Standard British English Research Articles

Present simple forms in the written work of Bangladeshi EFL learners

This paper presents an investigation on plausible causes of similarities and differences of present simple tense features in the written work of Bangladeshi EFL learners. It endeavours to compare between British Standard English (BSE) present simple tense features found in different standard sources and the same used by the Bangladeshi EFL learners. In doing so, content analysis is employed on written compositions of a specific topic and these are collected from 30 postgraduate advance level Bangladeshi EFL learners with a special focus on the use of present simple form. Atlas.ti software is used to analyse the collected data. It is found that the features of present simple tense are the mostly used form and also a complex part of the learner’s written work. The study has found that one of the major causes of similarities and dissimilarities between the two standards are the cross-linguistic influence (CLI). This influence may be a ‘positive transfer’ that refers to the facilitating effects of one language in acquiring another; or a ‘negative transfer’ i.e. the divergences due to some differences between the target language and the native one of the learners (Odlin, 2013). For the similar features between the Bangladeshi native language, Bengali (L1) and English present tense, the learners can easily adopt the features; contrarily, they make occasional mistakes in writing or do not use in the cases of dissimilar features. Thus, based on current CLI and second language acquisition (SLA) theories, the study has hopefully contributed to the theoretical development of cross-linguistic study in written English in Bangladesh.

The High Rising Terminal in the Intonation System of the Modern English Language

Introduction. The article examines changes taking place in the intonation systems of modern varieties of the English language by analysing the use of the High Rising Terminal (HRT). Received pronunciation (RP), which is recognised as standard pronunciation in the United Kingdom, Australian English accents and Northern Irish English accents (accents of Belfast) have been chosen as the subject for this study. Intonation contours containing the HRT are compared in order to reveal any similar features regarding their realisation and functions. The results of this comparative analysis will show to what extent other varieties of English may be attributed to the changes in the intonation system of the modern RP. The present study is unique in that the material for the comparative analysis of the functions of the HRT includes recordings of spontaneous speech of the speakers of modern English accents. This study is relevant due to the growing interest in the modern changes in the intonation systems of different modern English dialects. The results of the comparative analysis show whether these changes can be considered universal across different English dialects.Methodology and sources. The material for the present study includes audio samples of spontaneous speech represented by dialogues between native speakers of Standard British English, Australian English and Belfast English. The samples containing the HRT have been acoustically analysed. The lexical and communicative context of the samples have been evaluated in order to determine the functions of the phonetic contour.Results and discussion. One of the main findings of this study is a new function of the HRT in RP that has not been found in the classical descriptions of the accent. The acoustic analysis of the realisations of the HRT has also revealed a number of similar features between the modern accents of English analysed in this study.Conclusion. Many changes taking place in modern varieties of English have been caused by globalisation. Even though RP accent is considered to be the standard accent of British English, it is also subject to change.

Language and identity in the Windrush generation

AbstractThis paper examines how the Windrush generation uses phonological and morphosyntactic elements of Jamaican Creole (JamC), London Jamaican (LonJam) and standard British English (SBE) to do identity work in interviews broadcast as part of a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush. The data comprise oral history interviews with four members of the Windrush generation. The recordings were analysed using the method of lectal focussing in interaction. Results show variation across the four speakers, with some speakers using very few LonJam and SBE features, while others’ speech contains almost exclusively standard British variants. The use of JamC features clustered around topics such as home and family reunification, whereas LonJam features were especially present when interviewees talked about their youth. The study broadens the scope of world Englishes studies by including diasporic and elderly speakers and has important implications for the study of language and identity.

Role of Word Formation in the Development of Lexicon of Pakistani English

Pakistani English is a non-native variety of English that emerged by the amalgam of British Standard English and native languages of Pakistan. It is one of the varieties of World Englishes that is globally recognized. It has its own morphology, phonology, semantics, and pragmatics. It includes vocabulary and linguistic elements of local Languages with cultural norms, values, and tradition of Pakistani society. This paper explores the role of word formation in the development of the lexicon of Pakistani English. It provides insights into the processes such as compounding, affixation, loan translation, hybridization, and conversion by which words emerge and integrate into the lexicon of Pakistani English. It also investigates sociolinguistics factors such as culture, register of Islam and impact of local languages that contribute to the development of the unique variety of Pakistani English.

Some Pronunciation-Induced Spelling Errors in Cameroon English

This paper focuses on the spelling mistakes that are idiosyncratically imposed by phonological variation in Cameroon English (henceforth CamE). The paper seeks to establish that, apart from graphology, there is a pronunciation spelling phenomenon where variation in CamE pronunciation conditions writers of English in Cameroon to spell a good number of words differently from what is obtained in Standard British English (Henceforth SBE) and Standard American English (Henceforth SAE). Data for the paper were collected through observation and two spelling tests, a diction spelling test and a multiple-choice spelling test, from sixty junior secondary school students (thirty male and thirty female from age 9 to 17) in GBHS Atiela – Bamenda. The students were from four different forms; Forms 1, 2, 3, 4 and they were chosen because they had not memorised several spellings like students of the upper classes. The school was chosen because it is in the metropolis and has students from diverse backgrounds. The data were analysed qualitatively using Generative Phonology as the theory. The findings reveal that CamE speakers of the secondary level, teachers and students, deviate from native English spelling (SBE and SAE) norms, unconsciously, through phonological processes as substitution, devoicing, analogy, epenthesis, metathesis and CamE-styled homophony. I recommend that a standard variety of pronunciation be adopted and that emphasis be laid on teaching pronunciation in order to curb spelling mistakes since the former is a major generator of the latter and / or a dictionary of CamE should adopt general acceptable spellings that related to Cameroon-derived names and other lexical items denoting cultural uniqueness.

DECOLONIZING ANGLOPHONE EAP INFLUENCE IN THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION CONTEXT

It is widely known that English teaching practices are largely rooted in colonialism and linguistic imperialism – the belief in the superiority of the Western teaching methods and linguistic norms established in such countries as the UK and the US. The current trend to decolonize English teaching has been gaining momentum for over three decades but has not entirely penetrated into the mainstream teaching of English, with English for Academic Purposes not being an exception. Relatively little focus has been placed in the research onto non-English speaking contexts with the purpose of analysing the current state of EAP provision at universities and gauging the influence of the native-speakerist academic English norms on EAP students’ writing. In the case of the EU context, it may be particularly pertinent to investigate the potential influence that Brexit might have had in terms of rejecting the imposition of the Standard British English norms and associated teaching approaches. This paper is meant to be a reflection with an attempt to stimulate the discussion of EAP teaching practices and academic discourses in the EU higher education in the post-Brexit era. It will consider the issues in the EAP provision in the EU with the example of Portuguese HE and will reflect on the native-speakerist tendencies within the academia and ways to tackle the dominance of the Anglophone norms. This paper hopes to contribute to the argument in favor of the decolonization of EAP teaching practices in non-English speaking contexts, as decolonization can help foster a more equitable and inclusive world.

Unveiling Pakistani English: A Linguistic and Cultural Odyssey of Features, Evolution, and Distinctiveness

Pakistani English, recognized as a unique non-native, emerging, and indigenous variety of English, has evolved into an independent norm-dependent, and institutionalized language form. Diverging from Standard British English, it exhibits distinctive features in morphology, syntax, lexis, grammar, and phonology, shaped by socio-cultural, religious, and regional influences, contributing to its singular linguistic and cultural identity. Utilized across various domains, including education, commerce, and science and technology, Pakistani English plays a pivotal role within the Pakistani context. This comprehensive study sheds light on Pakistani English, encompassing its historical development, and conducting an in-depth exploration of its linguistic characteristics, namely lexical, morphological, syntactic, and phonological features. Additionally, it meticulously delineates the distinctions between Pakistani English and Standard British English. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative analysis of linguistic data with ethnographic insights, providing a holistic understanding of Pakistani English's intricate interplay between language and culture. The study underscores the significance of these findings in advancing the fields of linguistic and cultural studies, offering valuable insights into the complex dynamics of language evolution and its profound impact on cultural identity and communication in the contemporary world.

L1 influence on stress placement by English language teachers in Anambra State (Nigeria)

Despite the availability of a number of studies on stress in Nigerian English, scant attention has been paid to patterns of stress placement in connected speech by Anambra State English language teachers, especially insights that are supported with acoustic evidence. Bearing in mind this gap as well as their training in the language and its expected standardising role, this study describes the patterns that characterise stress assignment to words in the context of connected speech by Anambra State English language teachers, while tracking possible L1 influence. A short passage which was read by 50 Anambra State teachers and audio-recorded, in addition to naturally occurring classroom speech, constitute the data. The analysis, which was done perceptually and acoustically, shows that when placed against the constitutionally mandated patterns of Standard British English (SBE), the teachers have variable and unstable stress placement patterns on words in connected speech. They produced stressed syllables with higher F0, intensity and duration than SBE. Out of the 50 participants, only 21% had patterns that are close to SBE, while L1 influence was evident in 79% of the participants. This evidence does not support the continuous exonormative role of SBE for Nigerian English.

World Englishes in English Language Teaching Textbook of Public Primary Schools

There is a dearth of research on English textbook analysis with respect to World Englishes in Punjab, Pakistan. The current study aimed to identify the nouns used in English textbooks at primary level with a major focus on Pakistani English (PakE). The data for this qualitative research was collected from English Textbook of Grade 5, published by PCTB (Punjab Curriculum Textbook Board). The current study employed Kachru’s three concentric circle model comprising of inner, outer, and expanding circles to analyse the data. The findings depicted that most of the vocabulary used in this textbook was derived from South Asian Englishes (SAmE) and common Standard British English (SBrE), which are norm-providing countries. The authors obtained lexemes from these standardised varieties of English. However, the presence of PakE variety equals the use of SAmE which apparently shows that Pakistanis are creating their own vocabulary which they are unaware of. The current study would help the authors of English textbooks and policy-makers to determine which variety of English they should focus on, with the aim of using it consistently.

The production of English monophthong vowels by Saudi L2 speakers

Abstract This study aims to describe the production of English monophthongs by nonnative Saudi speakers. It acoustically examined the production of English monophthongal vowels by Saudi second language (L2) speakers. Sixteen L2 participants produced twelve English monophthongs in carrier words. Comparable data were obtained in native Saudi Arabic and native Southern Standard British English to aid interpreting the L2 results. Formant frequencies and durations were measured for all vowels. Similar to Saudi Arabic, the English vowels produced by the Saudi L2 speakers occupied a smaller vowel space than the vowels produced by the native English speakers. There was overlap between many of the English vowel categories produced by the L2 speakers. However, the L2 speakers were found to employ similar durational characteristics to those employed by the native English speakers. L1 influence seems to play a major role in the L2 learners’ production of English vowels. The limited vowel space of the L2 speakers’ L1 appears to have limited their ability to produce the more acoustically peripheral English vowels.

Coursebook Writers’ Orientations towards ELF: The Case of Coursebooks used in a Private University

Coursebooks used in English language teaching play a significant roles for language learners. One way of determining whether the current status of English in language teaching, that is, English as a lingua franca (ELF), is taken into account in the globalized world is through coursebook analysis. The purpose of this study is to determine how listening, speaking and video sections of two intermediate level coursebooks used in a preparatory program of a private university in Turkey are approached in respect of ELF principles in the teaching of English. This descriptive research, based on a qualitative and quantitative content analysis, was conducted using Rose and Galloway’s (2019) framework for coursebook analysis. The findings demonstrate that in one of the coursebooks, ELF interaction was higher than the other regarding listening recordings, and there was only one video representing an ELF interaction in both of the coursebooks. RP (Standard British English) was the core reference in the listening files and videos. Cross-cultural and global topics were chiefly included in the speaking tasks; however, there was a lack of multi-cultural topics addressed within the books. Speaking activities included mainly the strategy of turn-taking and only two clarification communicative strategies, but guided speaking tasks were in contradiction with ELF features. The findings offer practical implications for coursebook designers/writers, curriculum designers and language teachers.

An Analysis of Lexico-Semantic Variations in Pakistani English Newspaper Corpus

The present study focuses on the corpus-based lexico-semantic analysis of Pakistani English to identify the variations in the language of newspapers. It also investigates how Pakistani English newspapers consider their readers' cultural and social ideals for intelligible contact while selecting language posts. As a result, they often deviate from the native norms of the language adopting many indigenous linguistic features and emerging new varieties of New English to define their tasks easier in order not only to facilitate but to attract people’s attention. Therefore, Moag’s model on New Englishes, Boas’s theory of cultural relativism, and Kachru’s Theory of Nativisation and Acculturation with the conception of the Outer Circle (1986) mainly connected to institutionalize Second Varieties of English have been used for the theoretical analysis within Pakistani context dependent socio-cultural scenario. The usage of these lexical items shows that Pakistani English is derived from the source, namely, Standard British English, for example, shadi hall, Jihadi outfits, etc. These lexical item categories followed in coinage, borrowing, idiomatic collocations, and semantic shift. This study also attempts to create lexicographical entries to represent the diverse Pakistani English and become available to society's educational and global communication. The study purposively compiled the 2 million corpora from the websites of two major Pakistani English Newspapers, The Nation and The News, and then analyzed it by using corpus software tools Antconc 3.5.8w to search for the key terms and to identify these elements of the stance. The study's finding highlights the New English variety of Pakistani English Newspapers and the adapted lexemes used in the local sociolinguistics context. One of the study's most significant findings shows that the New Englishes lexemes are infused with Islamic, historical, and social culture, highlighting the diverse local colours adapted to the Pakistani setting. The New Englishes in Pakistan comprises the amalgamation of Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, and English lexemes. The study also broadens the horizon of society's educational and communicational usage while maintaining the endonormative standard.

A Contrastive Analysis of Cameroonian Pidgin English and Standard British English

The marriage between Cameroonian Pidgin English and Standard British English is bound by History. This corpus study applies the Sequential Explanatory Design to explore Cameroonian Pidgin English and Standard British English, with the quantitative data and results providing a general picture of the research problem while the qualitative data refines and elaborates on the general picture. The analysis is based on lexical, morphological, syntactic, declarative, imperative, and interrogative features of Cameroonian Pidgin English (CPE), with reference to Standard British English (SBE). The lexicon of CPE is a criteria-free open register of words with local, native, and foreign affinities. The morphology is characterized by Possessive adjectives usually placed in front of the noun they qualify; possessive nouns take yi, ma, ya, we, dia, and wuna, with dem as the main indicator of plurality, while pronunciation is mostly a representation of the sound closest to the speaker’s first or native language. The arrangement of words to show connections of meaning within the sentence is similar for CPE and SBE, except that CPE is wordier. The origin of CPE is linked to the history of the nation and cultural spillovers. Born of an illiterate culture, and purposefully for communication; prone to rapid growth, very easy to learn because it is acquired through immersion. Its lexicon, morphology, and syntax borrow a lot from the ‘rule book’ of SBE. Linguistic structures should be created for the development and standardization of CPE, and they should be among the main languages on all radio and television media in Cameroon. Meanwhile, Pedagogues, Educators, and policymakers should facilitate introducing CPE into the curriculum.

The Syntactic Variations in Verb Phrase – Double Modals in Pakistani English (PakE) and Malaysian English (MyE): A Comparative and Corpus-Based Study

This study aims to detect the variations and compare the use of Verb Phrase – Double Modals in PakE and MyE. For this study, two recently released corpora – GlowbE-PK and GlowbE-MY were utilized. Twenty Verb phrases with double Modals in PakE and MyE were selected from thousands of concordance lines and a large amount of text. This study utilized mixed method research and also kept in view the Sociolinguistic Variation and World Englishes conventions of research by utilizing corpora.The Frequency of each token (phrase), and then the accumulative and average frequencies of both Englishes were given separately. A comparative analysis of both varieties of English was done. It was an interesting fact to know that MyE displays comparatively more use of VP-Double Modals than PakE. The frequency of VP - Double Modals in MyE is 1.88, which is 0.41 more than the frequency of VP – Double Modals in PakE.The results and discussion indicated a noticeable variation in the use of VP with Double Modals of PakE and MyE from Standard British English (BrE). This research also indicates a linguistic pattern in the different dialects of English. The PakE and MyE have different phases of development, and contact languages with English in both varieties are also different. However, they both display the use of Double Modals.

Beyond the descriptive-prescriptive cline: Encoding language ideology in in Hobson-Jobson, a Victorian dictionary of Indian English.

This paper considers the presence of language ideology in dictionaries through both prescriptive bias and descriptive procedures. To that purpose, it examines the example provided by Hobson-Jobson, a dictionary of Indian English first published in England in 1886, and it investigates how this work encodes imperialistic language ideology. Two major tenets of Victorian language ideology are considered in particular – standard British English superiority and the global status of English – and shown to be overtly or covertly reflected in both the paratexts (title, preface, introductory remarks) and lexicographic text (word list, definitions and translated illustrative quotations). Ideological stance is thus identified in both prescriptive and descriptive procedures, and Hobson-Jobson is thus shown to be a good example of how the ideological bias in dictionaries extends beyond the descriptive-prescriptive cline.

"THE PRONUNCIATION OF DIPHTHONGS BY IRAQI LEARNERS OF ENGLISH "

This study examines the phonetic problems that Iraqi speakers encounter when learning and speaking English. The analysis of the data collected reveal s that Iraqi learners face difficulty in the production of most English diphthongs. The comparative analysis between Iraqi English (IE) and Standard British English (BE) helps in determining which similarities and differences either facilitate or hinder communication. The study offers a phonetic description and analysis of IE as spoken by five Iraqis. First, the study explores the problems that these speakers face in the pronunciation of English. Second, it compares their spoken English with Standard British English (BE). Third, it reveals the pedagogical implications that result from the comparison.

Language and cultural code peculiarities within the framework of cross-cultural communication

The article deals with the peculiarities of linguistic and cultural code-specific features which have a significant impact on the successful communication process within the framework of intercultural interaction. According to the research work, the basic ground of cross-cultural communication operates with definitions and cultural elements, which are of primary importance in the language-mastering process and adaptation procedure to the foreign language environment. The authors of the research work analyze the concepts of code existing processes in modern linguistics, considering the key components of the linguistic and cultural code, stressing the complex nature of intercultural communication procedure due to the subjective application of individual background knowledge of a person while adapting to a foreign country's language and culture environment. Special attention is paid to the process of code-switching, which entails a stage of the new coding system. The analyzed process is a system of subcodes transformation procedure while sub coding information is carried out using an unlimited number of verbal and nonverbal communication signs. The article presents the author's ideas about the strategic influence of Standard British English on the language and cultural conditions of such language variants as Nigerian English. Being used as the official language, Nigerian English presents a hybrid type language variant, adapting British English phonetics, lexis and grammar to the needs of local cultures and languages. The code-switching process from local languages into English in formal communication is a typical process for Nigerians. While analyzing the specific features of the code-switching process in Nigerian English, the authors stress the necessity of paying attention to all language group variants: basilect, mesolect and acrolect, which are equally used in Nigerian society. One must admit code-switching process results in the popularity of Nigerian Pidgin English which has become the most popular unofficial language to nearly all Nigerian social groups thanks to it simplification in all language levels. Nigerian cultures and languages made Standard British English adapt to the local environment due to the needs of speakers. To conclude, the authors stress the specificity of the speaker is revealed in the process of cross-cultural communication and adaptation based on the peculiarities of the peoples' mentality as well as on a communicant's national character specificity.

Polish learners’ self-assessment and reflections on their pronunciation progress

The aim of this pilot study is to describe, analyse and interpret the outcome of a pronunciation self-assessment task carried out by Polish learners of English at an academic level and their reflections on progress and what they believe they need in order to feel more successful as speakers of English in terms of pronunciation. It also attempts to discuss certain individual factors determining the perceptions of the learners’ performance. Seventeen Polish first-year university students of English philology were asked to assess their improvement in the production of individual English sounds based on two recording sessions that they had undergone at the beginning and at the end of the academic year, i.e. before and after a two-semester pronunciation course. The results of the students’ assessment were then compared with the teacher’s assessment. All of the participants were recorded reading a diagnostic passage which concentrates on examining individual segments of Standard British English (SBE). They were also asked a number of questions in the form of an open-ended questionnaire related to their attitudes and feelings towards certain mispronunciations and general performance in the two recording sessions, how they perceive the way they speak English, their opinions as to the most effective techniques and activities in pronunciation training.

EU language policy under review

The challenges caused by the dominance of English in many domains across the European Union (EU), the lack of a viable programme to promote plurilingualism, as well as the problematic nature of having three procedural languages, are scrutinised against the call for Europe to come to terms with its language policy. Issues such as official EU standards for documentation, as well as school guidelines for language education, are investigated from the perspective of envisioning a sanctioned second-language variety of European English. The increased use of English in higher education as a result of Erasmus+ is brought forward as an example of the EU providing funds to support English at the expense of all other indigenous European languages. Moreover, the current order of allowing standard British English special status is criticised as a position which acts as an obstacle to European identity building. It is argued that recognising the importance of the ongoing nativisation processes currently taking place in the use of L2 English in the EU can pave the way for the citizens of the EU to take responsibility for the forms and functions which English will have for mainland Europe. Here, the goal of language learning to facilitate European and global cross-cultural communication is explored, as is the claim that a rendition of a European variety of English bolsters the prospects of identity formation in the EU.

Featural Identity and the Obligatory Contour Principle: Perspective from the Sound Pattern of Standard British English and Nigerian English

Yip (1988) shows that, in English, the insertion of /ɪ/ between coronal sibilants, e.g., /s/ and /z/ in plural nouns like /fɒksɪz/ foxes, /tæksɪz/ taxes, etc. and the prohibition of geminate stress, as in *thirˈteen ˈmen is motivated by the Obligatory Contour Principle (OCP). She argues that /ɪ/-epenthesis and geminate stress avoidance are triggered in the language to satisfy the OCP, which prohibits adjacent identical elements in phonological representation. In this study, we show that the OCP also explains why: (i) English inserts /ɪ/ between coronal sibilants in genitive forms, ruling out */rəʊz(z) pɜ:s/ ‘Rose’s purse’, (ii) the language drops yod after post-alveolars, /ʧ/, /ʤ/ and /ʃ/, ruling out */ʧju/, ‘chew’, */ʤju/ ‘Jew’, and (iii) it disallows heteromorphemic geminate consonants, e.g., /t # t/ by making them undergo fusion, /t/. This study investigates the extent of applying these native English OCP-motivated rules in Nigerian English (NigE) based on the data gathered from fifty educated NigE speakers. Results of the frequency count and constraint-ranking in this study showed that the OCP-based native English rules in NigE could be inviolable (56.48%) or violable (43.52%). We argue that the frequency of NigE violation of the OCP is in part determined by the complex nature of the sequential combinations of English identical features and the NigE speakers’ level of competence in English usage.