An Introduction to English-Speaking Countries

AnIntroductiontoEnglish-SpeakingCountries.,DrGeorgeAnderson.(UK.)E-mail:ganderson1978yahoo.co.ukQQ:2229489921,Alittleaboutme.,IwasborninBanbury,Oxfordshire,SouthernEngland.IgrewupinSheffield,SouthYorkshire,NorthernEngland.IstudiedinScarborough(BA),York(MA)andDurham(PhD),whicharealsoinNorthernEngland.IhavealsolivedandworkedinCheshire(NorthernEngland)andGlasgow(Scotland).,OnholidayinSpain,July2012.,Alittleaboutme.,Igainedateachingqualification(CELTA)inPrague,CzechRepublic,CentralEuropein2008.IcametoChina,toteachatJiayingUniversity,inFebruary2009.Anyquestions?,Aboutthecourse.,Overthisterm,IwillbeteachingyouaboutdifferentEnglish-speakingcountries.Thecoursewillbeassessedbygrouppresentations,attitude,attendanceandanexam.Theexamswillbemadeupofmultiple-choicequestions.,Thecoursewilllookintothefollowing:,TheoriginsoftheEnglishLanguage.BritishandAmericanHistory.ContemporaryBritishandAmericanCulture.TheGlobalSpreadoftheEnglishLanguage.OtherEnglish-SpeakingCountriesandRegions.,InGeneral:,Wewanttoanswerthefollowingquestion:HowdidEnglishbecomeanimportantlanguageinthemodernworld?,CourseObjective,Thiscoursewillbeanoverviewofthemajorhistoric,socialandeconomicfactorsthatledtotheestablishmentofEnglishasaworldlanguage.ThegoalofthecourseistopresentinformationthatwillhelpyouinyourdailyconversationaluseoftheEnglishlanguage.Thiscoursewillalsogiveyousomeinsightintothedefiningcharacteristicsoftheculture(s)oftheEnglish-speakingworld.,Content,Coursecontentwillincludelectures,readingassignmentsandaudio/visualresources.Studentsarerequiredtoattendeveryclassandtotakenotes.Supplementalmaterialsandlecturenoteswillbeemailedtoclassemailaccounts.,Anoteonthecourse:,ThisisNOTaneasycourse;thereisalotofnewinformationforyoutolearnandnewvocabulary.Itisimportantthatyoupayattentionandmaintainahealthyattitude.Thereisalotofinformationtogiveyou,butIwilltrytomakeitasinterestingaspossible!Workhard,butdontpanic!,Whydowehavetolearnabouthistory,cultureandgeography?,Tofullyappreciatealanguage,itisnecessarytolearnaboutwherethelanguagecomesfrom;theculture.Toappreciateaculture,itisnecessarytolearnsomethingofitshistoryandgeography.,English-SpeakingCountries.,CountriesoftheworldwhereEnglishisanofficialordefactoofficiallanguage,ornationallanguage,indarkblue;countrieswhereitisanofficial/non-officialbutnotprimarylanguageinlightblue.,Englishisanofficiallanguageorispredominantlyspokeninthefollowingcountries:,AntiguaandBarbudaAustraliaBahamasBarbadosBelizeBotswanaBruneiCameroonCanada,Andthefollowingcountries.,DominicaEthiopiaFijiGambiaGhanaGrenadaGuyanaIndiaIrelandIsraelJamaica,Andthefollowingcountries.,KenyaKiribatiLesothoLiberiaMalawiMaltaMarshallIslandsMauritiusMicronesiaNamibiaNauruNewZealand,Andthefollowingcountries.,NigeriaPakistanPalauPanamaPapuaNewGuineaPhilippinesRwandaSaintKittsandNevisSaintLuciaSaintVincentandtheGrenadinesSamoa,Andthefollowingcountries.,SeychellesSierraLeoneSingaporeSolomonIslandsSouthAfricaSwazilandTanzaniaTongaTrinidadandTobagoTuvalu,Andthefollowingcountries.,UgandaUnitedKingdomUnitedStatesVanuatuZambiaZimbabwe,OriginsoftheEnglishLanguage,AllthetraditionallanguagesspokeninwesternEuropeultimatelyderivefromacommonIndo-Europeanorigin.Overthemillennia,ithassplitintoavarietyoflanguages,eachwithitsownpeculiaritiesinsounds,grammar,andvocabulary.,TwoEuropeanLanguageFamilies:,1)Romance(alsocalledLatinate):basedontheancientlanguageofLatin(French,Spanish,Italian).2)Germanic:basedonancientGermanlanguages(Dutch,Norwegian,Danish,Swedish,GermanandOldEnglish).,ThehistoryoftheEnglishlanguageisdividedintothreeperiodsusuallycalledOldEnglish(orAnglo-Saxon)5th-11thcenturyMiddleEnglish11th-15thcenturyModernEnglish15th-presentcentury,OldEnglish:Anglo-SaxonRunes.,TheearliestperiodbeginswiththemigrationofcertainGermanictribesfromthecontinenttoBritaininthefifthcenturyA.D.Angles,Saxons,andtheJutes.,Middle-English:GeoffreyChaucer,authorof“TheCanterburyTales”.,TheperiodofMiddleEnglishextendsroughlyfromthetwelfthcenturythroughthefifteenth.,BythattimeLatin,OldNorse(thelanguageoftheVikinginvaders),andespeciallytheAnglo-NormanFrenchofthedominantclassaftertheNormanConquestin1066hadbeguntohaveasubstantialimpact.,ModernEnglish:FromShakespearetoJ.K.Rowling.,TheperiodofModernEnglishextendsfromthesixteenthcenturytoourownday.TheearlypartofthisperiodsawthecompletionofarevolutioninthephonologyofEnglish.,Later,asEnglishcameintocontactwithotherculturesaroundtheworldanddistinctivedialectsofEnglishdevelopedinmanyareaswhichBritainhadcolonized,numerousotherlanguagesmadesmallbutinterestingcontributionstoourlanguage.Thefollowingarejustsomeexamples:,NativeAmericans.,EnglishwordsborrowedfromNativeAmericanlanguages:,Abalone鲍鱼Caribou驯鹿Chipmunk花栗鼠Moose驼鹿Pecan山核桃Raccoon浣熊Skunk臭鼬Squash壁球Toboggan平底雪橇Totem图腾,TheCaribbeanslavetrade,WordsbroughtfromCaribbeanslavetrade:,Barbecue烧烤Canoe独木舟Cassava木薯Guava番石榴Hammock吊床Hurricane飓风Iguana鬣蜥Papaya番木瓜PotatoTobacco,MexicanNatives(Aztecs).,WordsbroughtfromMexicanNatives:,Avocado鳄梨Chili池莉Chocolate巧克力Cigar雪茄Coyote凯奥特Shark鲨鱼Tomato,ThemainregionalstandardsofEnglishareBritish,USandCanadian,AustralianandNewZealand,SouthAfrican,India,andWestIndia.Withineachoftheseregionalvarietiesanumberofhighlydifferentiatedlocaldialectsmaybefound.,Accentsarecluestowherepeoplewerebornandwheretheygrewup.Althoughsomepeoplemaychangethewaytheyspeakduringtheirlifetimes,mostpeoplecarryatleastsometraceoftheiraccentanddialectoriginsthroughouttheirlives:,ThesizeoftheBritishIslesoftenleadspeopletoassumethatthelanguagespokeninitscountriesofEngland,Scotland,WalesandIrelandissomewhatstandardized.,Visitorsareoftensurprisedtofindthattheyhavedifficultyinunderstandingtheaccentsanddialectsofcertainregi