THE WORLD OF ENGLISH

Well I have talked before the most important, for us Non-Native English Speakers is communicating, that's because there are a great diversity of accents, but there is a Standard to follow up. How different people, from different countries, accents and dialects communicating themselves, understand and being understood? Check it out and telling about your experience, have you been lived abroad in an English Speaking Country? Telling for us your experience abroad.




SOURCE: SPEAK UP
Speaker: Ben White
Standard: British Accent

THE WORLD OF ENGLISH

20 Years Later

You may be well under 20, or maybe you have a grandchild older than that. But whatever your age, you’re sure to agree that 20 years is a considerable amount of time. This year your favorite magazine is turning 20 –that’s something, for sure! To celebrate this Historic event, Speak Up offers some excerpts that show how the magazine looked (and sounded) way back when. For starters, he’s part of an article that was published in our inaugural issue. It was the first installment of a series called “The World of English” –and you’ll notice that our musical style was a lot different two decade ago…

(Original speaker introduces the pilot audio cassette) No Transcript audio

The World of English – part I One of an introduction and survey of the English Language and its native speakers, in which you will hear example of practical English in action as the international language of the modern world, plus the history and development of the language, from Old English to Modern English, with examples of its evolution drawn from its greatest literature through the ages, performed by leading professional actors of the English speaking theatre, television and films. No here is Richard Gale to introduce you to the World of English:

English contains many variations of accent and even dialect, but unlike Italian or German, the dialects are rarely different enough to make comprehension impossible. True, a London Cockney would have a very difficult time in a conversation with a steel worker in Glasgow, and a Carolina cotton picker might find difficult to understand and be understood by a sheep farmer from Australia, but a businessman from, say, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A. would have few problems dealing with a businessman form Dublin, Ireland or Sydney, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand, Liverpool in England, Johannesburg, South Africa or Kingston, Jamaica. A reasonably educated Standard English allows comprehension and communication all over the English-Speaking world. Can you guess where these native English speakers come from?

Voice number one

…”and often breakfast cereals like porridge and cornflakes” was an English-speaking South African.

Voice number two

…”often even the boss is Mike or John and not Mr. So-and-so” was from the Republic of Ireland.

Voice number thee

…”I grew up only speaking English” was a West Indian from Dominica.

Voice number four

…”at least it’s certainly true where I come from” was an American from the East Coast of the United States.

Voice number five

…”these are foreign concepts, so we have to use the foreign words” was from Australia.

But the geographical spread of the English-Speaking world cannot entirely account for English beings the “lingua franca” of the modern world. The industrial and technological achievements, mainly of Britain and the United States, has made English the international language of many different fields, like:

International air traffic control:

Lufthansa pilot: Bahrain Tower…this is Lufthansa 146 cleared to descend to 1,500 feet.

Bahrain tower: This is Bahrain Tower. Roger

Lufthansa pilot: Turning into final approach, runway three zero.

Bahrain tower: Wind three two zero degrees. One five knots. You are cleared to land – runway three zero.

Sea navigation (Morse code between ships)

The complex jargon of computers and space technology:

Armstrong: Houston, this is Tranquillity. We’re standing by for a go for cabin depress, over.

Mission Control: Tranquillity Base, this is Houston. You are go for cabin depressurization.

Armstrong: O.K., the hatch is coming open…

O.L. Houston, I’m on the porch.

Mission Control: Roger, Neil. O.K. Neil, we can see you coming down the ladder now.

Armstrong: I’m at the foot of the ladder. I’m going to stepoff the L.M. now…that’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. 


Like this article? Please help to promote an Educative blog, thanks for spreading love worldwide.