International Forms of English

English has become a widespread language, spoken and learnt by millions of people worldwide. As a result, there are a few international forms of English that have emerged as unique varieties with their own vocabulary, grammar, intonation, and pronunciation.

One of the most well-known international forms of English is Standard American English, which has developed its own distinctive characteristics stemming from British English roots. While it is very close to Standard British, for example, there is no grammatical difference from British English, there are interesting differences in some words, “sidewalk” for “pavement”, and “escalator” for “lift”, and spelling, for example “honor” vs “honour”, and “socialaze” vs “socialise”. In addition, like in Britain, American and Canadian English has their own regional and social accents, such as the famous Southern Accent, Chicago English, Newfoundland, and so on; these, however, do not form part of International General American.

Another significant international form of English is Australian English, or more widely, Oceanic English, as educated English in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand have close similarities to, all having diverged notably from their British origins over time. These variations are defined by accent, intonation patterns, unique vocabulary such as “barbie” for barbecue and “thongs” (Australia) and “jangles” (New Zeland) for flip-flops, and laid-back, informal tones reflective of the three countries’ relaxed cultures.

The three Standards tend to be used in areas of greatest influence, so Oceanic in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, American in the Pacific and Atlantic Sphere, and British in ex-colonies and Europe. However, these Standards have regional “non-native” influenced varieties, such as Indian English, West African English, Singapore English, Far-East Asian English, Pacific English, etc., where local language type and cultures affect how English is used locally. Often, these varieties are difficult to understand for non-native speakers from other parts of the world.

In summary, these international forms of English, both native and non-native varieties, reflect the diversity of cultures and identities around the world. Despite their differences, they share a common bond as part of a global community using English as a tool for communication, commonly called English as a Lingua Franca. Understanding and appreciating these variations is essential for effective communication in an increasingly interconnected world.