The English Language and Its

Varieties
 Notes and explanations
• English belongs to the family of
Germanic languages.
• Other major language families in Europe:
Slavonic and Romance languages.
• variety – kind, type (Polish: odmiania)
• Abbreviations:
– BrE – British English
– AmE – American English
 Two important aspects of English
• Important language – an official language in
many countries on all continents with large
number of „native speakers”.
• Important language in international
communication – modern lingua franca. Also
called international English.
 Countires with English as a first language

• USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, South

Africa, New Zealand.
• English is spoken on all continents.
• It is natural that there should be differences
between kinds of English spoken in different
parts of the world.
 How do we call the differences within a language?

• They are called varieties or dialects.

• In Polish we also have a number of dialects
and local accents (Silesian dialect, Kaszubski
etc.)
 Most famous varieties
• British English
• American English
• Australian English
• There are differences in vocabulary (words),
pronunciation (way of speaking) and grammar.
 Common language?
• George Bernard Shaw: “two countries divided
by a common language“.
• Oscar Wilde: “We have really everything in
common with America nowadays, except, of
course, the language“.
 Dialects of English
• Dialect a regional variation
• In British English:
• Received Pronunciation (Queen’s English, BBC
English – only about 2% of the population are
speakers),
• Estuary English (London area),
• Liverpool and Manchester,
• Scottish English.
• In American English: difference between the
Northern accent and Southern accent (Boston vs.
Huston).
 English in India
• About 4% of the Indian population use
English regularly
• That is around 30 million people!
 Language or dialect?
• AmE is not a separate language.
• There are many differences between BrE and
AmE but they are not enough to call the two
varieties of English separate languages.
• Usually a person from America has no
problems with communicating with a person
from Britain.
 English in Northern America
• 1607 – the first group of colonists from Britain
settle in Northern America.
• The first group had 120 people.
• The pace where they settled was called
Virginia
• 1620 the Mayflower voyage – the Puritans
from England establish their settlements
around the modern area of Boston.
 US History: early settlement
• The first permanent
English colony in
America at Jamestown,
Virginia, in 1607
• In 1620 a ship named
Mayflower brings 102
Englishmen. They call
themselves “Pilgrim
Fathers”. They settle in
Massachusetts. They are
puritans.
• In October 1621 they
celebrate good harvest:
Thanksgiving.
 War of Independence: or Revolutionary War 1775-83

• 1773 - Boston Tea Party,

American patriots dressed as
Indians throw tea to the sea.
• 1775 – the war begins.
• 1776 – Declaration of
Independence
• 1783 – USA is recognized by
Britain. They sign a peace
treaty in Paris.
• 1787 – the American
Constitution.
 Differences between British and
American varieties of English
• distance and separation
• influences of local, native culture (Indians).
• influences of the immigrants.
• specific local conditions (plants and animals)
Football vs. soccer
 Pronunciation differences 1

• box
• stop
• spot
• God
• top
• a lot
• shot
 Pronunciation 2
• city
• better
• new
• sue
 Pronunciation: r
• car
• star
• hard
 Spelling
• Americans simplified some of the spelling
conventions of English.
 Spelling – or / our
BrE AmE

honour honor
colour color
labour labor
behaviour behavior
neighbour neighbor
odour odor
 spelling – ise / ize
BrE AmE
organise organize
analyse analyze
criticise criticize
paralyse paralyze
idealyse idealyze
 -station / -zation
BrE AmE
organisation organization
civilisation civilization
generalisation generalization
 -re / -er
BrE AmE
theatre theater
centre center
calibre caliber
metre meter
fibre fiber
litre liter
 double consonant
BrE AmE
traveller traveler
kidnapper kidnaper
wollen wolen
councillor councilor
 -ce / -se
BrE AmE
defence defense
licence license
offence offense
practice practise
 Some other differences in spelling
BrE AmE
cheque check
cosy cozy
disc disk
programme program
tyre tire
whisky whiskey
 Vocabulary
BrE AmE
flat apartment
dustbin trash / garbabe can
luggage baggage
bank note bill
bill (in a restaurant) check
coach bus
shop assistant clerk
 vocabulary 2
BrE AmE
lift elevator
autumn fall
chips French fries
petrol gasoline / gas
off-licence shop liquor store
post mail (post)
film movie
 vocabulary 3
BrE AmE
cinema movie theater
toilet (public convenience) restroom
time-table schedule
sidewalk pavement
motorway highway
lorry truck
holidays vacation
 some other differences
BrE AmE
in top gear in high gear
football soccer
American football football
ground floor first floor
BrE AmE
BrE AmE