Part 0

INTRODUCTION TO THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES

PART 0

Spread of English

04

01

Old English

02

Middle English

05

Modern English

Standarization of English English

03

The Common Wealth Countries

• Malaysia
• Malta
• Mauritius
• The Maldives
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Nauru
• New Zealand
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Papua New Guinea
• Rwanda
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Samoa
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• The Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• Sri Lanka

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• The Bahamas
• Bangladesh
• Barbados (became a republic in 2021)
• Belize
• Botswana
• Brunei Darussalam
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Cyprus
• Dominica
• The Fiji Islands
• The Gambia (rejoined in 2018)
• Ghana
• Grenada
• Guyana
• India
• Jamaica
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Lesotho
• Malawi

• Swaziland
• United Republic of Tanzania
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• The United Kingdom
• Vanuatu
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe (has applied for readmission)

The Common Wealth

Humanity, Equality, Destiny

Nowadays

Origins

History

• The Commonwealth promotes democracy, good governance, peace and the rule of law.
• The Commonwealth cares about the environment and works for a sustainable equilibrium.
• Most small states are Commonwealth members. They receive the support of the Commonwealth Secretariat to improve their economic situation.
• It also works with member countries to create opportunities for young people in sport, education, healthcar, etc.
• It also encourages gender equality and the coexistance of different religious beliefs.
• Finally, it also provide some trade benefits among its members.

One of the world’s oldest political associations of states.

• Different levels of freedom:
• Dominions (semi-independent)
• In 1926 Britain and the Dominions became equal members of a community within the British Empire.
• Fully independent states
• India became independent in 1947.
• In 1947, republics and other countries could be part of the Commonwealth
• Membership today is based on free and equal voluntary co-operation.
• The last four countries to join the Commonwealth - Rwanda, Mozambique, Gabon and Togo - have no historical ties to the British Empire.

Standardization of the English Language

c. 16th Century

• The Renaissance period brought a resurgence of interest in classical languages and literature, which influenced the development of English.
• The standardization of English spelling and grammar began, with figures like William Shakespeare contributing to the language's evolution.

Modern English

18th Century to the present

• Greater uniformity in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
• In the 19th and 20th centuries, the English language continued to evolve, with contributions from literature, technology, and popular culture.
• American English, for example, diverged from British English, resulting in distinct varieties of the language.

Old English

c. 5th -11th Century

• Germanic Tribes (Angles, Saxon and Jutes)->5th & 6th C.
• Old English= Anglo-Saxon
• Viking Invasions -> 8th-11th Centuries
• Old Norse Influence (coexistance of Old Norse and Old English in the island)
• Norman Conquest (1066)
• Norman French (Old English + Norman French vocabulary)

Colonialism and Globalization

17th Century onward

• English spread to other parts of the world through British colonialism and trade, leading to the development of various English dialects and regional variations (appereance of pidgin English).
• As English became a global lingua franca, it absorbed words and phrases from languages around the world.