Tasks: Standard English – One of Many Varieties of English

Discuss:

1. In your opinion, is one variety of English better than others? For example, is British English more “proper” than American English or Indian English?

2. Why do you think some countries prefer American English over British English in writing, or vice versa?

3. Which standardized variety of English have you been taught? When you write in English, are you conscious of which variety you use — British or American?

4. Can you think of situations where you would aim to use Standard English (or standard Norwegian), and situations where you would choose a more relaxed, non-standard variety?

5. Do you think that people’s attitudes toward SE and non-standard English reflect social class, education, or cultural background?

6. What does “code-switching” mean, and why is it a useful skill in both written and spoken English?

7. Why is it important for you as a student to be exposed to different varieties of English?

Find out more:

Find out what RP (Received pronunciation) is. What other names are there for this kind of English? How has RP developed? What characterises RP? What role has it played in the past? How many people use RP?

Share your findings in class.

Find the mistakes:

Learning the difference between Standard English and the variants of non-standard English that most people speak can be difficult, also for British students.

Here is a list of sentences that have been taken from a study about the use of non-standard English among British 15 and 16-year-old students.

1. Go through the list. Can you spot the mistakes? How would these sentences look in Standard English?

2. Are any of them sentences you might use yourself — in spoken English? In written English?

Class presentation

Work in groups. Choose one of the following standard accents of English and make a presentation for the class. You can do this in the form of a short film or a class presentation.

Find information about linguistic features that are unique for this accent, such as

• grammar rules that are different from other accents

• words and expressions that only this accent uses

• the unique intonation of the accent. You may want to find video clips of people speaking this accent and try to mimic it. If you like, you may include this in your presentation.

Write:

1. Write a text where you discuss how the use of different varieties of English can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunication. You can choose to write a personal text where you describe a situation you have been in or a more formal text where you discuss the problem in general.

2. If you open the expandable box, you will find a list of American slang expressions that are very common, but which do not belong in formal General American English. Write a story where you use as many of these words and expressions as you can. You are also free to include others that you know of. Possible titles: The Best Weekend Ever or My Greatest Mistake.