The USA is one of the largest western countries. Its population amount to approximately 250 million people. Thus, American English is spoken by an immense number of people in the world. It is estimated that nearly 2/3 of all native English speakers use any dialect of American English. American English, as an independent variety, differs from British English and even weakens its hegemony. More and more, American language, culture, and business become an integral part of European society. Therefore, it is very interesting to investigate the significant characteristics of this language.
To give the reader some background information there is a brief overview of the history of the English language in the USA at the beginning of the study. After that the term American English is explained and analyzed. Further, different linguistic features, among them pronunciation, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary, are described and compared to British English. In addition, sociolinguistic characteristics, such as regional and social dialects, are illustrated. As a result a conclusion follows.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The English Language in the USA
2.1 History of the English language in the USA
2.2 What is American English?
3. Features of American English
3.1 Pronunciation
3.2 Spelling
3.3 Grammar
3.4 Vocabulary
4. Sociolinguistic Features
4.1 Regional varieties: The myth of the American Standard English
4.2 Social varieties: Differences between social classes, age, and gender
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This academic paper examines the linguistic and sociolinguistic characteristics of American English as an independent variety, analyzing its evolution and divergence from British English.
- Historical development of the English language within the United States.
- Linguistic differentiation including pronunciation, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary.
- Sociolinguistic analysis of regional dialect variations.
- Social stratification and the impact of class, age, and gender on language usage.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Pronunciation
Many features of American English pronunciation are different from British English pronunciation. First, American English “tends to be spoken more slowly and more loudly than British English, and there are also differences in intonation” (Tottie 2002: 16). Moreover, there are many differences in the consonants system. The most significant characteristic that distinguishes both varieties is the so-called rhotic accent. The rhotic accent is one of the most striking characteristics of American English and can hardly be found in British pronunciation. It means Americans tend to pronounce postvocalic /r/ at the end of a word or even within, when a consonant follows (cf. Dretzke 1998: 166).
“Thus words […] are pronounced with an audible [r] or with a strong retroflex r-coloring of the vowel, i.e. with the tip of the tongue turned back against the roof of the mouth.” (Tottie 2002: 16) For Example the words car, mother, and father are pronounced [ka:], ['mΛðə], ['fa:ðə] in BrE and [ka:r], ['mΛðər], ['fa:ðər] in GenAmE. Further, the tapping of intervocalic /t/ is a very common feature of American English. The voiceless /t/ becomes a voiced /D/ in medial position after stressed vowels. “It is not articulated as a voiceless stop as in British English but as a voiced tab. A tab is like a very rapid articulation of a stop, with just a single tongue tip movement.” (Tottie 2002: 16) Hence, words like butter ['bΛtə], British ['brItI∫] and qualities ['kw :lətIz] are pronounced ['bΛDər], ['brIDI∫] and ['kw :lIDIz] in General American English.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the focus on American English as a distinct variety and outlines the scope of the study regarding linguistic and sociolinguistic features.
2. The English Language in the USA: Provides a historical overview of English in America and defines the term American English within its socio-political context.
3. Features of American English: Detailed analysis of differences between American and British English in pronunciation, orthography, morphology, and lexical choices.
4. Sociolinguistic Features: Investigates the impact of regional geography, social class, gender, and age on the formation and usage of different linguistic varieties.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes the independent nature of American English and discusses its growing global influence, particularly on British English.
Keywords
American English, British English, General American, Pronunciation, Spelling, Grammar, Vocabulary, Sociolinguistics, Regional Dialects, Social Stratification, Americanisms, Language Variation, Linguistic Hegemony, Melting Pot, Etymology
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this academic paper?
The paper focuses on American English as a distinct language variety, examining its specific characteristics, historical development, and the ways it differs from British English.
What key linguistic areas are analyzed?
The study investigates four main linguistic fields: pronunciation, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary.
What is the core research objective?
The objective is to analyze the significant characteristics of American English and explain why it is considered an independent variety of the English language.
Which methodology is employed?
The author uses a comparative linguistic approach, contrasting American English with British English, and synthesizes sociolinguistic findings on dialects and social variations.
What topics are discussed in the main section?
The main section covers the history of English in the US, differences in phonology (such as the rhotic accent), orthographic simplification, verb morphology, and the prevalence of specific Americanisms.
How are the sociolinguistic aspects defined?
Sociolinguistic aspects are defined through regional dialects (the myth of "Standard American English") and social factors including education, social class, age, and gender differences.
What does the text conclude about the future of American English?
It concludes that American English is increasingly influencing other global varieties, particularly British English, due to media, technology, and cultural exchange.
How do gender and social status impact speech patterns in the USA?
The text suggests that women tend to be more prestige-conscious and avoid stigmatized variants, while social stratification significantly influences usage, with working-class speakers more prone to nonstandard forms.
- Quote paper
- Katrin Appenzeller (Author), 2007, American English, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/125636
