VARIETIES OF ENGLISH

Varieties of English

Varieties of English

Introduction

There are several varieties of English that are used in different parts of the world. The language is dependent upon various factors like culture, social values, religion etc. Hence, it is unfair to adopt a uniform variety of English in all parts of the world. One cannot claim that any specific variety is better than the other variety of English. It is appropriate to adopt a variety that best suits the country and its culture. In this paper, we will analyze the varieties of English that is spoken and written all around the world. We will also analyze why it is best suited for United Kingdom to adopt British English.

Discussion

A variety or variant is a neutral language, which refers to the linguistic differences between speakers of a language.

The term “variety” is used to avoid ambiguity of terms, as there are no unambiguous criteria for deciding, when two varieties should be considered the same language or dialect. The varieties can be distinguished on the basis of their vocabulary, differences in grammar, phonology and prosody (Werner Schneider, 2008). There are several possible factors of variation associated with geography, language development etc.

Geographical Varieties

Changes of this kind belong to the variation caused due to variation created by distance separating the speakers. For example, in Spain the language resembles American English.

These changes are called explicit geographical dialects and their study is known as dialectology. It is important to clarify that this term has no negative sense, it is a word usually used for "simple" or "primitive". Keep in mind, first, that all languages of the world, from the grammatical point of view, are equal and none is more evolved than another. Therefore, it is illogical to claim that a language is better than another.

The dialects are, then a particular form with which a community is speaking a particular language. From this point of view, different people often speak British English, Australian English, and American English etc. However, it must be remembered that dialects do not have precise boundaries, they tends to develop with time. Hence it is considered that they constitute language dialects to form a continuum without precise limits. Researchers observe that a language is a set of dialects, whose speakers can understand each other (Moody, 1983).

Diachronic Varieties

This type of variation is related to the language change when comparing the same language texts written at different times. There are systematic differences in grammar, vocabulary, spelling and sometimes (often reflecting sound changes). Each of the stages is more or less homogeneous confined to a certain age range, known as called diachronic.

Diastratic Social Varieties

These changes include all changes to the language produced by the environment in which the speaker resides. In this area, researchers are particularly interested in studying the factors such as social class, education, occupation, age, ethnicity, etc. In countries where there is a clear social hierarchy, it demonstrates to which class a person belongs.

Situational Varieties

These variations involve changes in language from ...