Do you know the varieties of English?

Hometask 14-16

Do you know the varieties of English?

English is the most widely-spoken language in the world, having the distinct status of being the official language of multiple countries. While the English language is uniform with major variations in spelling present between American English and British English, the dialect or accent is usually the factor that enables one to distinguish the various types of English out there. Like most languages, there are varieties of English too. However, the difference is not as prominent as you may see in other languages. From the thick Ugandan English to the French-themed Canadian English, the varieties of accents present are both diverse and beautiful. Apart from accents, there is a tendency for people to mix English with their local lingo to form a hybrid variety of English language that is as colorful as the culture in that country.

1.British English is the English language as spoken and written in the United Kingdom or, more broadly, throughout the British Isles. Slight regional variations exist in formal, written English in the United Kingdom.

2.American English sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States and widely adopted in Canada. English is the most widely spoken language in the United States and is the common language used by the federal government, considered the de facto language of the country because of its widespread use. English has been given official status by 32 of the 50 state governments.

3. Australian English is a major variety of the English language, used throughout Australia. Although English has no official status in the constitution, Australian English is the country’s national and de facto official language as it is the first language of the majority of the population.

4. Canadian English is the set of varieties of English native to Canada. According to the 2011 census, English was the first language of approximately 19 million Canadians the remainder of the population were native speakers of Canadian French or other languages .

5. Indian English.English public instruction began in India in the 1830s during the rule of the East India Company (India was then, and is today, one of the most linguistically diverse regions of the world). In 1835, English replaced Persian as the official language of the Company. Lord Macaulay played a major role in introducing English and western concepts to education in India. He supported the replacement of Persian by English as the official language, the use of English as the medium of instruction in all schools, and the training of English-speaking Indians as teachers.

6. Philippine English is any variety of English (similar and related to American English) native to the Philippines, including those used by the media and the vast majority of educated Filipinos. English is taught in schools as one of the two official languages of the country, the other being Filipino.

7. Ugandan English, or Uglish (pronounced you-glish), is the dialect of English spoken in Uganda. As with similar dialects spoken elsewhere, Ugandan English has developed a strong local flavor. The speech patterns of Ugandan languages strongly influence spoken English. Uganda has a large variety of indigenous languages, and someone familiar with Uganda can readily identify the native language of a person speaking English. Ugandan speakers will alter foreign words to make them sound more euphonic.