Introduction to the study of Varieties of Present-Day English

Lecture 6
Social and functional-stylistic varieties
Back to Standard English Grammar

Correct the following Romenglish sentences:

1. Do you know to drive a car?
2. Dont make me to cry.
3. A laughter is a useful medicine.
4. Dan has come to Suceava for four months. (two possibilities)
5. Of the two brothers John is the oldest.
6. He hates me, isnt it?
7. The Dambovita River, a tributary to the Danube, it runs through Bucharest.
8. He is earning fewer money than he was ten years ago.
9. No one likes children which are rude and boisterous
10.Why dont you think at a better solution?
11.For British vs. American English see:
http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?docid=152820
http://www.1-language.com/articles/differences-between-british-and-american-
english
http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/REF/usgbintr.html

Black English a socio-ethnic variety?

Other names:
Black Vernacular English (BEV)
African American English (AAE)
AAVE (African American Vernacular English)
Ebonics
Note: vernacular =1. the native (indigenous) speech or language of a place 2. the
plain variety of language in everyday use by ordinary people
When I born, I Black,
When I grow up, I Black,
When I go in Sun, I Black,
When I am cold, I Black,
When I scared, I Black,
When I sick, I Black,
And when I die, I still black.
And you White fella,
When you born, you Pink,
When you go in Sun, you Red,
When you cold, you Blue,
When you scared, you Yellow,
When you sick, you Green,
And when you die, you Gray.
 And you calling me Colored ?
Black English (BlE) - an ethnic or socio-ethnic variety of the language, defined
by the social position and education of its speakers. That is, BlE is the
nonstandard E. used by some blacks in the US.
Note: When blacks use standard E., it has no distinguishing label. When whites use
non-standard E., it is called simply nonstandard E., not white E.
The first black people arrived in Virginia in 1619.)
The factors that led to the systematic differences between BlE and other American
dialects - various theories:
(1) The African slaves learned E from their colonial masters as a second language;
(2) (a theory which is receiving increasing support) Many features are traceable to
influences of the African languages spoken by the slaves-->BlE is a creole of West
African languages and English;
(3) Some investigators have suggested affinities with Irish E. brought about by early
contact of black slaves with early settlers in the Caribbean and the southern United
States.
(4) The historical separation of whites and blacks (similar to separation of
geographic dialects)
Probably all these factors contribute to the formation of BlE.
For the most part, the lexicon of BlE is identical to that of SE. (BlE contributed
a number of words and idiomatic expressions: okra, yam, jazz, rap - ME rappe, akin
to Sw. rappa, to beat, G. rappeln to rattle) --> We'll discuss only phonology and
grammar.
Consonants
BlE is non-rhotic (= r-less), but intrusive and linking /r/ are not typical. In
extreme cases, loss of /r/ may even extend to position between vowels--->
Harold and Hal, carrot and cat may become homophonous.
In a development parallel to the loss or vocalization of /r/, /l/ in
preconsonantal position may be vocalized to a high back unrounded vowel//
---> help, silk; in final position /l/ may be lost entirely---> tall, goal
The simplification (reduction) of consonantal clusters, primarily at the end of
words: missed /mis/, band /bn/, talks (t:k/
Note:
When the two consonants of the cluster differ in voicing, the cluster is more
likely to be retained. That is, while send may be /sin/, rent will often be /rin/
(with a glottal stop as an allophone of /t/; thumbs may contrast with thump
as/m/ and /mp/, respectively.
As is true of some other English dialects, the interdental fricatives frequently
suffer in BlE. In general, they tend to become the stops /t/ and /d/ at the
beginning of words, and, in extreme cases, they become the labiodental
fricatives /f/ and /v/ in medial and final position. Thus, them /dim/, but
something /smfin/ and soothe /suv/.
-Like many E dialects, BlE has /in/ in the unstressed participial and gerund
ending -ing.
 Vowels
They are much like those of Southern Americans. In particular, both /ai/
and /oi/ tend to be monopthongized:
buy /ba:/, toy /t:/.
As the transcriptions of sent and rent above indicate, the distinction
between /i/ and /e/ is neutralized before nazal consonants.
Prosody
not extensively studied. Tendency to move the major stress of words to initial
syllable, as in defense, Detroit, police. Such front-shifting of stress has been a
characteristic of English (and German) throughout the centuries.
Impressionistically, wider pitch range...
Features shared by other dialects of nonstandard E.:
the use of multiple negation
He don't never say anything.
redundant subjects:
My brother, he took me
deviant verb forms
She begun working just yesterday;
use of a instead of an:
You want a orange.
deviant prepositional usage:
different to me;
married with him
use of ain't rather than haven't/hasn't as an auxiliary:
I ain't been told;
They aint never come back
omission of the have auxiliary in perfect tenses:
We been eating popcorn;
He seen that before.
(In the last case it may also be the non-standard past of see)
inversion after an interrogation adverb that introduces a subordinate clause:
He asked me when did I come.
Loss of inflections:
esp. of the plural marker -s when meaning is clear:
I got three sister.
deletion of possessive marker if redundant:
That Jim bike. This you hat? (but not: This hat you?)
3rd pers. sing. pres. -s:
She make me breakfast every morning
past endings:
He talk to me last week
(That does not mean these categories are absent. The same speaker may say
Yesterday I walk home and also Yesterday I went home, not "I go". The /t/ of walked
is often dropped for phonological reasons.)
Omission of be - characteristic of Black English:
He tired.
He talking now.
We going home
(But: Can you tell me where I am? - if necessary)
Note:
invariant, uninflected be - repeated or continuing actions:
He be grouchy
no be - true at the moment of speaking:
He grouchy.
Recent vs. remote past:
That cat done bit me (=just bit me)
He done broke the jar.
but:
That been gone. (distant past)
Functional-stylistic varieties
(Field + Medium + Tenor)
Martin Joos speaks of five styles:
intimate
casual
consultative
formal
frozen
Example (Situation: parent speaking to child who is embarrassingly present):
intimate Out!
casual Run along, now!
consultative Would you mind leaving room a moment?
formal The audience is required to kindly leave the room for a few
moments.
frozen (?/*)The management respectfully requests the conferees to
vacate the auditorium between sessions in order to facilitate the operations
of the custodial stuff.
Practice:

A. Arrange the following sentences in the order suggested above:

a. Would you be so kind as to pass me the salt, please?

b. Would you pass me the salt, please?

c. Wheres the salt?

d. Id like some salt.

 e. Patrons are respectfully reminded that in view of the unavoidably limited
accommodations and the managements sincere desire to honour the wishes
of as many diners as possible, some sharing of facilities is desirable.

B. Try constructing a similar series on the themes:

Please do not talk.
Write to me about it.
C. Comment upon the following dialogue, in which the style in language is
not used consistently:
Mrs. Smith meets an acquaintance in the street:
Mrs. Smith:Good morning, Mrs. Davis. How are you?
Mrs. Davis: Very well, thank you.
Mrs. Smith:Hows your son?
Mrs. Davis: Hes O.K. now.
. Unless the Office of Price Administration or an authorized representative thereof
shall, by letter mailed to the applicant within 21 days from the date of filling the
application, disapprove the maximum price as reported, such price shall be deemed
to have been approved, subject to nonretroactive written disapproval or adjustment
at any later time by the Office of Price Administration.

Spoken form:

You must wait three weeks before you can charge the ceiling price you
applied for. The Office of Price Administration can always change the price. If
they do, they will write you a letter
2. When well softened, they /ends/ are pushed together and, the heating
continued, the thickened glass being blown out a little and allowed to
collapse until all the abrupt changes in thickness have been eliminated all
round the joint and it is marked by a single moderately thick ring of hot glass.

(E. H. Wright, Manual of Laboratory Glass Blowing, U.S., 1943,

p. 46)

3. And where did you get the hundred from?

I borrowed it.

When?

Today.

Who from?

A man called Davids.

Money-lender?
 Young Jolyon bowed his head.

1. SPOKEN VERSUS WRITTEN STYLE

Turn the following example of spoken English into more formal, written
English, incorporating relative clauses where appropriate. The beginning has
been done for you.

"I've started a new job, did I tell you? It's a sales representative with a
company. It produces garden funiture., 'Sunnosit', it's called, and it's based in
Thornton. Thornton is a small town in the Midlands. The area manager is due
to return next year - he's been with the company for over thirty years. This
means, if I do well, I might get this job. One great advantage is having a
company car. Well, I have to have a company car, because the job involves
visiting different parts of the country. My colleagues are quite ambitious - I
get on well with them, but it means the atmosphere at work is rather
competitive. I don't mind. Apart from that, the job's fine."

The job that I have recently started is as a sales representative with a

company that.............. (Source Headway Upper-Interm. Workbook, p.46)

2. GUESSING UNKNOWN WORDS

Read the following text loudly and clearly without a dictionary, and
without asking any questions. Then write down all the words and expressions
in italics, and any others that you do not know. Look carefully at the context
of each unknown word or expression, and write down what you think it might
mean.

Drumming

Drumming is what you might call basic burglary. You pick a dead
gaf a house you know or think is empty sound the drum by knocking at
the front door to make sure, stroll round the back, get in through a window
and turn the place over.

The average suburban house is a pushover to enter. You dont

need to carry any tools.

... Joe worked on an unvarying schedule. Once inside, he bolted all doors,
leaving one ground-floor window open, thus, like a wise general, securing his
retreat. It seldom took him more than four minutes to go through the house.
He took only easily portable stuff, jewellery, ornaments, cash, if there was
any; he seldom bothered with clothes unless there was an exceptionally good
fur coat.
 He would leave by the front door, taking his time and emerging
hat in hand, still carrying on an imaginary conversation, for the benefit of
passers-by. Little details that the average drummer never bothered about
were very important to him. Never wear your hat while moving about in a
strange house...

For the most part my job was to sit in the front room and keep my eyes glued
to the gate while Joe turned over upstairs. This gave us an extra few seconds
in which to take stoppo if the householder did come back while we were
still on the premises.

Joe used to maintain that there was no reason why a two-

handed team of drummers should ever get nicked. He may have been right
at that. He and I grafted together for the best part of four years and, though
we had some narrow squeaks, we never got pinched. A lot of the time we
were drumming three times a week, changing our manor each time,
averaging between thirty and fifty pounds a week.

A steady but not spectacular tax-free income for two men.

From Changes in the Organization of Thieving by Mary McIntosh (in

Swan, Michael, Inside Meaning. Proficiency Reading Comprehension, CUP,
1975:22-23)

1. If I were asked to give an accurate description of my physical condition at

the present moment, the only possible honest reply would be that I am
greatly in need of liquid refreshment.
2. People whose professional activity lies in the field of politics are not, on the
whole, conspicuous for their respect for factual accuracy.
3. I must confess to a feeling of very considerable affection for the young
female person with whom I spend the greater part of my spare time.
4. Failure to assimilate an adequate quantity of solid food over an extended
period of time is absolutely certain to lead, in due course, to a fatal
conclusion.
5. It is by no means easy to achieve an accurate understanding of that
subject of study which is concerned with the relationship between numbers.
6. It is my fervent wish that the creator of the universe will do his utmost to
preserve and protect the royal lady who graciously occupies the position of
head of state.
7. I should be greatly obliged if you would have the kindness to bring me, at
your convenience, a written statement of the indebtedness I have incurred in
connection with the meal which you have just finished serving to me.
8. I should be grateful if you would be so good as to stop the uninterrupted
flow of endless remarks with which you are currently straining my patience to
breaking point.
VARIETIES OF ENGLISH
Topics1. Language as a system.

2. The revelatory aspects of speech.

3. Define the following:
- core English, potential English;
- accent, dialect, idiolect;
- historical language, national language.
4. What are the Inner Circle, the Outer Circle and the Expanding Circle (according to
Kachru)?
5. What is hypercorrection?
6. Explain what pidgins and creoles (=creole languages) are. [What is
decreolisation? What are acrolect, mesolect and basilect?]
Demarcating the history of English.
8. The spread of English.
9. A (tentative) classification of synchronic varieties of English: diatopic,
diastratic and diaphasic varieties; dialect continuum, code shifing; sociolect;
register, sublanguage; styles along the formality scale; accommodation
10.Variation in pronunciation (language change, regional variation, stylistic
variation, unconditioned variation; the relationship between accent and social
scale)
11. Grammatical and lexical variation (the same aspects as above)
12. Standard vs. non-standard English.
13. Negation in non-standard dialects.
14. Past-tense forms in non-standard English. Other features of non-standard
varieties. Etc.
15. What are the five styles according to Joos? Labels, explanations; examples.
16. Channels of communication. Written vs. spoken English.
17. American English pronunciation.
18. American English spelling.
19. American English: grammatical features (compare the American standard to
the British standard). American English vocabulary.
20. Black English (politically correct: African-American English) pronunciation.
21. Black English grammar.
22.Caribbean English. A St Lucian poem [to be discussed in Lecture 7]
23.The future of English (?)