English in the World Keywords

Suitable for CIE A Level English Language (9093). Covers keywords in Section A: English in the World for Paper 4

colonialism

colonialism

the practice of controlling other people or areas by imposing language among other cultural practices

cultural influence and effects

social and cultural aspects of a society will dictate how children in the society develop language skills and cognitive functions

what is the concentric circles model?

a model consisting of three circles that is used to describe the circumstances in which English is spoken

who developed the concentric circles model?

Braj Kachru, 1985

the inner circle (concentric circles model)

English is the native and primary language of countries such as the USA and the UK; the inner circle includes 320-380 million speakers

the outer circle (concentric circles model)

English is the second language but is used as a lingua franca between the groups that live in the region and is used predominantly in media and education, usually imposed through colonialism; the outer circle includes 300-500 million speakers

the expanding circle (concentric circles model)

English is a foreign language and plays no significant role in the region, can be implemented as a means of international communication; includes 500-1000 million speakers

norm-providing

English language norms are developed in these regions (usually the Inner Circle) and spread outwards

norm-developing

easily adopts English language norms and (possibly) developing its own norms (usually the Outer Circle)

norm-dependant

relies on standards set by native speakers in the Inner Circle to speak English (usually the Expanding Circle)

multilingualism

the ability to speak more than one language

standard English

the main form of English that is taught around the world, can be thought of as formal speaking or writing

non-standard English

the form of English that is dependent on the area where it is spoken, can be thought of as informal speaking or writing (including slang)

creolisation

the process of mixing different elements of cultures together to create a new culture; originally a Caribbean concept

sociolect continuum

a variety of language spoken by a particular social group, can have subgroups e.g Singaporean English

language attitude

the tendency to respond positively or negatively towards language e.g the treatment of speakers of other languages and learning other languages

language shift

the process of replacing a language with another in a community, usually over an extended period of time

language death

when a language loses its last native speaker and/or when the language is no longer known, a common outcome of language shift

cultural imperialism

also known as cultural colonialism, the process of promoting one culture over another

equality of opportunity

the political ideal that people should be able to compete on equal terms

global cooperation

working to thrive together rather than pursuing individual ideals, particularly in politics

lingua franca

a common language that is used to help communicate between groups of speakers of other languages

Creole

a natural language developed from a mixture of different languages, often as a development from a pidgin. Creoles are stable, fairly complex, and are acquired as native languages by children

pidgin

a simplified mixture of languages used to communicate between people who do not speak the same language; could develop into a creole

dialect

a language variety specific to a particular geographical region, including lexical and grammatical features

exclusion

where members of a social group use language that makes certain other groups or individuals feel like they are not included or welcome

global (world) language

a language used across the world for written, spoken, and digital communication, typically coexisting with local languages. English is recognised as the predominant global language of the 21st century

linguistic prestige

the degree of respect and value given to a particular style of lanuage by a speech community

loanword

a work adopted from one language into another without translation

overt prestige

high status gained through the use of standard langauge and behaviour

patois

a loose term for a nonstandard language or dialect; may be regarded as having a low status

prestige

the degree of respect accorded to a particular language or dialect in a language community

• standard forms often command overt pestige by reference to notions of ‘correctness‘

  • nonstandard forms gain covert prestige

received pronunciation (RP)

the accent most closely associated with standard English; it is seen as an indicator of status rather than being linked to geographical area

speech community

a group of people defined by their shared linguistic norms and expectations

status

the perceived position of a person’s authorty and influence in relation to those around them

substrate language

a language with lower power or prestige than others in a multilingual community

superstrate language

a language with greater power or prestige than others in a multilingual community

varieties of English

regional and national forms of English with distinctively different features