – just enough to allow some communication
A pidgin is never a person’s native language and it evolves among adult native speakers of
different languages
Consist of limited vocab, reduced grammatical construction, narrow range of functions
Geographical/ historical opportunities where pidgins arise:
War (soldiers and civilians)
Colonial era (slaves)
Holidays/ tourism (accompanied by gestures)
Tribal trade
Main languages used as pidgins:
English, Spanish, Dutch, French, Portuguese – reflect colonialism and trade routes
Non-European pidgins:
Trading pidgins; native American indigenous language (Chinook jargon)
Pidgins don’t last long because:
Communities move apart
One community learns the other’s language
Pidgin develops into creole
e.g. French Vietnam pidgin, English Vietnam pidgin
In order to gain your AO2 marks, you need to know key theories:
Global language
Primarily alludes to such language being spoken in several different countries
Although, it suggests that there is some power and prestige linked to the language
Global English facts
5% of the total population are native English speakers
What makes English a global language is its 2.3 billion speakers worldwide (D.Crystal)
Out of 195 countries, 67 have English as the primary language of official status
27 countries make English their second official language
Arguments
Some believe that there is no such thing as English anymore
Others suggest that if English continues to fragment then communication will become increasingly
difficult
Whilst English may be the dominant language now, it may not keep such status for much longer
English as a ‘Lingua Franca’ (ELF)
This refers to the role of English as a bridging language in interactions where it is not
everyone’s first language
This used to be the case with Latin
Jennifer Jenkins
Language should be fit for intelligibility purposes
We need to accommodate for differences in pronunciation
Consonant sounds are important, but stress-based or syllable-based sounds are less so
, Creole
A fully developed language, which includes elements of its parent languages
It has a complete grammar of its own and full expressive power
This develops among the children of pidgin speakers
Pidgin
Not a fully developed language, which arises when speakers of two different languages
encounter one another and have a need for limited communications
The pidgin incorporates words from both source languages and has a simplified grammatical
structure – just enough to allow some communication
A pidgin is never a person’s native language and it evolves among adult native speakers of
different languages
Consist of limited vocab, reduced grammatical construction, narrow range of functions
Geographical/ historical opportunities where pidgins arise:
War (soldiers and civilians)
Colonial era (slaves)
Holidays/ tourism (accompanied by gestures)
Tribal trade
Main languages used as pidgins:
English, Spanish, Dutch, French, Portuguese – reflect colonialism and trade routes
Non-European pidgins:
Trading pidgins; native American indigenous language (Chinook jargon)
Pidgins don’t last long because:
Communities move apart
One community learns the other’s language
Pidgin develops into creole
e.g. French Vietnam pidgin, English Vietnam pidgin
