RSSЗАНЯТИЕ 15.04.2020, ПЕРВЫЙ КУРС
The variety of the English Language in the modern world
Hishory of English in 10 Minutes (YouTube)
English is the most widely-spoken language in the world, having the distinct status of being the official language of multiple countries. While the English language is uniform with major variations in spelling present between American English and British English, the dialect or accent is usually the factor that enables one to distinguish the various types of English out there. Like most languages, there are varieties of English too, however, the difference is not as prominent as you may see in other languages. The varieties of accents present are both diverse and beautiful. Apart from accents, there is a tendency for people to mix English with their local speech to form a hybrid variety of English language that is as colorful as the culture in that country.
British English is the English language as spoken and written in the United Kingdom or, more broadly, throughout the British Isles. Slight regional variations exist in formal, written English in the United Kingdom. English is a West Germanic language that originated from the Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain by Germanic settlers from various parts of what is now northwest Germany and the northern Netherlands. The resident population at this time was generally speaking Common Brittonic—the insular variety of continental Celtic, which was influenced by the Roman occupation. This group of languages (Welsh, Cornish, Cumbric) cohabited alongside English into the modern period, but due to their remoteness from the Germanic languages, influence on English was notably limited.
American English sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States and widely adopted in Canada. English is the most widely spoken language in the United States and is the common language used by the federal government, considered the de facto language of the country because of its widespread use. English has been given official status by 32 of the 50 state governments.
Australian English is a major variety of the English language, used throughout Australia. Although there is currently no specified official language status in the constitution, Australian English is the country’s national and de facto official language as it is the first language of the majority of the population. For all official documents which are needed to support a government application such as a visa or citizenship application, these must be in English. If the original documents are not in English, then they must be translated by an accredited professional translator into English and certified that they are accurate translations of the original.
Australian English began to diverge from British English after the founding of the Colony of New South Wales in 1788 and was recognized as being different from British English by 1820. It arose from the intermingling of early settlers from a great variety of mutually intelligible dialectal regions of the British Isles and quickly developed into a distinct variety of English.
Canadian English is the set of varieties of English native to Canada. According to the 2011 census, English was the first language of approximately 19 million Canadians (57% of the population) the remainder of the population were native speakers of Canadian French (22%) or other languages (allophones, 21%). The term “Canadian English” is first attested in a speech by the Reverend A. Constable Geikiein an address to the Canadian Institute in 1857. Canadian English is the product of five waves of immigration and settlement over a period of more than two centuries. The first large wave of permanent English-speaking settlement in Canada, and linguistically the most important, was the influx of loyalists fleeing the American Revolution, chiefly from the Mid-Atlantic States – as such, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia. Canadian English is believed by some scholars to have derived from northern American English.
English public instruction began in India in the 1830s during the rule of the East India Company (India was then, and is today, one of the most linguistically diverse regions of the world). In 1835, English replaced Persian as the official language of the Company. Lord Macaulay played a major role in introducing English and western concepts to education in India. He supported the replacement of Persian by English as the official language, the use of English as the medium of instruction in all schools, and the training of English-speaking Indians as teachers. The view of this language among many Indians has gone from associating it with colonialism to associating it with economic progress, and English continues to be an official language of India, albeit with an Indian twist, popularly known as Indian English.
Of course, the range of the spread of English in the modern world is much greater and there are much more varieties to it. In spite of the availability of specific features for each nationality, English remains the most popular language on our globe. Knowledge of English in today’s world is a kind of window on the world. Wielding the language of international communication, you can achieve your goals with the help of new features. And you certainly will understand that the importance of the English language is not exaggerated.
Tasks for Text:
Which of the following IS the distinguishing feature of English language variety?
Which of the following languages/dialects did NOT influence British English historically?
How many US state governments have NOT given English language an official status, according to the paragraph?
What is the official language in Australia?
What are the two main languages spoken in Canada?
So, logically speaking, why was English widely taught in India during XIX century?
What about English language in your country? Does it have any specific features? If there are any, feel free to describe them in a few sentences.
The Future Continuous in the Past
Future Continuous - Revision
Future Continuous (Progressive) Revision Exercise
TEST 1
TEST 2
!TESTS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN MOODLE DISTANT LEARNING SYSTEM!
ЗАНЯТИЕ 15.04.2020, ВТОРОЙ КУРС
Topical Material: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - British National Health Service
Read an article about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and make sure to watch the video at the bottom of the page.
Then use this information to write a few sentences about CFS in your life, wether you ever experienced it yourself or if you met a person suffering from CFS, and if you didn't, why you think that happened.
The Present Continuous (Progressive) Passive
TEST 1
TEST 2
TEST 3
!TESTS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN MOODLE DISTANT LEARNING SYSTEM!
