“Englishes” in the World
Have you ever heard/of “World Englishes”? This term refers to the many varieties of English/around the world. A linguist created this term,/dividing the varieties/into three groups.
The first group consists of the varieties of English/spoken in the UK,/the US,/Canada,/Australia,/and New Zealand. Many people in these countries/speak English/as their first language.
However,/words,/spellings,/and pronunciation/are sometimes different/depending on the country. For example,/“school cafeteria” in the US/becomes “canteen” in the UK.
Even in one country,/people in different regions/speak differently. Thus,/English spoken by native speakers/has many local varieties/among the countries/and inside each country.
The second group includes the varieties of English/spoken in countries/such as India,/the Philippines,/Singapore,/Pakistan,/and Kenya. In these multilingual societies,/English is spoken as a second language/or an official language.
In these countries,/people usually use their mother tongue/at home/and in their daily lives. They use English for work/and official matters. For example,/in Singapore,/most people speak Mandarin,/Malay,/or Tamil/at home,/but they use English/in schools,/workplaces,/and public offices.
Influenced by their local languages,/their varieties of English/may not sound like American/or British English. However,/it does not mean/that their varieties are inferior. They are an important part/of the speakers’ identities.
The third group covers the varieties of English/spoken in some countries/in Europe,/Africa,/South America,/and Asia. In these countries,/including Japan,/people usually learn and use English/as a foreign language.
Although people in these countries/rarely speak English/in their daily lives,/they use the language/when it is necessary. Imagine your school welcomes an exchange student/from Argentina,/and you want to make friends/with her. Neither of you/speaks each other’s mother tongue. Having learned English for several years,/both of you can use English/to communicate. In this way,/English becomes a common language.
English spoken by these non-native speakers/varies a lot. The varieties reflect the speakers’ valuable linguistic/and cultural backgrounds.
Today,/English spoken by the majority of the speakers/belongs to the second and third groups. In other words,/there are more non-native speakers of English/than native speakers/in the world. Under the circumstances,/English serves as a common language,/or a lingua franca,/on many occasions.
When people use English/as a lingua franca,/they try to do their best/to understand each other. They focus on communicating their messages,/rather than speaking like native speakers. They also respect the varieties of English/and the cultural backgrounds of others.
As we have seen,/there are many varieties of English. Each of them is equally important. With this concept kept in mind,/be confident/when you speak English. Let’s communicate actively/with people around the world.
Have you ever heard/of “World Englishes”? This term refers to the many varieties of English/around the world. A linguist created this term,/dividing the varieties/into three groups.
The first group consists of the varieties of English/spoken in the UK,/the US,/Canada,/Australia,/and New Zealand. Many people in these countries/speak English/as their first language.
However,/words,/spellings,/and pronunciation/are sometimes different/depending on the country. For example,/“school cafeteria” in the US/becomes “canteen” in the UK.
Even in one country,/people in different regions/speak differently. Thus,/English spoken by native speakers/has many local varieties/among the countries/and inside each country.
The second group includes the varieties of English/spoken in countries/such as India,/the Philippines,/Singapore,/Pakistan,/and Kenya. In these multilingual societies,/English is spoken as a second language/or an official language.
In these countries,/people usually use their mother tongue/at home/and in their daily lives. They use English for work/and official matters. For example,/in Singapore,/most people speak Mandarin,/Malay,/or Tamil/at home,/but they use English/in schools,/workplaces,/and public offices.
Influenced by their local languages,/their varieties of English/may not sound like American/or British English. However,/it does not mean/that their varieties are inferior. They are an important part/of the speakers’ identities.
The third group covers the varieties of English/spoken in some countries/in Europe,/Africa,/South America,/and Asia. In these countries,/including Japan,/people usually learn and use English/as a foreign language.
Although people in these countries/rarely speak English/in their daily lives,/they use the language/when it is necessary. Imagine your school welcomes an exchange student/from Argentina,/and you want to make friends/with her. Neither of you/speaks each other’s mother tongue. Having learned English for several years,/both of you can use English/to communicate. In this way,/English becomes a common language.
English spoken by these non-native speakers/varies a lot. The varieties reflect the speakers’ valuable linguistic/and cultural backgrounds.
Today,/English spoken by the majority of the speakers/belongs to the second and third groups. In other words,/there are more non-native speakers of English/than native speakers/in the world. Under the circumstances,/English serves as a common language,/or a lingua franca,/on many occasions.
When people use English/as a lingua franca,/they try to do their best/to understand each other. They focus on communicating their messages,/rather than speaking like native speakers. They also respect the varieties of English/and the cultural backgrounds of others.
As we have seen,/there are many varieties of English. Each of them is equally important. With this concept kept in mind,/be confident/when you speak English. Let’s communicate actively/with people around the world.