Inglese start unito
Unit 1:
1. The geographical spread of English in the world:
-British colonization and the Industrial Revolution (18th-19th century).
-Economic, political, and technological power of the USA (20th century).
-Over 1 billion speakers (2018).
2. The distinction between ENL, ESL and EFL
- ENL (English as a Native Language): First language in countries like the UK, USA,
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa.
- ESL (English as a Second Language): Additional language in former British
colonies (India).
- EFL (English as a Foreign Language): Learned for international purposes (Italy,
China).
3. The varieties of English
-We use the term variety to describe the features that characterize the use of English
in different contexts and for different functions.
-The English language can be seen as a set of different but related varieties which
share a common core of grammar and vocabulary.
-British English (BrE) and American English (AmE) → standard
varieties
-Regional Englishes (Yorkshire English)
-Social Englishes, like Cockney
-Immigrant Englishes (Chicano)
-Pidgin and Creole Englishes
-English as lingua franca or ELF → is spoken by people with different
native languages
4. New Englishes
-We use the term New Englishes to describe ESL varieties of former British colonies,
which have acquired an independent status and are used in institutional or
educational contexts in multilingual countries.
- Nativization is the attribution of new meanings to English words because of the
contact with different geographical settings and cultural contexts, hybrid forms or new
invented meanings.
-The introduction of new words or grammatical patterns are no more considered
‘deviations’ from the native norms, but independent innovations.
5. Advantages and Disadvantages of English’s Global Role
- Advantages:
