SPOTLIGHT on ENGLISH # 4 _ Varities of English

Ex. 1: Practise the alphabet.

Pronunciation practice

Ex. 2: Find the American English spelling for these words.

	British English	American English		British English	American English
1.	catalogue	catalog	7.	jewellery
2.	centre		8.	litre
3.	colour		9.	programme
4.	favourite		10.	theatre
5.	honour		11.	travelled
6.	humour		12.	tyre

Ex. 3: Match the American English term with its British English equivalent.

	American English	British English
1.	airplane	aeroplane
2.	boot (of a car)
3.	cell phone
4.	cookies
5.	crosswalk
6.	elevator
7.	fall
8.	fries, French fries
9.	garbage trash
10.	gas(oline)
11.	licence plate
12.	line
13.	movie
14.	one-way (ticket)
15.	potato chips
16.	purse
17.	restroom, bathroom
18.	round trip (ticket)
19.	shopping cart
20.	sidewalk
21.	silverware
22.	subway
23.	vacation
24.	windshield

Ex. 4: Video analysis. The linguist David Crystal discusses the concept of ‘Englishes’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_q9b9YqGRY&t=203s

came into being – adopts – vocabulary – loan words –

privileged foreign language – adaptation – variety – adapts

 

1.    The word “Englishes” ………………………. (1) 10 or 15 years ago to reflect the reality of what happens when English becomes a global language.

2.    The ……………………… (2) taking place when a new …………….. (3) develops is mainly visible in the …………………. (4)

3.    Most countries in the world have English as a first language, a second language, or a……………………………… (5)

4.    As a country ………………………… (6) the English language, it immediately ………………… (7) it to suit its own needs and to reflect its own culture and current developments.

5.    When English goes to another part of the world, in come the……………………… (8), the borrowed words from other languages around.

Literature: 

David Crystal, English as a global language

Ex. 5: Think of examples of English words used in your first/second language.

(-> Beware the pseudo-anglicisms, i. e. words that sound English and have been added to the lexicon of your language but are not real English words.)

KEY

Ex. 2

(1) catalog; (2) center; (3) color; (4) favorite; (5) honor; (6) humor; (7) jewelry; (8) liter; (9) program; (10) theater; (11) traveled; (12) tire; 

Ex. 3

(1) aeroplane; (2) trunk; (3) mobile phone; (4) biscuits; (5) zebra pedestrian crossing; (6) lift; (7) autumn; (8) chips; (9) rubbish; (10) petrol; (11) number plates; (12) queue; (13) film; (14) one-way (ticket); (15) crisps; (16) handbag; (17) toilet; (18) round trip (ticket); (19) shopping trolley; (20) pavement; (21) cutlery; (22) underground; (23) holiday; (24) windscreen;

Ex. 4

(1) come into being; (2) adaptation; (3) variety; (4) vocabulary; (5) privileged foreign language; (6) adopts; (7) adapts; (8) loan words; 

Presentation Practice

Situation: You are a student of linguistics at a university. Your research interests concern the different varieties of English. Today, you are giving a talk in a seminar group.

Task 1: In your presentation, you should

• summarize David Crystal's discussion of the 'Englishes' around the world
• point to historical reasons for the development of different varities
• give examples of the differences between the British and  American variety

Task 2: In the ensuing discussion, you should

• provide strategies how to teach different varieties to students of English
• outline your personal experience with the different varieties of English
• examine if there is a similar situation for your primary language