English in the modern world. The spread of English in the modern world English is the language of travel

Introduction

As you know, the English language is widespread not only in England, but also abroad. It is the official language in many countries around the world. At the same time, the English language of each state has its own characteristics, its own distinctive features, which were formed in the course of historical development, as a result of the influence of the languages ​​of neighboring countries, as well as the language of the indigenous population.

This course work is devoted to the study of the main varieties of the English language. At first glance it may seem the same, but upon closer examination you will find a large number of features that are characteristic only of these varieties of English.

All of the above explains relevance our work.

Object of study in this work the language is English.

Subject research is the diversity of the English language.

The purpose of the study is to identify the features that characterize varieties of the English language.

For this purpose the following were set tasks:

Consider the features of the main varieties of the English language;

Identify the phonetic, grammatical and lexical features of each of the most famous varieties of the English language.

The course work consists of an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion and a list of references.

English grammatical phonetic Canadian

English is one of the languages ​​of international communication

Spread of English in the world

One of the features of the functioning of the English language is its use as an official language not by one, but by many nations.

Along with some other languages ​​of the world, such as French in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, a number of developing countries; Spanish in Spain and some Latin American countries; German in Germany, Austria, Switzerland; Portuguese in Portugal and Brazil; Italian in Italy and Switzerland; Swedish in Sweden and Finland; English in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, a number of developing countries in Asia and Africa, former colonies of Great Britain, is a multinational and multiethnic language, belongs to not one, but several nations, not one, but several ethnic groups.

In the history of the spread of the English language, it is customary to distinguish three periods (Crystal, 2001:104).

The first period is the early Middle Ages, when the influence of the French language and some other languages ​​on the English language was so significant that in a relatively short period of time it became more Romance than Germanic.

The second period is the Renaissance and the years that followed, when English became interested in a large amount of vocabulary from classical languages ​​and the work of a number of playwrights, especially Shakespeare, significantly enriched it.

The third period is the end of the second millennium - the beginning of the new millennium.

Since the 60s of the twentieth century. The spread of the English language has become very widespread.

Some countries initially used it as an interethnic means, then the language gradually changed and became native to the population. Thus, the British version of the English language laid the foundation for the American version, and then the Australian and South African ones. In the 20th century Nigerian, Indian, Singaporean variants and numerous new varieties of English (New Englishes) developed. Some linguists have suggested that this situation may indicate the development of a new language family (Evdokimov, 2003:206).

English occupies a special place in seventy-five countries of the world. In nineteen countries it is the official language. It is taught as a foreign language in more than 100 countries. In most countries, English is taught in school as the main foreign language.

In the 19th century Great Britain became a leading industrial and trading power. Throughout the 19th century. The British political system contributed to the spread of the English language throughout the globe. And in the twentieth century. this process was accelerated primarily due to the economic power of the United States (Arakin, 2001:302).

English is one of the official languages ​​of the UN, UNESCO, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the official and working language of many international meetings of organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the European Council, and NATO. English is the only official language of the Organization of Petroleum Expert Countries and the only working language of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

Nowadays there is a radical change in the language situation in the world. Never in the past have so many countries and peoples felt such a need to communicate with each other. Never before have so many people had the opportunity to travel around the world. Never before has so much translation and interpretation been required, nor has there been such a need for greater bilingualism.

In the modern world, English serves as an international language. Over the past decades, English has become an international means of communication and has acquired the status of a “global language”.

In reality, the term “international English” most often refers only to British and American varieties of English, to a lesser extent to Canadian and Australian varieties, and usually does not extend to other regional varieties (Antrushina, 1999:27).

The definition of English as a multiethnic or multinational language, accepted in Russian linguistics, reflects not so much its functional role as its ethnographic distribution, assignment to different ethnic groups, which is the result of its function as a language of international communication.

One of the criteria for the international status of a language is considered to be the large number of functions it performs: recognition of it as a state or official language in the country where it functions in such areas as administration, court, media, and educational system (Koptelova, 2000:33 ).

English in the modern world has become an “additional” language for a number of peoples, and this status is manifested in the expansion of its functioning, the increase in intercultural areas of use, and the deepening of social use.

"The main functions of English as an international language, or areas of its use, can be summarized as follows:

1) official diplomatic;

2) official state regulation;

3) official business (in business, trade, transport, communications);

4) educational;

5) information (in science, the media, the Internet, sports, medicine, etc.);

6) entertainment (film and video products, pop music);

As an international language, English is no longer tied to one particular culture or nation. The development of the English language in the modern world is less and less determined by the people for whom it is their native language. This is precisely the “pluricentricity of the English language, recognized by modern sociolinguistics. Duocentricity (British English and American English as two centers of linguistic hegemony) was replaced by pluricentricity, which led to the creation of the concept of many varieties of Englishes (World Englishes)” (Crystal, 2001:98) .

As an intermediary language in the modern world, English plays the role of a language of intercultural interaction and enrichment. This is largely due to the fact that since ancient times the English language has shown a tendency to borrow vocabulary. He has the ability to easily and simply accept borrowings originating both from other languages ​​and through the English of the Caribbean, India and Spanish-speaking America. Due to the emergence of a large number of so-called new varieties of English in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Caribbean Islands, within Great Britain (Ireland, Scotland, Wales), as well as in India, Sri Lanka and others countries, the process of “nativization” is intensifying (Kristall, 2001:101). Nativization refers to the process of language change under the influence of local languages. At the same time, new types of English are being formed and the forms and structures of the so-called “standard” version of the English language are changing. New varieties of English are something like dialects. However, unlike dialects that exist regionally and have thousands of users, new language varieties exist internationally and have millions of users.

In the modern world, English rightfully has the status of an international universal language. As of 2017, English is recognized as the official language in 59 countries of the world, 51.3% of websites on the Internet use this language, and 372 million people speak English as their native language. What caused the emergence of English as an international language, and why was it banned in some countries? Let's try to find answers to these questions.

Great Britain - “Mistress of the Seas”

Let's start with a little dive into history. In 1588, under the leadership of the talented admiral Francis Drake, a crushing blow was dealt to the Spanish-Portuguese fleet, which led to the complete defeat of the Invincible Armada. Even then, Great Britain had every opportunity to become the world's maritime hegemon. However, the short-sighted policy of the royal power did not allow Great Britain to secure such a status.

The revival of the British navy in the 16th century is directly related to Admiral Robert Black. Thanks to his efforts, bribe-takers and embezzlers were expelled from the fleet, the ships were prepared for battle, and great attention was paid to the moral and combat qualities of sailors and officers. Under Black's leadership, a number of victories were won over the pirates, and the French and Spanish squadrons were defeated.

Between 1651 and 1674, three Anglo-Dutch wars took place. For a number of reasons, the previously powerful fleet of the Netherlands fell into decline during the war, while Great Britain, on the contrary, constantly strengthened its naval forces. As a result, Holland, despite a number of victories, lost its superiority on the water.

The last serious naval enemy for Great Britain was France. The confrontation between the powers resulted in the Seven Years' War, as a result of which the British captured Canada and almost all of France's possessions in the East Indies.

In 1778, Great Britain's naval power was dealt another blow. During the struggle of the American colonies for independence, the French and Spanish fleets united against the British. Soon, with the help of France, the largest English colony gained independence.

Despite all the difficulties, absolute British naval superiority was achieved as a result of the Battle of Trafalgar (October 21, 1805), when, under the leadership of Admiral Nelson, the Franco-Spanish fleet was finally defeated. This victory was a turning point in British history. Ships of all other countries lowered their flags at the sight of British ships; until 1914, no one dared to challenge the maritime hegemony of the “mistress of the seas.”

Spread of English to new territories

During the 19th century, Great Britain created a huge colonial empire, occupying a quarter of the Earth's land area. Thus, the English language actively spread throughout all territories. Of course, the local languages ​​of the colonies faded into the background; English was the main language when establishing trade relations. And even when the former colonies gained independence, the English language had already taken root, and the locals spoke it perfectly. For example, in modern India, English is the native language of approximately 30% of the inhabitants.

The further spread of the English language was facilitated by the development of America. After the end of World War II, most European countries were engaged in restoring their own economies, while the United States suffered less, and this gave them certain advantages in the field of technology development, diplomacy, politics, and military superiority. As a result, America's influence increased throughout the world, and English naturally became the universal language, which further strengthened the role of language throughout the world.

Attempts to ban the use of English

Were there any attempts to ban the English language, you ask? Yes, both in past centuries and today. However, it cannot be said that they brought any results.

After the United States gained independence from Great Britain, US government authorities refused to recognize English as the official language of the new state. This is quite understandable due to the desire to distance themselves from the former metropolis. However, all documents of federal authorities were published in English. It is noteworthy that in 1795 the House of Representatives of the US Congress decided to publish adopted laws and regulations in German. Between 1843 and 1874, Congress rejected proposals to publish legislation in German and French four times.

Attempts to ban the use of the English language are being made in some countries at the present time. This is often due to political, cultural or religious factors.

Thus, in 2012 it became known that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Saudi Arabia introduced a ban on the use of the English language. The ban also applies to hotel staff. Considering that a large number of employees of Western organizations are permanently located in Saudi Arabia, the ban could lead to negative consequences for the country's economy. The authorities are introducing this restriction in order to protect native speech.

A similar restriction, but regarding the media, was adopted in China in 2010. Chinese officials are convinced that the use of foreign words in Chinese media has a negative impact on the purity of their native language. The Chinese press is advised to avoid using foreign abbreviations and abbreviations, including Chineseized English (“Chinglish”), which is a mixture of Chinese and English.

In 2001, information appeared about a ban on the use of English in the Taliban-controlled territory of Afghanistan. The ban primarily affected UN employees who worked in the country.

Do you know of any facts of the English language being banned anywhere? If yes, share it in the comments.

Everyone is well aware of the fact that there are a large number of languages ​​in the world, but not all of them are considered international. Languages ​​such as English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Arabic are part of the international languages ​​and are official languages ​​of the UN.

From a geographical point of view, English is the most widely spoken language on the planet. Outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, English is the mother tongue in many countries: the USA (the official language of thirty-one states), Canada, Australia, Malta and New Zealand. It is used as an official language in some countries of Asia (Pakistan, India) and Africa. The number of speakers of the language is about 427 million as their native language and 1 billion as their second language in the country. English is the most important language of international communication, trade, cooperation and business.

Despite the vast distances that separate English-speaking countries from each other and from the British Isles, and the socio-cultural differences between them, the forms of English they use remain generally intelligible to all. However, the population of each individual territory speaking English has developed its own characteristics of vocabulary and pronunciation. It is for this reason that there are many differences in the spelling of the English language in the USA, Australia, Canada, for example, and the same language in the UK. The biggest difference between languages ​​is pronunciation, and to a lesser extent it concerns vocabulary and grammar.

The generally accepted version is the British version of the English language, which has the highest status in society. This version of the language is used in literature, the press, dictionaries, textbooks, and is taught in schools. However, Standard English also has some differences in pronunciation depending on the area of ​​the country in which the language is spoken. Thus, language helps to establish not only the country in which a person lives, but also the region, and his social status and even origin. Since the time of Shakespeare, it has been believed that the most correct version of the English language belongs to southeast England.

English in Australia is quite different from English in the UK. There are certain differences in pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and spelling. However, British English and Australian English are not different languages, but one language, but with different interpretations.

One of the features of the functioning of the English language is its use as a national, state and official literary language of not one, but many nations. Today, researchers estimate that the number of English speakers ranges between 1.2 and 1.5 billion people. These figures include those who speak English as a native language, a second language (ESL) and a foreign language (EFL).

Since the 60s of the XX century. The spread of the English language has become very widespread.

Some countries initially used it as a means of interethnic communication, then the language gradually changed and became native to the population. Thus, the British version of the English language laid the foundation for the American version, and then the Australian and South African ones. In the 20th century Nigerian, Indian, Singaporean variants and numerous new varieties of English (New Englishes) developed.

English is widely spoken throughout the world, more widely than French, German, Spanish, Russian and Arabic as a means of international communication. English is the most widely used language on earth. It is used as a native, second and foreign language.

English occupies a special place in seventy-five countries of the world. In nineteen countries it is the official language.

English is taught as a foreign language in more than 100 countries, including China, Russia, Germany, Spain, Egypt and Brazil. In most countries it is taught in school as the main foreign language, displacing other foreign languages.

It would be a mistake to assume that a certain “international” language is a model of perfection because of its undeniable functional properties, clarity of presentation, and rich literary heritage. Similar judgments are sometimes made in relation to the English language. Undoubtedly, the simplicity of the language greatly contributes to its promotion to the fore, but in no way is it the basis of this process.

The structure of the English language is somewhat simpler than the structure of some other world languages. Throughout the history of its development, it borrowed widely from other languages ​​with which it was in contact.

English is one of the official languages ​​of the United Nations, UNESCO, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the official and working language of many international meetings of organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the European Council, and NATO. English is the only official language of the Organization of Petroleum Expert Countries and the only working language of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Nowadays there is a radical change in the language situation in the world. Never in the past have so many countries and peoples felt such a need to communicate with each other. Never before have so many people had the opportunity to travel around the world. Never before has so much translation and interpretation been required, nor has there been such a need for greater bilingualism.

The spread of English in the modern world is reflected in the sociolinguistic theory of the “three concentric rings” developed by American linguist Braj Kachru. He presented the results of this process in the form of three circles located one inside the other: 1) the inner circle corresponds to English as a native language; 2) the outer, middle circle implies proficiency in English as a second language in countries where it has received the status of an official language; 3) the expanding, outer circle includes countries where English plays the role of the main foreign language studied in educational institutions. The number of these countries is steadily increasing.

The boundaries between these circles, especially between the outer, middle and expanding, outer, are very mobile and unstable. According to the proposal of linguists, in the near future the largest number of users of the English language will be in the middle circle, although at present the number of people representing it is the smallest.

The birthplace of the English language is Great Britain, but it has already conquered almost the whole world.

In a number of countries, English is used as an official language: India, Ireland, New Zealand, Philippines.

In other countries, English is spoken by the majority of residents, although it is not legally established: for example, in the USA or Australia, English does not have official status.

And in dozens of other countries around the world, English is widely spoken and competes with other languages: in Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Barbados, Malta, Jamaica. This Wikipedia article provides a complete list of countries where English is predominantly spoken.

As it gains a foothold in new territories, the English language changes and forms new dialects. It is increasingly difficult for residents of different English-speaking countries to understand each other: the pronunciation of words, intonation, choice of words and expressions, and grammatical rules differ.

We have selected the seven most famous English-speaking countries in the world - the USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa. Let's look at and compare the language options in these countries.

USA

American is the most famous variety of English outside the UK. It has become widespread throughout the world, which is why it is most often compared to British English.

Interestingly, English is not enshrined in the US Constitution as an official language. In fact, the official and most common language is American English, but it does not have any state status. Although many Americans are fighting for the rights of the English language, fearing the spread of Spanish. Some states even gave English official status.

Pronunciation

There is no single American accent: English pronunciation varies from state to state. “The most correct” is considered to be the so-called General American English. But there are several common features that are characteristic of most American accents and distinguish them from British and other varieties:

• pronounced sound r. The British omit it in their words part, girl , storm, and the Americans say;
• shorter vowels, for example, Americans do not draw out words seem, meat, bath ;
• sound a instead of o or long o: hot dog sounds similar to “hat dog”, and in some regions to “hat dag”;
• loss of sound j after consonants: tune And Tuesday pronounced like toon And toosday.

Spelling

Americans have simplified and changed the spelling of some words, which often causes confusion for beginners in learning English. Compare the British and American versions:

Check – check

Color – color

Dialogue – dialogue

Maths - math

Theater – theater

Program - program

Vocabulary

If you wish, you can find hundreds of lexical differences in the American and British versions. Most Famous: Americans Speak yard instead of garden, underground instead of subway, line instead of queue, elevator instead of lift, movie instead of film And fall instead of autumn.

Grammar

Americans use time much less often Present Perfect and generally all the time Perfect, preferring them Simple. British version of the verb"have " have got they shorten to have. American is characterized by colloquial forms gotta And wanna instead of got to And want to.

American: My parents just arrived, you gotta go.

British: My parents have just arrived, you got to go.

How to speak with an American accent:

Canada

English is one of Canada's two official languages, along with French. It has no official status only in the province of Quebec.

Canadian English is closest to American English, but it retains some British characteristics that Americans have lost.

Pronunciation

Most words are pronounced either American or British. But there are a few typical Canadian pronunciations. For example, about pronounced similar to a boat or aboot. At the same time, they do not have any confusion, because the word boat sounds like bot, similarly in other words with this diphthong. Canadians also pronounce words of French origin according to French pronunciation rules.

South Park episode about Canadian pronunciation aboot :

Vocabulary

The main layer of vocabulary, typical only for Canada, consists of words on the topic of food, drinks, flora and fauna, names of clothes and household items. Here are some examples:

Snits– dried apples

Tempest– storm

Sault– waterfall

Muskeg- swamp

Sagamite– soup with meat and fish

Moreover, Canadians say parkade instead of car park, runners instead of sneakers or trainers, scribbler instead of notebook, washroom instead of lavatory or toilet.

The most famous Canadian interjection is eh, analogue of the American huh. Most often this is a question or part of a question - “huh?”, “isn’t it?”, for example:

The movie is great, eh? – The movie is great, isn’t it?

How to speak like a Canadian:

Ireland

Irish English is called Hiberno-English: Hyberno-English. English is considered an official language along with Irish. It is spoken by a preponderant number of Irish people, although it is now being gradually replaced by a resurgent Irish language. In Ireland, the difference between written and spoken English is clearly visible: in writing, a variant very similar to British is used, and in speech, the dialect is very pronounced.

Pronunciation

In Ireland there are several dialects with different pronunciation traditions - for example, Mid-Ulster, Cork, Dublin. There are several common features that are common to almost all accents:

• diphthongs are not pronounced and are simplified: word goat they will read it as goot with a long sound o;
• sound r stands out in all words and becomes almost growling;
• th pronounced like t or d: dat instead of that, tree instead of three.

Vocabulary

The most noticeable differences in Irish English are in vocabulary. This is a lot of unique words, strange phrases, non-standard meanings. Here are just a few of them:

Cat- bad, terrible, short for catastrophe

Thick- an angry, stubborn and stupid person

Anything strange?- analogue What's new? or "What's new?"

Bells- watch: 10 bells instead of 10 o'clock

Gas– funny, synonym funny

Now– interjection, which is placed at the end of a sentence or used instead please(Please).

Grammar

The Irish miss a particle to in most grammatical constructions - for example, before a verb in the infinitive. So, the Irishman will say “ Try to concentrate on the book" instead of try to concentrate.

Possessive pronoun your used as a demonstrative and replaces that: your man– means “that person.”

Finally, the most interesting grammatical difference in Irish English is the form amn't, which is “invented” by many beginners in learning English. This contraction is mainly characteristic of interrogative sentences:

Amn't I beautiful?-Am I not beautiful?

As the Irish say in English:

Australia

Australian English is actually an official language in Australia, although it does not have state status. This dialect was recognized back in 1820 - just 32 years after the founding of the colony, it already had significant differences with British English.

Australian was formed under the influence of many dialects of the British Isles, as well as the local languages ​​of Australia. This version was created by the children of the first settlers: unlike their parents, they already spoke with a different accent, used new words and created new concepts.

Pronunciation

In general, Australian pronunciation is more similar to British than American - but only at first glance. If you listen, it will become clear: the Australian one is different from both options.

Australians swallow syllables in the middle of a sentence, raise their intonation at the end of a sentence, and speak smoothly. They became so accustomed to swallowing vowels and entire syllables that many abbreviations were formed as a result:

Banana - nana

Afternoon – arvo

Good day - G'day

Vocabulary

The Australian habit of abbreviations has led to the formation of diminutive words with endings -ie or -y:

Chocolate – chokkie

Mosquito – mozzy

Breakfast – brekkie

Barbecue – barbie

Many everyday concepts in Australia sound very unexpected: comfort station instead of toilet, billie instead of tea kettle, cow juice instead of milk. And the word cactus they mean “something is not working”, for example:

My car is cactus.- My car broke down.

Australians call each other mate what sounds like mite. If they want to express approval, then instead well done they will say “ Good on ya!" or " Ripper!”.

Australian abbreviations:

New Zealand

New Zealand English is a mixture of the dialects of the south of England, Scottish and Irish varieties of English and the language of the Maori, the indigenous inhabitants of the island. The result is a very unusual and interesting language with a pronunciation that is both Australian and South African. Today English is spoken by the majority of the island's inhabitants.

There is a common belief that the New Zealand dialect is the same as the Australian dialect, but this is not true. These varieties of English are indeed similar, but they have a lot of differences. At the beginning of the 20th century and before the Second World War, Australian and New Zealand English sounded similar, but in the 50s they began to diverge.

Pronunciation

The New Zealand dialect is characterized by a clear sound - unlike Americans, New Zealanders do not swallow syllables, so they are easy to understand. But their intonation is non-standard - at the end of sentences the tone rises, so it often seems that the person is asking, rather than asserting something.

The higher a person’s social level, the closer his speech is to Received Pronunciation– standard English pronunciation. The Maori accent is most noticeable. They pronounce lady How laidi, and the sound t in the middle of the words they are voiced and turned into d : water – wader. Here they rhyme with there, really And rarely or bear And beer pronounced the same way, instead of a short sound i they say e, and vice versa, so there is often confusion: for example, sit sounds like set, A rid How red .

Vocabulary

New Zealanders use a lot of dialect words and expressions, which makes them difficult to understand: the words sound crisp and clear, but what they mean is unclear. English-speaking tourists even use a special phrasebook when traveling around New Zealand - Kiwi English Dictionary .

The most famous Maori loanwords are iwi- people, kai- food, totara- Red tree, kumara- sweet potato, pakeha- foreigner. And of course, kiwi- this is the name not only for the local bird and symbol of New Zealand, but also for the New Zealanders themselves. By the way, kiwi is also a fruit, the name of which was given by a New Zealand breeder for its resemblance to the famous bird.

Some dialectisms are not associated with the Maori language, but developed on the basis of English, for example:

Chilly bin – cool box (thermos)

Shonky – not good(not good)

Lollies – sweets(sweets)

Yeah-nah – no, thank you (no thanks)

Stoked – very pleased (to be very pleased)

The most beloved and famous New Zealand phrase in English is sweet as, which means great , cool. This phrase can be called the calling card of the country; it is found on souvenirs, on T-shirts, and in tourist guides. Sometimes New Zealanders construct similar phrases with other adjectives, emphasizing the feature:

Your girlfriend is cute as. – Your girlfriend is very pretty.

This book is sweet as. - This book is cool.

Kiwi accent news release:

India

English serves as India's lingua franca - a language that unites many different nationalities with different languages ​​and dialects. English is used much more widely in India than we usually imagine. It is a state language and ranks second after Hindi. This is the language of communication, business, and public administration. It is spoken by 350 million people.

Indian English is one of the most difficult dialects of the English language to understand. It has changed greatly under the influence of Hindi and other national languages, which is why it received the name Hinglish - Hinglish.

Pronunciation

Indians speak English with a strong accent. They distort words, replace sounds with others, and speak with a peculiar intonation. The most noticeable features of the Indian accent are:

• difficulties with sounds [ɔɪ] and [əʊ]: boy sounds like buy, go- How guy;
• pronunciation w How v : what – vat, when – ven;
• retroflection of sound r(the tongue presses against the palate, the sound becomes more booming);
• soft l ;
• no sound z, is pronounced instead j: zoom – joom, proposed – propojed;
• atypical for English accent: okay or myself with stress on the first syllable.

Vocabulary

In the vocabulary of Indian English there are many words borrowed from Hindi, formed on its basis or translated.

Chello – let's go

Hazaar – thousands

Cousin brother – male cousin

Foreign return – return from abroad

Achcha - ok

Good name - name

It is noteworthy that Indians often do not translate certain words into English, especially possessive adjectives ( my brother's) or pronouns by inserting Hindi words into the middle of an English phrase.

Time kya hua hai? – What time is right now?

Grammar

Hinglish grammar can vary from perfectly British to completely distorted by analogy with Hindi. The most striking feature of Indian speech is the endings ing for almost all verbs:

I'm not knowing this person. - I do not know this person.

Indians do not like to change verb tenses and often rely on lexical tense clues:

Yesterday we are going to the cinema. – Yesterday we went to the cinema.

They do not always follow English word order, especially in questions. Interrogative sentences often end with the qualifying word “ no?”, which can be translated as “isn’t it?”

You will coming later, no? – You’ll come later, won’t you?

Indian accent in The Big Bang Theory:

South Africa

South Africa is a southern African country where English is the official language and is widely used among local residents. But English is not the most widely spoken language in South Africa. In total, several dozen languages ​​are spoken in the country, of which 11 are official. A quarter of the population speaks the local dialect Zulu, with Xhosa and Afrikaans in second and third place. English is the fifth most spoken language in South Africa.

But English stands out among other South African languages. It has a special role – that of a connecting international language. In large cities, where ethnic groups and languages ​​are mixed, English is used for communication. It is also written and spoken in many media. It is where laws and decrees are issued and management activities are conducted.

South African English has its own flavor. It is both similar to American and British English, but also has many unique features borrowed from local languages, such as Zulu or Afrikaans.

Pronunciation

In different regions of South Africa, English sounds slightly different, influenced by other dialects. But in general, the pronunciation of South African English is characterized by an unusual sound of the letter g– it is pronounced similar to the Russian “kh”, as in the Afrikaans language. You may also notice that South Africans pronounce it diphthong ai similar to oi, and the sound r they last longer and sound more booming than usual.

Vocabulary

If you are speaking to a South African, be careful: there are many familiar words in the South African dialect that have different meanings. This often leads to confusion. For example, cafe in South Africa it is not a cafe, but a small store. And in a word circle denote primarily an intersection on a roundabout. Expression Just now for some reason it doesn’t mean “right now”, but rather “maybe someday later”. Imagine how annoying this is to the British or Americans:

– Can you pay your debt today? -Can you repay the debt today?

- Just now!– Now (the foreigner thinks)/someday later (the South African actually says)

From the Zulu language the words appeared in South African English lekker- good, jol- party, takkies- sneakers. exclamation ja local residents express agreement or approval instead yes.

South African English is characterized by compound words formed from existing English words. Thus, English-speaking residents of South Africa gave names to phenomena unfamiliar to them:

Rose-apple, stone-pine, cluster-pine – tree names

Bone-crusher– weapons for big game

Greenhorn– new to South Africa

Secretarybird– secretary bird

Grammar

And the most interesting and noticeable feature of South African English is addressing a person in the third person. Don't be surprised if you hear this phrase:

What does mister want to buy? -What does Mr. want to buy?

South African versus American English:

It turns out that the English language is so diverse and subject to change. He gradually conquers the whole world, but at the same time he changes and moves away from the original source. For those who are interested in the English language, learning English dialects is not only interesting, but also useful - their vocabulary expands and phonemic awareness improves.