2 M1 - ESW - English varieties

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 2

2 M - ESW - English varieties

How many English varieties are there?

1. Between 50 and 200
2. Less than 300
3. Over 300
4. Around 500

How did English become a global language?

Accent or dialect?

Watch the video on the slide to learn more about the differences of an accent and a dialect.

Explain in your own words what an accent is and where it occurs.

Explain in your own words what a dialect is and where it occurs.

Explain in your own words: what is the difference between an accent and a dialect?

Assignment: can you guess the accent or dialect?

- Listen to the clips

- Can you guess the accent?

Which accent/dialect did you hear?

Which accent/dialect did you hear?

Which accent/dialect did you hear?

Which accent/dialect did you hear?

Which accent did you hear?

In welk land wordt deze taal gesproken?

Patois

1. India
2. Brazilië
3. Rwanda
4. Jamaica

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgRAc7_Msp4&t=166s

Historical background Jamaica:

• First inhabitants: Taino people (from South-America) – left very few words in the language
• Spanish colonizations – wiped out Taino people but didn’t find Jamaica interesting enough to make a mark on the language
• 1655-1962 – British colonization – English language became main way of communication
• British brought in West-African slaves who also influenced the language (accent + Patois)
• British also brought in Irish – also influenced the language (placenames + surnames)
• American English – had a minor influence

Features of the Jamaican dialect:

• -er and -ar ending words are changed to an -a at the end of the word = dropping of the r at the end of unstressed syllables and before a consonant 
   
• sister – sista
  
• molecular – molecula
  
• water – wata
  

Features of the Jamaican dialect:

• Th changes to a d-sound, except when at the end of a word, then it is dropped completely
    
   
• father – fada
• the – di
• south – sout
• month – mont

Features of the Jamaican dialect:

• -ing endings are changed to -in. (no tongue hitting the roof of your mouth)
   
• reading – readin
• anything – anytin

Features of the Jamaican dialect:

• tt is pronounced like British English, with a t-sound  (unvoiced) - instead of the American d-sound (voiceless)  
   
• butter – butta

Historical background

• English was introduced to India during British colonial rule, which began in the 17th century and lasted until 1947. 
• In 1835, Lord Macaulay's Minute on Education advocated for English as the medium of instruction in Indian education. 
• English became the language of administration, law, and governance.
• The 19th and early 20th centuries saw a significant cultural exchange. Indian writers began producing literature in English.
• After India gained independence in 1947, English retained its importance. The Indian Constitution recognized it as an associate official language alongside Hindi, ensuring its continued use in governance, education, and business.

Features of the Indian dialect:

Pronunciation of Certain Consonants:

/v/ and /w/: in Indian English the letter /v/ and /w/ are often pronounced similarly. 

• Standard English: "I want to visit the wine shop."
• Indian English: "I vant to visit the vine shop."

Features of the Indian dialect:

Pronunciation of Certain Consonants:

 /t/ and /d/ are often pronounced with the tongue curled back like in many Indian languages.

Features of the Indian dialect:

Pronunciation of Certain Consonants:

/v/ and /w/: in Indian English the letter /v/ and /w/ are often pronounced similarly. 

• Standard English: "I want to visit the wine shop."
• Indian English: "I vant to visit the vine shop."

Grammatical features of the Indian dialect:

Use of Present Continuous Tense:

In standard English the present simple is used for facts and habits, the Indian prefer the continuous. 

Standard English: "I go to the gym every day."

Indian English: "I am going to the gym every day."

Features of the Indian dialect:

Reduplication for Emphasis:

Standard English: "Do it properly."

Indian English: "Do it properly-properly."

(Reduplication is when a word or part of a word is repeated to make a new word or to change its meaning. It's like saying something twice or almost twice, often to add emphasis, change the form of the word, or make it more expressive)

Features of the Indian dialect:

Cultural References

Aunty/Uncle (to address elders):

Standard English: "Excuse me, ma'am."

Indian English: "Excuse me, aunty."

Jamaican

Indian

British

Australian

American

/t/ /d/ are pronounced the same

wa gwaan for hello

er and -ar ending words are changed to an -a 

/th/ sound changes into /d/ sound

'r' at the end of words is often not pronounced

The 't' sound between vowels is often pronounced as a soft 'd'

day and mate sound like dai and mite

color

/v/ and /w/ are often pronouned the same

barbie for barbecue

colour

Are there any varieties of English you'd like to know more about?

Quiz

Watch the video on the next slide and try to guess each dialect/accent

How many did you get right?

5 points or less

6-10 points

11-15

15 points or more