SOC104 - The Spread of English
Summary
TLDRThis e-lecture traces the development of English from a regional to a global language. It covers key historical periods, including Old, Middle, and Early Modern English, and examines how English spread globally through colonialism and cultural influence. Using the three circles model, the lecture outlines countries where English is a native, second, or foreign language. The future of English is discussed in terms of its global dominance, influence from American English, and the rise of new varieties of English worldwide.
Takeaways
- 📜 English evolved from a regional to a global language over centuries.
- ⚔️ Old English had a strong Germanic character, while Middle English incorporated many Romance, especially French, influences.
- 📚 Early Modern English developed a rich vocabulary and laid the foundation for the global spread of English.
- 🌍 The first major step toward English becoming a global language occurred after the late 16th century, during Elizabeth I's reign.
- 🏛️ English's global spread is explained through Braj Kachru’s 'Three Circles' model: Inner Circle (native speakers), Outer Circle (colonized nations), and Expanding Circle (foreign learners).
- 🇺🇸 In North America, the first English-speaking settlers established permanent colonies in the 1600s, shaping early American English.
- 🚢 Australia’s English roots began with Britain’s penal colonies, which evolved as more settlers arrived in the 19th century.
- 📈 English is now used by over 1.5 billion people worldwide, with 300 million native speakers.
- 🛑 Some predict a resistance to English due to colonial history, while others foresee growing American influence.
- 🌐 The rise of 'World Standard Spoken English' may allow for a globally intelligible form, preserving national dialects while enabling international communication.
Q & A
What are the main periods of the English language mentioned in the lecture?
-The main periods of the English language mentioned are Old English, Middle English, and Early Modern English.
How did Old English differ from Middle English?
-Old English was Germanic in character, while Middle English lost many Germanic aspects and adopted Romance (especially French) properties, particularly in vocabulary.
What key development in the 16th century contributed to English becoming a global language?
-By the end of the 16th century, English literature boomed with works by Shakespeare and others, and explorers like Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh laid the foundation for the spread of English in the New World and Australia.
What is the 'three circles' model of the spread of English?
-The 'three circles' model categorizes countries into the Inner Circle (where English is a native language), the Outer Circle (where English is a second language), and the Expanding Circle (where English is recognized as a foreign language).
Which countries belong to the Inner Circle of English speakers?
-Countries in the Inner Circle include Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.
What is the significance of the Outer Circle in the spread of English?
-The Outer Circle consists of countries that were colonized by Britain or the United States, where English is spoken as a second language and plays a significant historical and governmental role. Examples include India, Nigeria, and South Africa.
How did English develop in North America?
-English in North America began with the arrival of English settlers in the 1600s, such as Sir Walter Raleigh's expeditions and the Puritans on the Mayflower. Dialects evolved, influenced by groups like the Quakers and Scots-Irish.
How did the British penal colony in Australia influence the spread of English?
-In 1788, Britain established a penal colony in Australia, which brought a large population of British settlers. By 1900, Australia had nearly 4 million people, with English becoming the dominant language due to British influence.
What are some of the possible future developments in the global use of English?
-Possible future developments include resistance to English due to its colonial history, increased influence of American English, and the creation of new English varieties. A global standard of English may emerge while allowing for national dialects.
What role does the internet and mass media play in the future of English?
-The internet and mass media play a crucial role in developing a globally understandable form of English, promoting international intelligibility while preserving national identity.
Outlines
🌍 The Evolution of English to a Global Language
The paragraph introduces the e-lecture's topic: the development of English from a regional language to a global one. It outlines the lecture’s structure: starting with a historical overview of English, followed by a discussion on its spread using the 'three circles' model. The paragraph highlights key stages in English's evolution, such as Old English (Germanic roots), Middle English (influence of French vocabulary), and Early Modern English (which laid the foundation for global spread). The global expansion began during the 16th century, driven by British literature and exploration under figures like Shakespeare and Francis Drake.
🚢 The Spread of English in North America
This section focuses on the early spread of English to North America. The first major colonization began in 1607 with settlers from England’s West Country, bringing with them a dialect said to resemble Shakespeare’s English. The arrival of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower in 1620, seeking religious freedom, was another significant event. Subsequent waves of immigration brought Quakers, Scots, and Irish settlers. By 1776, at the time of American Independence, a variety of English dialects had emerged, including African American English, American Indian English, and regional dialects like Southern American English and Canadian English.
🇦🇺 The Establishment of English in Australia
The paragraph outlines the arrival of English in Australia, starting with the establishment of a penal colony at Sydney in 1770, after James Cook's explorations. Initially, the colony was used to alleviate overcrowded British prisons. Over time, this small settlement grew rapidly due to waves of settlers, and by 1900, Australia's population reached nearly 4 million. The British Isles were the main source of settlers, shaping the language in Australia. The paragraph concludes by discussing English’s rise as a global language, with over 300 million native speakers and 1.5 billion users.
🔮 The Future of English: Global Influence and Lingual Change
This paragraph looks to the future of English as a global language. It explores two potential developments: (1) the possibility of a backlash against English as a colonial language, with former colonies favoring their indigenous languages, and (2) the increasing influence of North American English due to the U.S.’s control over modern developments and the digital revolution. The spread of English across different regions will lead to the emergence of new English varieties, much like how dialects develop within countries. These new ‘Englishes’ will be shaped by local cultures and settings.
🌐 Towards a Standardized Global English
The final paragraph discusses the possibility of a world standard spoken English emerging as the global form for international communication. This process is already underway, thanks to the internet and mass media, which ensure global intelligibility while allowing countries to retain their national identities. English has evolved from a regional dialect influenced by other languages into the world’s dominant communication system, serving as a global lingua franca. Its influence on other languages continues to grow.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Old English
💡Middle English
💡Early Modern English
💡Three Circles Model
💡Inner Circle
💡Outer Circle
💡Expanding Circle
💡Colonialism
💡American English
💡Global English
Highlights
English developed from a regional language to a global language over less than 300 years.
Old English was heavily influenced by Germanic elements, while Middle English saw the introduction of Romance, especially French, features.
The 16th century marked the first significant step in English's expansion, driven by literature and explorers like Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh.
BRJ Kachru's three concentric circles model describes the spread of English globally, divided into the Inner, Outer, and Expanding Circles.
The Inner Circle countries include Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, where English is a native language.
The Outer Circle consists of former British and American colonies, where English is used as a second language in multilingual societies, such as India, Nigeria, and South Africa.
The Expanding Circle refers to countries where English is learned as a foreign language, including China, Japan, and Russia.
The first permanent English settlement in North America occurred in 1607, with later immigrants shaping American English dialects, like African American Vernacular English and regional varieties.
Australia's first penal colony was established in 1770 after James Cook's visit, marking the start of British influence on Australian English.
Today, English is spoken by over 1.5 billion users globally, including 300 million native speakers.
The dominance of American English is growing, especially with the influence of the United States in modern developments like the digital revolution.
Linguistic changes are predicted in English, as it becomes more adaptable with the emergence of new varieties in different regions.
New national varieties of English are developing, but international intelligibility is maintained through a global standard spoken English.
English remains the dominant global communication system, influencing other languages as the world's primary lingua franca.
The future of English may involve tension between its global role and efforts to promote indigenous languages in former colonies.
Transcripts
hi I welcome you to a short e-lecture
where I will briefly discuss the
development of English from a regional
to a global language I will proceed as
follows first I will list the central
periods of English and will then talk
about the main triggers towards the
development of English as a global
language using the three circles
model I will then look at the main types
of English in a global
context so let's start with a brief
historical
overview Old English the first period of
English was clearly Germanic in
character with many properties taken
over from Continental
Germanic Middle English by contrast
changed to a language where many many
typical Germanic aspects were lost and
romance in particular French properties
came
in most obviously in the
vocabulary and early modern English had
fixed many of these aspects it was now
clearly different from its German
predecessors it had a rich vocabulary
and a new sound repertoire and it became
the initial stage for the spread of
English around the world
the first significant step in the
progress of English towards its status
as a global language did not take place
before the end of the 16th
century by the end of the reign of
Elizabeth the in
16003 literature had boomed through the
works of Spencer Marlo and in particular
Shakespeare and Francis Drake and Walter
Ry had laid the foundation for
the expanding influence of English in
the new world and of course later than
in
Australia according to the Indian
linguist brj
kashu the spread of English around the
world can be defined in terms of three
concentric
circles the Inner
Circle refers to the traditional
historical and sociol linguistic origin
of English where it is used as a first
or native
language and here are the main countries
of course Great Britain then we have
North America with Canada and the United
States Australia and New
Zealand and often forgotten
Ireland now these countries are members
of the inner circle with about 400
million speakers almost 70% of which are
from the United
States the second Circle the so-called
Outer Circle includes countries
colonized by Britain and the United
States where English is spoken as a
second language and where it plays an
important historical and governmental
role in multilingual
settings here are the central ones for
example in Asia we have
India Pakistan and
Bangladesh in Africa we find this sort
of English in South Africa in
Kenya in Ghana in
Nigeria and in Tanzania to name the main
ones and then of course in the Caribbean
in Jamaica and in the Pacific Ocean on
the Philippines
the countries in the expanding
Circle did not institutionalize English
as an official language but recognized
the importance of English as a foreign
language well and This concerns almost
the whole world countries such as Israel
Japan China Egypt Korea Nepal Russia
Taiwan Indonesia Zimbabwe Saudi Arabia
the whole of Western Europe plus the
Caribbean countries and of course the
South African continent with more than 1
billion
speakers let us take a brief look at the
Inner Circle development now and let's
start with North
America the first permanent settlement
in North America began with the arrival
of England's second expedition in
16007 the first by Sir Walter Ry and his
fellow explorers who arrived in 1584 had
been forced to return to England as a
consequence of conflicts with the native
people The New Southern Colonists came
mainly from England's West country their
Tide Water accents that's a technical
term still exists in some isolated
valleys they are said to be the closest
to the sound of Shakespeare's English
that is early modern English of
course then in 1620 the first group of
Puritans arrived on the May
Mayflower these people did not want to
return to England what the pilgrim
fathers had in common was their search
for a land where they could found a new
religious Kingdom which would be free
from
persecution
1681 brought new shiploads of
immigrants the Quakers from the north of
England and the north Midlands who
settled in
Pennsylvania later there was a vast wave
of immigration from Northern Ireland and
Scotland to this
area by the time Independence was
declared in
1776 one in seven of the colonial
population was Scots
Irish today we can identify the
following major dialects in North
America for example ethnic varieties
such as africanamerican English Some
people prefer the term africanamerican
vernacular English and American Indian
English or we have Regional
varieties such as Northeastern American
English Southern States American English
or Canadian
English in
Australia Britain established its first
penal colony at Sydney after James Cook
visit in 7
1970 in order to relieve the pressure on
the overcrowded prisons in England so
let's write down
70 70 as a key figure here the about
130,000 prisoners were followed by a
wave of settlers by 1850 the population
of Australia was about 400,000 and by
1900 nearly 4
million today
almost 18 million people live on the
Australian continent the British Isles
provided the main source of settlers and
thus the main influence on the
language and what about the
future well if there has ever been such
a thing as a world language English is
one today during less than 300 years
English developed from a regional
language to a global language today
English constitutes the most widely used
individual language with more than 300
million native speakers and more than
1.5 billion official
users in considering the future of
English the following main aspects have
to be
considered for example the role of the
British Empire some sociol linguists
expect a strong reaction against
continuing the
use of the English language as the
language of the former colonial power
and in favor of promoting the indigenous
languages that's one
possibility on the other hand the North
American influence may increase the
United States has the largest percentage
of native speakers of English and the
country has been influential in many
ways it is more involved in modern
developments than any other Nation
it is in control of the digital
Revolution hence its dominance and the
dominance of American English may even
increase the spread of English around
the
world could also have an important
consequence English will become more
open to linguistic change with totally
unpredictable results the emergence of
new varieties of English in
territories where the language has taken
root demonstrates this these new
englishes are somewhat like the dialects
we all recognize within our own country
except that they are on an international
scale applying to whole countries or
regions well and in the
future with many national englishes
little would change people would still
have their National dialect
for use within their own country however
when the need came to communicate with
people from other countries they would
use a globally understandable form a
type of world standard spoken English
this standard already exists in its
infancy though and it continues to
develop especially through the use of
the internet and modern mass media
thereby International intelligibility is
guarant guaranteed while at the same
time time national identity is
preserved
well today English constitutes the most
widely used language of our time from a
regional language that was by and large
influenced by many other languages it
has developed to the world's number one
communication system if you wish a
global lingua franka and the
influence on other languages is
omnipresent thank you very much for your
attention
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