WORLD ENGLISHES

World Englishes

David Crystal

When and why did the term "Englishes" arise?

When and why did the term "Englishes" arise?

• It came into being at the beginning of this century.
• It emerged so as to reflect what happens when English becomes a global language.

Global Language

• English has become a global language due to the fact that it has been taken up and adapted by different countries in order to talk about local interests.
• The language is shaped and pushed in a direction it has never been before.
• This phenomenon has happened ever since English began to exist.

English as a global language: now and then

English as a global language: now and then

• It only takes weeks for a new variety of English to start to develop.
• There are numerous examples of the development of different varieties of English throughout history.
• Language adaptation is mainly reflected in the vocabulary used, but there are other features that should be taken into account.

• People´s arrival to America.

Then

Now

• South African English.

• British English.

" Every aspect of your culture: myths and legends, fauna and flora, the food you eat, the folklore you have, the songs, the dances, the politics, the institutions... talk about them in English and there will be a Serbian flavor to it which I might or might not understand "

David Crytal

Thank you!

American English

People used their language as a base to create new words in order to make reference to what they discovered.

South African English

"Robot ahead"

There 10.000 words that are only used in South Africa and its sorroundings.

British English

• "Oh, terrible! It was like Clapham Junction in there".