Language variation (world varieties)

3 types of linguistic variation in the English language: regional /social/stylistic Language contact: a result of the spread of English (Clayton et al, 2018) A process of language change whereby multiple languages come into social contact and have linguistic influence over one another in the form of borrowings, grammatical and phonological change, formation of pidgins and creoles, and higher rates of bilingualism. Standard English: (Trudgil, 1995) The variety of English usually used in print and which is normally taught in schools to non-native speakers learning the language. It is also the variety spoken by educated people and used in news broadcasts and other similar situations. (Crystal, 1990) A variety that is seen as largely neutral with respect to regional identity, carries the most overt prestige, is a desirable educational target and is widely understood; it is not a matter of pronunciation, rather of grammar, vocabulary and orthography - Regulated by an authority / institution: the French Academy and Academy of the Hebrew Language (some degree of linguistic ownership) (Pakir, 1994) codification is ‘the act, process or result of arranging in a systematic form of code the system of linguistic rules shared by people in their acts of communication’ A 2022 report by the French Academy, the academy that regulates and upholds standards for the French language, has warned that the growing use of English by private and public bodies in France risks poor communication and could even undermine social cohesion; in their words “today’s communication is characterised by a degradation that must not be seen as inevitable”. Over 30 pages, the report picks through dozens of texts from public institutions, organisations and private firms. Using many examples of bilingual wordplay, the academy claims that there is an overuse of English that risks an “ impoverishment of French vocabulary ”, “ growing discrimination among sections of the public ” and even “ defiance that has visibly developed in recent years against all kinds of authorities ”. One example of a term in the report is “le weekend” that the academy claims should be rejected by loyal French speakers in favour of “le fin de semaine”, in the bid to protect the French language. However, in practice, most French speakers pay little attention to the academy’s rulings and use the