World Englishes - Simplification or complexification?

Examination Thesis , 2004 , 91 Pages , Grade: 1,0

English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics

In many parts of the world English is used as the main communicative device between people of different mother languages. In some areas it is known as the native tongue, in other countries, for instance in Germany, it is regarded as a second and global language.
There are cases though in which the English language serves a different purpose, namely works as a political way to express certain themes.
In many former British colonies the English language was introduced and indoctrinated on the native people as the language of government, police, business and law. Of course, there were other native languages before the appearance of the British and there still remain local dialects and tongues today.
Nevertheless through time the sharp lines between local dialects and the language of the government have vanished.
This process of development or melting of two languages, that is English and one local language of the old inhabitants of the place is often referred to as Pidginization and Creolization in literature.
Pidgins are believed to be the first step of the development from a very simple basic language to a more complex one with native speakers through Creolization in later stages.

It is quite difficult to say whether a language that is regarded as a World English today can be seen as being more complicated or as being simpler than Standard British English.

In the very first part of this work I will present some ideas and opinions scholars have uttered about the problem of simplification and complexification lately. Since the topic of World Englishes includes Creolization and Creole studies most evidence I will provide will examine whether Creoles in general are more complex or simpler than their respective mother tongue. No one has so far exclusively studied World Englishes comparatively to Standard Englishes in order to make judgements about complexity and simplicity as scholars have done about Creoles.

I will provide examples from World Englishes and I am going to try to judge whether certain findings I have made classify that language as being more complex or simpler than Standard British English concerning grammar and syntax.

Rounding up this paper in the end I hope that I can make some comments whether it is possible to prove the idea of Simplification or oppose it.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• 1. An overview about the present discussion and research
  • 1.1 Argumentation for simplification
  • 1.2 Argumentation for complexification
  • 1.3 Conclusion
• 2. A closer look on the languages in question
  • 2.1 Irish English
    • 2.1.1 History and Background
    • 2.1.2 Differences
  • 2.2 Scottish English
    • 2.2.1 History and Background
    • 2.2.2 Differences
  • 2.3 American English
    • 2.3.1 History and Background
    • 2.3.2 Differences
  • 2.4 Caribbean English
    • 2.4.1 History and Background
    • 2.4.2 Differences
  • 2.5 Indian English
    • 2.5.1 History and Background
    • 2.5.2 Differences
  • 2.6 South African English
    • 2.6.1 History and Background
    • 2.6.2 Differences
  • 2.7 Other African Englishes
    • 2.7.1 History and Background
    • 2.7.2 Differences
  • 2.8 Other Asian Englishes
    • 2.8.1 History and Background
    • 2.8.2 Differences
  • 2.9 Australia/New Zealand English
    • 2.9.1 History and Background
    • 2.9.2 Differences
• Conclusion
• Sources
• Appendix

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper aims to explore the complex question of whether World Englishes are simplified or complexified in comparison to Standard British English. The paper specifically focuses on grammatical and syntactic features, with limited reference to phonetic features where necessary.

• Examining the process of Pidginization and Creolization in the development of World Englishes
• Comparing and contrasting the linguistic features of various World Englishes
• Investigating the influence of local languages and dialects on the evolution of English
• Analyzing the arguments for both simplification and complexification of World Englishes
• Exploring the challenges of defining and classifying World Englishes

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction provides a broad overview of the use and development of English as a global language, highlighting the phenomenon of World Englishes and the processes of Pidginization and Creolization. It establishes the central question of simplification versus complexification and outlines the paper's focus on grammatical and syntactic features.

Chapter 1 reviews existing academic debates and research on the simplification and complexification of World Englishes. It presents arguments from various perspectives, analyzing the evidence supporting both sides of the debate.

Chapter 2 delves into a detailed analysis of specific World Englishes, examining their historical background, evolution, and linguistic differences. It provides in-depth case studies of Irish English, Scottish English, American English, Caribbean English, Indian English, South African English, Other African Englishes, Other Asian Englishes, and Australian/New Zealand English.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

World Englishes, simplification, complexification, Pidginization, Creolization, grammatical features, syntactic features, Standard British English, linguistic diversity, English as a global language, linguistic independence, historical background, language contact, language change, academic debate, research findings.

• College: University of Dusseldorf "Heinrich Heine" (Anglistisches Institut III)
• Grade: 1,0
• Author: Sebastian Goetzke (Author)
• Publication Year: 2004
• Pages: 91
• Catalog Number: V38757
• ISBN (eBook): 9783638377324
• ISBN (Book): 9783638705707
• Language: English
• Tags: World, Englishes, Simplification