Discussion about Varieties of Modern English

付 星 （西安財經學院公共外語教學部 陜西西安 710100）

1.Introduction

The twentieth century has seen the establishment of English as a world language， and the influence of English as an international language has extended to most other parts of the world.In relation to this unavoidable tendency， however， the spread of English and its appropriation by the ex-colonies and by the ‘expanding circle’， have given rise to claims and counter-claims with regard to the legitimacy of non-native varieties.

2.The Global Spread of English

In order to discuss the development of English in the modern world， it is necessary to label or model international varieties of English in certain ways.The now well-established Braj Kachru’s ‘concentric circles’ model outlines the different roles English plays in different countries and how English has spread in these different areas.At the centre， including British Isles， US and Canada， Australia and New Zealand， largely through migration of English speakers，English is the first or core language of all public discourse.Exemplified in India and South Africa where English was first transported in colonial contexts， the Outer Circle is composed of countries in which English has had a long history of institutionalized functions and is particularly important in the areas of education and political administration.Finally， within the Expanding Circle， English is utilized as the most important foreign language for international communication and for specific purposes as in the reading of scientific and technical materials (as seen in Germany and Japan)(Davies， 2005).

3.Standard and Varieties

3.1 What is ‘Standard English’?

The development of Standard English remains one of the more intriguing， difficult， and yet to be satisfactorily resolved questions in the history of English.Standard English， like other ‘standard’ languages， has always been extremely difficult to delimit.According to Tom McArthur， the editor of The Oxford Companion to the English Language， Standard English is ‘A widely used term that resists easy definition but is used as if most educated people nonetheless know precisely what it refers to’ (1992: 982).

3.2 The Emergency of Non-native Varieties

Due to the inevitable consequence of global forces，English has emerged as an international language to allow worldwide communication.It has been observed that English is currently used by many more non-native than native speakers.It is estimated that native speakers now comprise only ‘a fifth or less’ of the world’s English users.Over the past few decades， there are many other varieties which have been studied by linguists.A close look at the terms ‘variety’ and ‘variation’reveals certain negative connotations.People tend to associate these terms with unreliability， lower standards or compromising the accepted norm - human nature tends to favor conformity to standards.Kachru(1992) used the phrase ‘non-native institutionalized variety’ for English that is rarely the native language of speakers， but is acquired locally as a second language through educational institutions.Seen from a global perspective， English language instruction has primarily been based on native-speaker norms， whereas there are a large number of settings where ‘non-native varieties’ are used.This is particularly true in the varieties that are used alongside other languages in countries previously colonized by Great Britain， such as Malaysia， Kenya， Singapore， Nigeria， and India.

4.Attitudes towards Non-native Varieties of English

The question of acceptability and recognition of non-native varieties of English has always constituted a point of major debate between the native and non-native speakers of English.This controversial issue becomes more complex when attention is based on universal intelligibility.For those native-speakers who believe that non-native varieties of English are completely a different and unintelligible thing， means they think the varieties as deficient and not even different.Attitudes can go on extreme if someone insists on that the English language should remain a monolith.Opinions within the newer varieties countries actually vary by means of an identification issue， when exploring quotations of Singlish from an official and personal view: the reasons for are Singlish as part of the heritage， can reflect the richness of a culture and the development as a nation; why are against lies in economics consideration，a link of national pride to Standard English， and a disadvantage of misunderstanding in the world， etc..Attitudinal research indicates that in at least two of the most discussed countries， India and Singapore，50% or more of college-educated English users believe that at least some local innovations should be the local norms for English teaching and use.

5.Conclusion

This paper has argued the appeal for a single standard variety of English to be used throughout the international community.Admitting the phenomenon of English variation is normal and universal in modern times， it suggests an acceptance of non-native varieties to enable groups of people to express their regional or cultural identity.Given that English has become the language for both intranational and international communication， the development of English as an international or global language should be highly concerned.

[1] Davies， D.(2005) Varieties of Modern English.Harlow: England; New York: Pearson Longman.

[2] Kachru， B.B.(1992) World Englishes: Approaches， issues and resources， Language Teaching， 25， 1-14.

[3] McArthur， T.(ed.) (1992) The Oxford Companion of the English Language.Oxford: Oxford University Press.