Post # 12

            Chapter five in the textbook by McKay discusses the linguistic diversity in the use of present-day English and the development of world Englishes. McKay also argues that language contact leads to linguistic variation, and that this variation can be related to issues of power. Macroacquisition, a term defined by Brutt-Griffler, is the process of language acquisition by speech communities in their own local context (124). This is one of the reasons why the use of English is growing so much, creating more varieties and hybrids of English. The textbook describes all the different varieties of Nigerian English, which all contain different characteristics. I never knew how many varieties of one type of English there were! The author then describes the different features of variation such as the variation in the different parts of grammar (nouns, verbs, etc.) and differences in the pronunciation of words. I enjoyed reading all of the differences in the features of the variations of English. I liked the examples that the textbook gave as well. But many of the examples, I don’t think I would understand what was trying to be said if someone were to speak to me using those variations. An example that stuck out to me was under the heading of the differences in discourse style. Apparently, in West African English, the expression “wonderful” can “express the speaker’s amazement, whether the event is good or bad” (135). The example that is given is: “He died yesterday morning,” and the other person’s reaction is: “Wonderful!” It’s so strange for me to think that this type of variation in the English language has occurred since we as native English speakers only use this expression as a reaction to good things. I would be so confused if someone were to respond with “wonderful” after I had just told them something bad.

            The other main idea that is discussed in this chapter is the idea of a standard language, which is defined as the variety of a certain language that is considered the norm. This variety of the standard language is used for many purposes since it is seen as the ideal. It is used for education, to measure other varieties compared to this norm, and there are also language standards for the standard language. These language standards are language rules of that standard that are taught in schools. Since the idea of having a Standard English is so controversial, what I found most interesting about this section was the idea that the term Standard English refers to grammar and vocabulary but not pronunciation. When I first think of a standard form of English, I always first think of pronunciation, but until now I never knew that pronunciation was not part of that standard variety, even though I believe it should be since pronunciation is a large part of knowing how to speak a language. In the article by Lippie-Green, the author argues how “standard language need not be understood as any specific language, but as an idea in the mind rather than a reality - a set of abstract norms to which· actual usage may conform to a greater or lesser extent" (41). What I understand from what she is saying is that there will never be a standard variety of English and that it is an idea.