1. Learning foreign languages English as a world language
Zuzana Keltnerová, C4A

2. Content Reasons for learning languages Typical features of English
The history of English
Varieties of English

3. Reasons for learning languages
WORK AND BUSINESS
TRAVEL
EDUCATION
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS AMONG PEOPLE
DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR LISTENING SKILLS AND MEMORY
CULTURE

4. Typical features of English
Indo-European language family
West Germanic group of languages
the most widely used language
the largest vocabulary → over words in the Oxford English dictionary
3 groups of English speakers
English as a first language: 375 million people
English as a second language: 380 million people
no declension using different endings
cases differentiated by prepositions
big differences between written and spoken forms

5. The history of English THE CELTS
many centuries before the Christian era
language similar to modern Welsh (Wales) or Gaelic (Ireland) or Scottish Gaelic (Scotland)

6. The history of English THE ROMANS
55 B.C. → Julius Caesar invaded Britain
400 years
Old Latin

7. The history of English THE ANGLO-SAXONS 450 A.D. northern Germany
Old English → similar to modern German or Dutch
vocabulary of agriculture (sheep, ox, earth, dog, swine, field, work)
the most common words (you, is, the, here, there)

8. The history of English THE 6TH CENTURY
Christianity brought Latin and Greek
vocabulary related to the Church (angel, devil, mass, shrine, priest, bishop)
foreign words from the East (orange, pepper, India, ginger)

9. The history of English THE VIKINGS the 9th century
Danish and Norwegian
place names (Derby, Grimsby, Rugby – those that end in –by)
originally Danish words (get, leg, skirt, skin, same, want, raise, root, hide)

10. The history of English THE NORMANS 1066 French and Latin
words connected with government, law, learning and the army (royal, sovereign, ascend)

11. The history of English THE 12TH CENTURY
Old English had been replaced by Middle English
Middle English = the written version of the previously spoken Old English
Geoffrey Chaucer
William Shakespeare

12. The history of English FROM THE 14TH CENTURY ONWARDS
Ancient Greek (geography, philosophy)
Latin (submarine, supersonic)
the invention of the printing press
the publication of the authorized version of the Bible by King James in 1611

13. The history of English THE ELIZABETHAN ERA (THE GOLDEN AGE)
British expansion into the world
new words from outside Europe:
→ Arabic (coffee, alcohol)
→ Indian languages (jungle, pyjamas)
→ Native American languages (chocolate, tomato)
→ Chinese (tea)

14. The history of English THE 17TH CENTURY
the first settlements in North America and later in Australia
English as a mother tongue in all the continents of the world
in each part it developed differently → many varieties of English now

15. STANDARD ENGLISH (BRITISH)
Varieties of English
STANDARD ENGLISH (BRITISH)
AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH
CANADIAN ENGLISH
AMERICAN ENGLISH
→ the language of educated English speakers which is used by the Government, the BBC or by the universities
→ something between Am. E. and Brit. E. → influenced by Canadian French and the Native American languages or Eskimo
→ isolation from the language changes in Britain
→ similar to British English
→ some differences in vocabulary
→ influenced by the Aboriginal language

16. STANDARD ENGLISH X AMERICAN ENGLISH
Varieties of English
STANDARD ENGLISH X AMERICAN ENGLISH
the main differences between Standard English and American English → pronunciation, intonation, spelling, vocabulary and sometimes in grammar
DIFFERENCES IN GRAMMAR
Have you got? X Do you have?
at the weekend X on the weekend

17. STANDARD ENGLISH X AMERICAN ENGLISH
Varieties of English
STANDARD ENGLISH X AMERICAN ENGLISH
DIFFERENCES IN PRONUNCIATION
[a:] = [æ] class [klæ:s]
[o] = [a] hot [hat], not, coffee, doctor [daktə]
[a] = [ə] hurry [həri], courage [kəridž]
[ju:] = [u:] student [stu:dənt], due [du:], new [nu:]
either [ˈiːðə]

18. STANDARD ENGLISH X AMERICAN ENGLISH
Varieties of English
STANDARD ENGLISH X AMERICAN ENGLISH
DIFFERENCES IN SPELLING
Am. E. tends to be shorter and simpler
colour X color
travelled X traveled
dialogue X dialog
programme X program
theatre X theater

19. STANDARD ENGLISH X AMERICAN ENGLISH
Varieties of English
STANDARD ENGLISH X AMERICAN ENGLISH
DIFFERENCES IN VOCABULARY
STANDARD ENGLISH
AMERICAN ENGLISH
rubbish/litter
garbage/trash
film
movie
holiday
vacation
shop
store
flat
apartment
pavement
sidewalk
trousers
pants
purse/wallet
billfold
lift
elevator

20. Cockney rhyming slang Cockney = someone born in the East End of London
the underworld of London´s East End
secret language of people on the other side of the law
COCKNEY DICTIONARY
bread and honey = money → How much bread have you got?
rabbit and pork = talk → He is always rabbiting about his car.
loaf of bread = head → You should try using your loaf a bit more.
Adam and Eve = believe → Would you Adam and Eve it?
Captain Cook = book
Britney Spears = beers

21. Resources
notes and materials from English conversation lessons

22. Thank you for your attention!