In the world full of options, English will be forever a choice. English has now acquired the
title of the world’s leading
“global language” (Crystal
2003, 1) because it is used for business,
science, and politics.
When we use the
term English, readers may assume that
we are referring to a standard of usage
that everyone agrees upon. Readers
may think that we must mean British
Standard English or American Standard English because the English that
exists in such places as Africa, Asia, the
West Indies, the Philippines and Singapore is not real or standard English.
Readers may also think that teachers
of English as a second language (ESL)
must be teaching British or American
Standard English because that is what
their learners want to learn. In fact,
the issue is not as straightforward
as we may think; there is neither an
agreed-upon definition of Standard
English, nor is there agreement on
what students of ESL need or want to
learn.
World English
World English has been defined as a phase in the history of the English language. This phase has witnessed the transformation of English from the mother tongue of a handful of nations to a language being used by far more speakers in non-mother tongue settings. The changes that have accompanied this spread the multiplicity of varieties result not from the faulty and imperfect learning of the non-mother tongue speakers, but from the nature of the process of micro-acquisition, language spread and change," says Janina Brutt-Griffler in her book "World English."
The Convenience of World English
In the introduction to the book, "English in the World: Global Rules, Global Roles," Rani Rubdy and Mario Saraceni point out: "The global spread of English, its causes and consequences, have long been a focus of critical discussion. One of the main concerns has been that of standardization. This is also because, unlike other international languages such as Spanish and French, English lacks any official body setting and prescribing the norms of the language. This apparent linguistic anarchy has generated a tension between those who seek stability of the code through some form of convergence and the forces of linguistic diversity that are inevitably set in motion when new demands are made on a language that has assumed a global role of such immense proportions.
"One consequence of the global predominance that English has gained over the last few decades is that today non-native speakers of English far outnumber its native speakers (Graddol 1997, Crystal 2003)." In the "Oxford Guide to World English," Tom McArthur says, " Although world English is varied, certain varieties and registers are fairly tightly controlled, often through standardized patterns of use.
Standard English The term Standard English refers to both an actual variety of language and an idealized norm of English acceptable in many social situations. As a language variety, Standard English is the language used in most public discourse and in the regular operation of American social institutions. The news media, the government, the legal profession, and the teachers in our schools and universities all view Standard English as their proper mode of communication, primarily in expository and argumentative writing, but also in public speaking.
"Standard English is thus different from what is normally thought of as speech in that Standard English must be taught, whereas children learn to speak naturally without being taught." (The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style. Houghton Mifflin, 2005)
"We need to know Standard English, but we need to know it critically, analytically, and in the context of language history. We also need to understand the regularity of non-standard variants. If we approach good and bad grammar in this way, the study of language will be a liberating factor not merely freeing learners from socially stigmatized usage by replacing that usage with new linguistic manners, but educating people in what language and linguistic manners are all about." (Edwin L. Battistella, Bad Language: Are Some Words Better Than Others? Oxford University Press, 2005)
The Convenience of Standard English
Standard English is that particular variety of English which is regarded by educated people as appropriate for most types of public discourse, including most broadcasting, almost all publication, and virtually all conversation with anyone other than intimates.
It is not entirely uniform around the globe: for example, American users of standard English say the first floor and I've just gotten a letter and write center and color, while British users say ground floor and I've just got a letter and write centre and colour. But these regional differences are few in comparison with the very high degree of agreement about which forms should count as standard.
Nevertheless, standard English, like all living languages, changes over time. It is important to realize that standard English is in no way intrinsically superior to any other variety of English: in particular, it is not 'more logical,' 'more grammatical,' or 'more expressive.' It is, at the bottom, a convenience: the use of a single agreed standard form, learned by speakers everywhere, minimizes uncertainty, confusion, misunderstanding, and communicative difficulty generally." (R.L. Trask, Dictionary of English Grammar. Penguin, 2000)
Hence, World English and Standard English are vital. Standard English plays a crucial role in our educational system as the kind of English that all children are expected to be able to use, in speaking as well as in writing. It often uses a variety of language that is used by governments, in the media, in schools and for international communication and has distinctive features of grammar, vocabulary and orthography (spelling & punctuation) but not of pronunciation. This is because it can be spoken with any accent. It is the most prestigious variety of English, associated with people of high social status. Nevertheless, the term World English refers to the differences in the English language that emerge as it is used in various contexts across the world. A certain group of speakers take a familiar variety of English and adapt the features of that variety to suit the needs of their social context. In light of the given definitions, I conclude that World English is more appropriate to use because it is not complex as Standard English. Research also shows that learning a new language changes your brain structure. It impacts the parts of your brain that are responsible for memory, conscious thought and more. Put simply, learning a new language can make your brain stronger and more versatile, improving the way you think. As I write this article, I suggest that English language teachers should consider all varieties
of English, not just British Standard English
or American Standard English. In order to
better prepare students for the global world,
and to show them that their own English is
valued, teachers can implement a balanced
approach that incorporates the teaching and
learning context as well as the learners’ values.
It also helps to prepare learners for future
interactions with speakers of different varieties of English. The guidelines to following a
balanced approach presented in this article
are not meant to be prescriptive, nor do they
claim to be comprehensive; we recognize
that not all teachers have a choice about
which variety of English to emphasize in their
instruction. However, these guidelines can be
adapted by all teachers who wish to help their
students prepare for real world interactions.
References
https://www.theschoolrun.com/what-is-standard-english#:~:text=What%20is%20Standard%20English%3F%20Standard%20English%20is%20the,regional%20and%20national%20variations%2C%20as%20a%20world%20language
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