RHETORICAL AND COMMUNICATIVE STYLES IN THE NEW VARIETIES OF ENGLISH

Abstract

New varieties of English have developed in various parts of the world in recent years in countries where English functions as a second. rather than a foreign language. The processes by which distinctive varieties of English develop in such settings are described. The functional and linguistic characteristics of the processes of nativization and indigenization are discussed with reference to several nativized varieties of English. A distinction is made between two contrasting norms for speech events in these varieties of English, rhetorical and communicative norms Rhetorical norms are repertoires of English used for speech events which have the functional status of Public, Formal, High. Distant, Impersonal, etc., Communicative norms are speech repertoires used for speech events which have the contrasting functional status of Private, Informal, Low, Intimate etc., Five different linguistic processes commonly used to mark a shift from rhetorical to communicative norm in several new varieties of English are discussed in terms of the employment of variable linguistic rules. Acquisition of rhetorical norms is related to socialization. Implications are discussed for language teaching and for creative literary writing in, English.