Any language keeps pace with society and technology, reflecting all social changes and innovations. Therefore, the English that you learned at school many years ago has already changed, and if you start speaking it abroad, the locals will think that you have come out of the last century. Of course, the language has not changed dramatically, grammar is little subject to change, and this happens very slowly, but the lexical composition is replenished with enormous speed. Let's see how modern English differs.
1.Outdated English expressions
Some phrases and words lose their meaning over time and are used less and less by the population, remaining only in dictionaries and textbooks. This is exactly what happens with the once popular questions “How do you do?” ", "Have you a moment? ”or expressions like “It rains cats and dogs”.
2.Changed grammar
Although we noted that grammar changes very slowly and rarely, the population is still trying to make the language easier. So, modal verbs shall And ought remained only on the pages of books, but in modern use they appear more and more often will, should And can. Similarly, becoming popular going to, need to, have to And want to, which were originally used only in colloquial speech. Passive voice, which, as we know, is formed using a verb to be and the third form of the verb, it is possible to express using the verb get. Of course, the semantic connotation is slightly different (in particular, there may be a negative connotation I got robbed), however these differences disappear over time.
3.English slang
Spoken speech most clearly reflects how much language has changed. Sometimes it is difficult to understand what is being said precisely because of these new slang words that are not in any textbook. We will give only some of the most popular examples and their synonyms:
Yep - yes (aka yes)
Dude - dude, bro
Fox – pretty woman
Awesome - amazing, awesome (cool, great)
Whatever - it doesn’t matter, I don’t care, I don’t care (never mind, I don`t care)
Gonna - going to do something (to be going to) Swag - cool (cool) Geek - idiot, crazy (nerd, dork)
Epic fail - a setup, a complete failure (large failure)
Dunno- I don't know (I don`t know)
Wanna- want (to want)
Bro - brother, meaning friend
No worries - no problems (No problem)
4.Abbreviations
The Internet is simply full of abbreviations. Without them, you cannot understand a single message or chat. But what should you do if you yourself want to correspond with an Englishman and not look stupid? Let's figure out what's hidden behind these insidious letters.
Thx/tnx – thanks
B-be
asap - as soon as possible
b4 – before
bout – about
C – see
idk - I don't know
gr8 – great
ttyl - talk to you later
wht-what
np – no problem
yw – you’re welcome
U/Y – you
cnt - can"t
gd-good
rly –really
afaik –as far as I know
btw – by the way
sy – see you
luv – love
n–and
r – are
1t – want
2 - too, to
Some, by the way, have entered the Russian language and are actively used by young people:
IMHO and FYI - in my opinion (In My Humble Opinion, For Your Information)
LOL – laughing out loud
PLZ and PLS – please (please)
WTF - what the hell? (what the fuck?)
OMG – Oh my God! (Oh, my God!)
5.Where to find
Of course, we all want to be aware of events and keep up with the world, so as not to look stupid. And, although, at first glance, it seems that all this modern English can only be heard from the lips of a native speaker, this is not at all the case. There are a lot of resources where you can find modern expressions. These are the films and TV series we know, in which there is a huge amount of dialogue; magazines and newspapers, increasingly using a simple conversational style of presentation; books, however, are not classic ones written in the 19th century, but modern ones; and songs.
Tendencies in the development of modern English
English is the most popular language in the world. Listen to what Jay Walker, the American inventor, said about it.
(video)
As you understand it’s rather important to know English and use it as the language of communication abroad. As our life changes the language changes too and it can cause some difficulties for learners. So, the aim of our work is to discuss the new trends in the development of English and try to understand why they happened.
So what changes have occurred in the English language in the last 100 years?
It’s impossible to imagine any language without grammar. Nowadays we can see such changes:
- English is becoming more progressive. This tendency began hundreds of years ago, but now it’s widely spread. In British English, at least, the use of progressive forms is very often in the Passive voice, for example, “ It is being held ” instead of “ It is held ” and with modal verbs such as “should,” “would” and “might”, for example “ I should be going " instead of " I should go ”.
Yes, I'm being serious.- Yes, I'm serious. (Groundhog Day)
I should be going.- I have to go. (Weeds)
- According to the rules of the English language double negative is unacceptable, but lately it’s increasingly found in the dialects of the language. However, the double-negation option is still not correct on the grammarside, but it’s rather colloquial and isn’t used in formal speech.
Say you don"t need no diamond rings and I"ll be satisfied.“Tell me you don’t want diamond rings and I’ll be happy.” (The Beatles “Can't Buy Me Love”)
- Separation of an infinitive from the particle to. According to the common rule they can’t be separated - to go, to write, to read. And if you say, for example, This software allows my team to quickly solve problems(This equipment allows my team to quickly solve problems) you will be proposed to correct your mistake and to say This software allows my team to solve problems quickly . But modern grammar allows both variants.
Other example, Tyler... I want you to really listen to me. “Tyler... please listen to me.” (Fight Club)
- Haven't/ hasn't instead of don't (doesn't) have. This variant of the negative form is increasingly used by the British.
I haven't the slightest idea. - I have not the foggiest idea. (“Alice in Wonderland”)
You should have let me know that I haven't a chance at all. “You should have let me know that I didn’t stand a chance.” (Lana Del Rey “ Lift Your Eyes”)
But it’s not an approved norm of the language and in formal speech its use will be considered a mistake.
- The verb introducing the direct speech. Let’s remind that a standard sentence with the direct speech looks like this:
Mary says, “Wow, we are going to the cinema.”- Mary says: “Wow, we're going to the movies.”
But lately appeared some other ways to express the same with more expression. They are colloquial and used in an informal conversation. Let's see some examples.
Mary goes, “Wow, we are going to the cinema.”Goes instead of says has the same meaning, but more modern.
Mary is like, “Wow, we are going to the cinema.” In this case it means the person doesn’t say it literally but only gives the content. Saying it he/she will imitate Mary’s intonation and her gestures.
Mary is all, “Wow, we are going to the cinema.”To be used to show that the person spoke emotionally, with joy and delight.
The other example, The patient is like, “Uh, doc, what’s wrong?”“The patient is like, 'Hey, doctor, what's wrong?' (Fargo)
Among other tendencies
- the use of get instead of be in the passive voice ( I know you" re gonna get fired. — I know they're going to fire you. (House M.D.))
- he or she with the animal word ( Black dog barking in the cold gray light, he pulls the chain and he pulls it tight.— The black dog barks in the cold gray light, he pulls the chain and stretches it to the limit. (Chris Rea "Black Dog")
- the rare use of shall and ought to
- the use of is instead of are to simplify the pronunciation, for example Here' s your tickets instead of Here are your tickets.
- the variation of propositions on/at, in/on. There's a lot of controversy about how to say properly: knock on or knock at, in the street or on the street, in the team or on the team.
The Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) gives 386 examples of “ knock at the door " and 600 of " knock on the door ”
Of course these changes are more.
What about vocabulary? It changed a lot.
Abbreviations. Slang abbreviations such as LOL, OMG, BFF firmly fixed not only in text messages, but also in spoken language. Their use is especially popular with teenagers.
The Oxford dictionary contains 600 thousand words. But new words continue to appear in it. Thus, 35 words were included in it in 2017. Among them
Bling - somethingexpensive
Droolworthy -extremely attractive or desirable
Frankenfoodgenetically modified food
Illiterate -people who are not well educated or well informed about a particular subject or sphere of activity
Infomania-the constant desire to check or accumulate news and information, typically mobile phone or computer
Locavore-a person whose diet consists only or principally of locally grown or produced food.
A gender-neutral job title is becoming more popular. The use of “ policeman"or a" salesman” is tactless, instead of it you should say “ police officer” and “ salesperson”
The same things with “anybody/everybody”. For example people say “ Everybody did their own thing” (everyone did their own thing) instead of “ his own thing”.
They are more, but undoubtedly they all express our new reality. Some of them can be strange for us.
It’s not enough to know the words, collocations, brush up your grammar. Practice is more important and it’s the main.
We can face the problem of misunderstanding with native speakers because familiar words can be in an unwonted context. For example, one of the founders of the internet service Linguatrip.com (Marina Mogilko), who has been studying English since 4 and won English contests couldn’t avoid difficulties in communication, when she came abroad.
For example it was strange for her to hear the questions “How is it going?” and “What’s up?” in every place she was. At first she tried to explain in details, but actually it was enough to say “Fine.”
On the question How is it going?"she often heard" How is it going?”.
The expression I'm good"in the meaning" No thanks" embarrassed her.
-Wanna get a drink?(would you like something to drink?)
-Nah, I’ m good(no thanks)
It's more controversial the use of “ I'm good" instead of " I'm fine”
-How are you doing?
-I'm good
The word “like” is used instead of “as/such as” just to link the words in a conversation. it's a word-parasite.
“I was like, no way, you can’t act like that!”(And I kind of tell him: no, you can’t behave like that!)
We gave some examples of changes and most of them are connected with the spoken language, but they can be expressed in these words - SIMPLIFICATION, UNIFICATION, WIDE VARIATION.
So, what makes English change in such a way?
There are some theories about changes in any language.
Andre Martinet (the French linguist) said that people simplify a language for easier communication. According to his theory “Principle of saving efforts” (1988) constant contradictions between peoples’ needs and wishes to minimize their efforts can be observed like moving power of a language changing.
The second theory by Eugen Coșeriu (the German linguist) said that a language changes because it’s not a finished product, it’s always in the course development. So a language can’t function without changing. But only a speaker can make changes, a language can’t change by itself.
For a global language positive assessments of changes in the English language are obvious. The opinions on this point differ. This is due to the fact that on the one hand the unification and simplification of the language makes it more accessible and widespread, on the other hand, the language loses its uniqueness and beauty.
TRANSLATION
Sixth municipal scientific and practical conference of students of educational organizations of the Yegoryevsk urban district “Step into science”
Humanities: foreign languages
Topic: “Trends in the development of the English language at the present stage”
Zotov Kirill Timurovich, Municipal Educational Institution Secondary School No. 12 with UIOP, 9 “B” class
Scientific supervisor: Maria Vladimirovna Musatova, English teacher, Municipal Educational Institution Secondary School 12 with UIOP
Yegoryevsk, 2018
- Introduction.
- Main part.
- Major changes over the past 50 years.
- Perception of these changes by English language learners (survey). Practical use.
- Conclusion.
Introduction
In one of his talks, American inventor and entrepreneur Jay Walker notes the worldwide mania for learning English. It is studied massively, globally. So why English? First, Walker notes, it is a language of opportunity, a ticket to a better life, a way to get a better job. Secondly, English is the language of solving world problems, the language of global dialogue.
English, like any other language, changes over time. The purpose of this study is to study the direction of development of modern English.
The tasks include revealing the causes of changes, studying the types of changes, noting the differences between spoken English and academic English, and considering the variability in the use of lexical units.
In our research, we assume that, as a goal of international use, a language strives to become a convenient and simple means of international communication. However, not only external influences influence this process, but also the internal state of the English-speaking community.
Main part
- Reasons for the changes.
There are several theories about what influences language and therefore contributes to its change.
According to the theory of “The Law of Economy of Effort” by French linguist Andre Martinet (1908 - 1999), created in 1988, changes in language are explained by the fact that a person himself makes changes to the language, thereby simplifying it for ease of communication. According to this theory, the constant contradiction between a person's communication needs and his desire to minimize his mental and physical efforts can be considered as the driving force behind language changes.
The German linguist Eugen Cocheriu (1921 - 2002) in his theory argues that language is not a finished product, and that is why it changes and is continuously created in the course of linguistic activity. That is, languages cannot function without changing, because they are only a means of communication.
Internal and external causes of change are also distinguished.
Intralingual changes include changes that occur at the phonetic, grammatical and lexical levels.
In the process of phonetic changes, new sounds may appear, for example, in the English language, the reduction of unstressed vowels led to a simplification of the morphological structure of the word and the loss of most grammatical endings.
At the grammatical level, loss of grammatical meanings and forms is possible. Specifically, quite serious changes have occurred in the English language: unlike Old English, pronouns in modern English are not declined.
Changes at the lexical level include word formation, word composition, abbreviations, neologisms, and variability in the use of familiar lexical units.
Regarding external language changes, they occur in relation to how it is used and how it is treated. External language changes are also associated with history, migrations, and wars.
- Changes in the English language over the past 50 years.
Recently, the English language has undergone a number of changes, however, everything listed below is not an accepted language norm and therefore the use of such language variants is possible only in colloquial speech; in formal speech this is not accepted and can be considered an error.
Let's consider lexical and grammatical changes.
- English becomes more “long lasting”. In spoken English, you can increasingly hear the use of -ing at the end of verbs. This trend is now widespread. In British English, the use of continuous forms in the passive voice and with modal verbs such as "should," "would" or "might" is common.
Yes, I'm being serious. - Yes, I'm serious. (The film - Groundhog Day)
I should be going. - I have to go. (Weeds)
- Twice no. According to the rules of the English language, double negative is unacceptable, but recently it has become increasingly common in dialects of the language. However, the double negative option is still not grammatically correct, but rather is colloquial and is not used in formal speech.
Say you don"t need no diamond rings and I"ll be satisfied. “Tell me you don’t want diamond rings and I’ll be happy.” (The Beatles “Can't Buy Me Love”)
- Division of the infinitive. While studying English, we made it a rule that the infinitive and the particle to cannot be separated - to go, to write, to read. If you say This software allows my team to quickly solve problems, you will be asked to fix the error and say This software allows my team to solve problems quickly. However, the modern realities of the English language allow this too.
Tyler... I want you to really listen to me. “Tyler... please listen to me.” (The film - “Fight Club”)
- Haven’t / hasn’t instead of don’t (doesn’t) have. This type of denial is increasingly used by the British. But again, it is not an established norm of the language and in formal speech its use will be considered an error.
I haven't the slightest idea. - I don't have the slightest idea. (The book - Alice in Wonderland)
You should have let me know that I haven"t a chance at all. - You should have let me know that I don’t have a single chance. (Lana Del Rey “Lift Your Eyes”)
- Get in the passive voice. Continuing the theme of the passive voice, we can note the popularity of using the verb get instead of to be. In general, this verb has been used for quite a long time, but now it is becoming increasingly popular. However, this option is acceptable in informal, colloquial speech; in other cases, it is worth using the classic version.
Example: I know you"re gonna get fired. - I know that you are going to be fired. (The television series - House M.D.)
- Variability of verbs introducing direct speech. Recall that a standard sentence in direct speech looks like this:
Mary says, “Wow, we are going to the cinema.” - Mary says: “Wow, we're going to the movies.” However, new ways have emerged to express the same meaning with greater expressiveness.
For example, Mary goes, “Wow, we are going to the cinema.” Goes instead of says has the same meaning, but is more modern and youthful.
Mary is like, “Wow, we are going to the cinema.” In this case, this means that the person does not convey the literal statement, but conveys the content by imitating intonation and gestures.
Mary is all, “Wow, we are going to the cinema.” The verb to be was used to convey emotionality, joy, and delight.
- Abbreviations. Such slang abbreviations as LOL, OMG, BFF are firmly entrenched and exist not only in SMS correspondence, but also in colloquial speech. Their use is especially popular among teenagers.
- The result of lexico-grammatical changes.
Obviously, such changes have mixed results. On the one hand, we observe variability in the use of vocabulary, expansion of definitions for one word and simplification of grammatical structures, which leads to ease of use of the English language in communication and expands the range of its users, removing the language barrier. On the other hand, the erosion of generally accepted norms and excessive unification can introduce ambiguity when using the language in the official style, changing its uniqueness and beauty.
- As part of the project, a survey was conducted among young people aged 13-18 on the topic “Trends in the development of the English language at the present stage.”
- About 91% of respondents study English at school.
- Of these, 95% consider it useful and important for the future.
- Approximately 30% communicate (communicate) with native speakers.
- 74% assess the changes as positive.
- 5.4% assess the changes as negative.
- The remaining 20.6% find it difficult to answer.
Based on this survey, we can note an ambiguous assessment of changes in the English language; this may be due to the fact that, on the one hand, the unification and simplification of the language makes it more accessible and widespread, on the other hand, the language is losing its uniqueness and beauty.
Practical application and advice for students.
Despite the fact that changes are not recognized norms of the language, they should be known and taken into account, because they make up a large part of colloquial, everyday speech.
In order to understand native speakers when arriving in an English-speaking country and quickly overcome the language barrier, you need to follow several tips:
- Watch films/series with original dubbing, they use quite a lot of colloquial expressions, figures of speech and slang.
- Read books in English. No matter how banal this advice may sound, many people forget about it, but in vain.
- Finally, communicate with native speakers. Nowadays there are plenty of opportunities for this; the Internet and social networks can become great helpers in learning English.
- Do not forget that more attention should be paid to studying academic English; you will not learn the variability of the language if you do not know its basics.
Conclusion
The English language has undergone great changes over the past 50 years. Recently, we have seen a process of simplification and increased variability in the use of lexical units and grammatical forms, which were an inevitable result of the widespread use of the language. Vocabulary changes due to changes in society and culture. Under the influence of oral language forms, further liberalization and simplification of the norms of the literary and written language will occur. Among the main trends are the emergence of additional connotations for familiar words, abbreviation of words and word-formation adhesions, clogging of the language due to popular high-frequency words, neologisms.
Bibliography:
- Internet resources
linguisticsociety.org;
mentalfloss.com;
oxford-royale.co.uk
- E. Cocheriu “Synchrony, diachrony and history” // New in linguistics. Vol. III. M., 1963. P. 184
- A. Martinet “Fundamentals of General Linguistics” // New in Linguistics Vol. III. M., 1963. S. 532-533
Greetings to all! You have definitely decided to study English. Now all that remains is to decide which variant and dialect. There is an opinion that it is the British varieties of English that are universal. However, I beg to differ with this statement. If you are going to live, work or work in the US, why would you want to master the UK version and then re-learn? It is better to start immediately with the version that you will need.
In addition, even within the framework of the British, there are several dialects. And the same can be said about American English, as well as Australian, Canadian and others. So what variants and dialects of the English language exist, and how and which one, in the end, should be taught. This is what our article is about today.
The history of English variants
First, a little history about the origin of varieties of English. Several centuries ago there was only one version of English spoken in Britain. Other varieties of the English language began to appear then, the British began to actively conquer new lands on all continents.
Thus, interacting with the local dialects and dialects spoken by the inhabitants of the new British colonies, the following variants of modern English appeared:
- British
- American
- Indian
- Australian
- Irish
- Canadian
- African
- New Zealand
Of course, in each of the colonies, English developed along its own path, evolving and enriching itself. 
The result is completely different dialects and varieties of modern English.
The New Zealand, Australian and Irish variants are closest to the same classic British English that existed 300-400 years ago. This is explained by the fact that these states and territories, due to their geographical location and isolation, were not strongly influenced by the cultures and languages of other countries.
What are the differences between English variants?
This question is of primary interest to those starting to study the varieties of modern English. The main differences are in phonetics, that is, in the difference in pronunciation, melody, melodiousness or, conversely, rhythm.
In particular, the Irish version of modern English has a more “neutral”, smooth pronunciation, and there is a simplification and replacement of complex phonemes. The Irish also add neutral sounds to the articulation of words. So, the word “film” in Ireland will sound like “filem”. This melodiousness is the result of the influence of the Celtic language.
Australian version with an even slower beat. It is characterized by a more even scale of intonation fluctuations. So, an Englishman will pronounce the word “day” as “day”, and an Australian will say “di”. By the way, the well-known lexeme “love” among the British is “lav”, among the Scots we will hear “luv”, and among the Irish we will hear “liv”.
North America formed a completely different language, changing not only the sound, but also the spelling. “Shop” for Americans will sound “shap”, and for the British “shop”. The changes affected vocabulary, phonetics, and stable grammar. Therefore, it is quite natural that the main disputes and disagreements concern precisely two versions of English - American and British. 
Differences between dialects American English, unlike modern British English, is easier to understand and more open and flexible to change and correction. That is why the American version has gained the greatest popularity and distribution in the world. It has become the language of the new generation of any place of residence and any nationality, which grew up and is brought up on popular culture.
American English
Modern American English is known as "simplified language". This definition fully reflects the essence of this version. Ordinary people from different countries of the world who went to America in search of wealth needed a universal language of communication. The pure British language of the English aristocrats was not suitable for mastery by the common people.
Therefore, the modern American version is based on the spoken language of the British bourgeoisie and merchants. However, at that time, not only the Irish, Scots and British explored the lands of North America. Other European peoples also went there in search of happiness: Italians, Spaniards, Germans, French, Scandinavians and Slavs.
The newly formed nation needed a unifying means of communication so that everyone’s national languages did not become a stumbling block. This means was the transformed English language, which should be simpler in pronunciation, writing, and grammar, and at the same time contain elements of other languages. As a result, the well-known version of modern American English was formed.
Modern innovative technologies, global business, and a developed entertainment industry—all of this originates in the United States and flourishes all over the world. The entire culture and history of America, the mentality of Americans fit into the phrase “American Dream,” to which a huge number of people from all continents strive. The fact that the entire world community is studying English is also a merit not of the British, but of the Americans.
Universal English
The English that all foreigners study in language schools today is dubbed by native speakers as the “language of textbooks” - “Course Book English”. It is a universal standard language that is common and basic to all varieties of English. The “language of textbooks” is devoid of color and flavor - those elements that serve as a distinctive feature of the speech of a native speaker and a foreigner.
Each version of modern English has its own jargon, phraseological units, metaphors, stable idioms and even profanity. To know them, as well as the local melody and pronunciation, means to approach perfect command of the language, as if it were your own. But this task is incomprehensible to most. But few people set such a goal for themselves?! 
British versus American Today, English is one of the means of communication, not only with native speakers, but also with people of other nationalities, as well as for Internet communication. Universal English is not British, not American, not Australian, or any other variant - it is precisely the language of international communication. And this language is as simplified as possible for learning and understanding.
“International Business English” operates with the same concepts. Another established myth is that this is the American version. Despite the fact that business is an American invention, and the best business schools are located in the USA, business English cannot be attributed to any of the options. This is a universal professional language, neutral in color. It contains a limited set of terms and highly specialized cliches.
The language of business is studied while mastering a profession. It can even be studied at specialized trainings and courses - Business English. The basic information contained in the programs of these courses is approximately the same in all schools. Therefore, there is no significant difference where to study: in Australia, Great Britain, Canada, the USA or Russia.
What dialects are there in English?
Let's look at the dialects of the English language within the framework of the two most common variants - British and American.
In the British version the following dialects are distinguished:
- Received Pronunciation(accepted standard) or - BBC English- a language that is considered standard by national media and educated speakers
- Conservative English(conservative) - aristocratic English, which is used by parliament and members of the royal family
- Advanced English(advanced, youth) - the most simplified, malleable and actively changing language, incorporating other national dialects
The language of young people is most susceptible to changes, especially in vocabulary. The world around us is changing, new processes are emerging that need to be given names, and old ones need to be given new names. This is how new dialects appear. Also, the British vocabulary is replenished by borrowings from other varieties of English, mostly from American. 
Dialects of the New England period In the United Kingdom itself, the following dialects can be distinguished: Scottish, Northern, Irish, Central, South-Eastern, Welsh and South-Eastern. The latter, by the way, has acquired national status, since it is based on “correct English”. This dialect is used in the best private schools and universities in the UK such as Rugby, Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Cambridge, Oxford.
The same literary, classical dialect of the British version is taught in our secondary schools, colleges and universities in Foreign Language. It is the basis for any English courses in every linguistic school where foreigners are taught the language.
As for American diversity, the following main dialects clearly differ:
- Northern
- Central
- Southern (California)
However, each of these dialects is further subdivided into several subdialects. And if the North American dialect is very close in phonetics to classical British, since the first settlers from Britain settled here, then the southern or Californian dialect is considered the classic American dialect.
It is the most rich and characteristic of American pronunciation. Here the “rattling” is more emphasized, the vowels are shortened, and the consonants are more sonorous. Thus, the word “Better” in the southern dialect turns from the universally accepted “bete” into “bader”.
Which variant or dialect should I learn?
The answer to this question, in fact, lies on the surface. It all depends on the goal: why you need knowledge of English. If you need it for general development, then the American version of the southern dialect or the British version of the youth dialect is suitable; you need this same version if you intend to migrate to the USA, and you have to take the TOEFL exam and other international tests.
Are you planning to work or study in Canada? Then check out the Canadian version. Thinking of migrating to the UK? Then study the British version of the accepted standard or advanced dialect. When going to Australia, focus on the features of the Australian variation, etc. The only recommendation is to learn “correct English”, which is taught in schools, universities and academies. 
US dialect Many Russian linguists and teachers advise studying the British version of the “Received Pronunciation” dialect, since this version is considered to be “correct basic English.” Moreover, it is this variation that is taught in our country. Knowledge of basic English will make it easier to understand and master all other variants, dialects and modifications of this language.
According to our teachers, it is also necessary to study British because it is the richest and most complete version, which lies at the origins of all the others. American phonetics and grammar, unlike British ones, are much simpler. Thus, speakers from the USA use only simple tenses (Simple) and practically do not use perfect forms. Pronunciation has also been simplified.
The American language is called “sloppy”, while the British language is cleaner and more scrupulous. It has more intonation varieties, which form a variety of tones: sliding and stepped, ascending and descending, they have a rich intonation scale. In America, there is only one intonation scale and one falling tone, which form the sound structure of their language.
Thus, what will give you away as a foreigner’s accent is not the pronunciation of the sound itself, but the tempo and tonality. If you tighten or tighten the sound a little, the speakers will immediately see through you. By the way, the residents of the USA themselves are, as they say, “dragged” by the British, they are literally in awe of their pronunciation. Americans try to imitate the British, and sometimes invite them to visit, ask them to tell interesting stories, and they themselves enthusiastically enjoy the sound of pronunciation.
They also call the British a refined language, cleared of all speech errors, which the Americans never had, because their language was originally the result of mixing. When Americans envy “English culture, language and traditions,” they say “show off,” that is, “show off.” But what the British answer to them is that they are simply “polite” and “brought” - “polite” and “well-mannered”.
How to quickly learn another option?
Naturally, Russian linguists give preference to a more correct and pure language. After all, our educational institutions initially focus on modern classical English. However, professional teachers should still explain and show the difference between the British and American versions, but only when the student reaches an advanced level.
Whereas at the initial stage, it will be enough for the student to learn to understand at least one variant or dialect well. After all, even in order to learn one of the versions of a foreign language, you will have to put in a lot of patience, perseverance, time and effort. “Fast” techniques and intensive communication methods are unlikely to help here. They are suitable for developing communication skills and
As mentioned above, three languages coexisted in England after the Norman Conquest: English, French (Anglo-Norman) and Latin. The English dialects spoken by the indigenous population were equal to each other; Various works were written in them, but English was not used as the official language. The official state language used in legal proceedings, parliamentary debates and education was Anglo-Norman. Latin was the language of the church and science.
With the increasing assimilation of the Norman part of the population, English penetrated into those social strata where French had previously been the language of communication. Since the 13th century. One can trace the gradual expansion of the use of English. Thus, French began to lose ground. Thus, in 1258, the English king Henry III addressed the inhabitants of the country with an appeal in two languages - French and English (London dialect). In the middle of the 14th century. The rise of the English language becomes even more evident. English began to gradually displace French from legal proceedings and parliament; Teaching in schools begins to be conducted in English.
By the end of the 14th century. English finally becomes the official language. The last act that finally cemented the victory of the English language over French was the abolition of French as the language of school instruction in 1477. Since that time, there has been a change in the relationship between the dialects. The London dialect acquires a special position, incorporating features of various dialects. However, its basis is east-central with an admixture of southwestern elements, as well as other dialects.
London dialect of the early 14th century. represented by the poems of Adami Devi; the second half - works by Geoffrey Chaucer, John Gower and John Wycliffe. It should be noted the enormous role of the works of J. Chaucer (1340-1400) in the development of English literature. His largest works, “Canterbury Tales” and “A Legend of Good Women,” were copied in many copies and distributed throughout the country, which undoubtedly contributed to the spread of the written form of the London dialect. An equally important role was played by the translation of the Bible into English made by J. Wycliffe.
During the 15th century. The London literary language gradually spread, displacing local dialects. Being the capital of the state, London was a major trading center, a city of powerful guild organizations; people of various professions from various regions, speaking different dialects, arrived there. Thus, at the early stage of the formation of the national language, various dialect forms, both pronunciation and grammatical, coexisted in the London dialect. The concept of a language norm did not yet exist; there was a tradition that could not eliminate multivariance.
It should be noted. That the 15th century was a period of major changes in the government structure of England. After the War of the Scarlet and White Roses (1455 - 1485), the absolute monarchy of the Tudor dynasty was established in the country. This contributed to a sharp centralization of power and the separation of the state language from dialects, which became oral dialects.
The London dialect, as the dialect of the largest economic, administrative and political center of the country, had a huge influence on the language of all regions of the country. The introduction of printing played a major role in this. The pioneer English printer was William Caxton, a native of Kent who became acquainted with printing in the city of Bruges in Flanders. Here, in 1475, Caxton published his first book in English, “The Recuyell of the Histories of Troy.” Returning to his homeland, Caxton opened a printing house in London, and in 1477 the first printed book, “The Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers,” appeared in England.
Since the concept of a norm did not yet exist, Caxton was not sure of the correctness of his language. With regard to spelling, he adhered to the tradition developed by the scribes. However, this spelling tradition was already outdated, because did not eliminate the discrepancies that appeared between spelling and pronunciation. By using this outdated spelling in printed publications, Caxton thereby consolidated it.
Thus, by the 16th century. the special position of the London dialect as the basis of the emerging national language was clearly outlined, and by the end of the 16th century. the formation of the national language can be considered complete. It went simultaneously with the formation of the English nation. If the language of a nationality is represented only in territorial dialects, the national language is supra-territorial, because serves the entire country. Dialects become practically unwritten, and the national language dominates in the sphere of written use. In the sphere of oral communication, the national language functions in all government institutions.
Social changes in England in the 16th century. created the preconditions for a great social and cultural upsurge, on the basis of which a new national literature arose. After the barren 15th century, which did not create a single significant literary monument, in the 16th century. A large number of major literary works are being created. A whole galaxy of playwrights appears - William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Benjamin Johnson, John Fletcher, Francis Beaumont. This era, which is usually called Elizabethan (Elizabeth I - 1558-1603), is linguistically included in the period of the Early Modern English language.
The teaching of the native language in school begins in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In this regard, there is a need to develop universal language norms. This problem is solved like this. called grammarians and spellers. Among the most famous spelling artists of the 16th century. Hart, W. Bullocar should be included; 17th century – A. Gill; Ch. Butler, Ch. Cooper; 18th century – J. Jones; 19th century – J. Walker. Orthoepists are to a certain extent the predecessors of phoneticians at the pre-scientific level. They tried to describe their contemporary pronunciation in terms of the relationship between letters and sounds and give certain recommendations. The starting point in this case was the letter, and spellers did not always distinguish between letters and sounds.
The first grammars of the English language were modeled on Latin ones; in particular, the first grammarians focused on Latin grammar. Among them are the names of W. Bullocar, B. Johnson, C. Johnson, C. Butler, J. Wallis, etc. During this period, one should distinguish between grammarians adhering to the tradition and authors with more advanced views. In the grammar of the 17th - early 18th centuries. There are two main directions: rationalistic and empirical. Thus, some grammarians believed that language should come from the mind (“reason”), i.e. logicians, others, on the contrary, believed that when establishing rules one should proceed from existing custom (“usage”), i.e. from established usage in the language. However, in reality, both these directions were not so far apart. The principles of “reason” and “custom” were used only to resolve controversial issues when choosing one of the options existing in the language.
In the second half of the 18th century. grammarians set themselves the goal of “improving” the language, clearing it of all unnecessary things, and fixing it in this form forever. In accordance with their goal, grammarians of this time not only described the language, but also established certain rules, recommendations and prohibitions.
Among the rationalist scientists we can name R. Lowth, a representative of the principle of “correctness” based on logic (“reason”), J. Edison, J. Swift.
In contrast to the rationalists, who did not recognize any changes in language and considered them as corruption, representatives of the empirical school recognized change and development in language. So, for example, J. Priestley advocates following established usage (“usage”). But he also recognizes in controversial cases the need to apply the criterion of “consistency with reason.” Proponents of this trend include such grammatical authors as Brightland and Greenwood. Thus, by the end of the 18th century. rules for the use of grammatical forms were established.
Simultaneously with spellers and grammarians, lexicographers also made their contribution to the scientific study of language, striving to record the vocabulary of the language. The first dictionaries were bilingual Latin-English dictionaries. Then dictionaries of difficult words and explanatory dictionaries appear (for example, N. Bailey’s dictionary “A Universal Etimological English Dictionary”). In 1755, Dr. Samuel Johnson's Great Oxford Dictionary was published. This dictionary enjoyed great popularity and authority. It was a universal reference book for writers of the 19th century, because was compiled from original sources. In his dictionary, Johnson strives to preserve traditional spelling; in pronunciation, he recommends deviating as little as possible from the spelling.
During the 17th – 18th centuries. The English language has developed a stable literary norm, which took shape and was consolidated in the works of grammarians and spellers, as well as in numerous literary works of this period. Literary language of the 18th century. differs by a much greater degree of standardization and regulation than the Early Modern English language of the 16th - 17th centuries.
Thus, by the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries. the norm of the national literary language was completely established. That educational and reference apparatus was created - grammars and dictionaries - which allows the speaker (and writer) in a given language to choose the correct form or the corresponding word within the limits of this norm.
Modern English is different from what English was a hundred years ago. After all, any living language tends to change. And we are talking not only about the emergence of new slang words and acronyms, but also about changes in sounds, words and grammatical structures. In this article we will talk about the most interesting changes in the English language that have occurred over the last century.
Before we begin, we would like to note that all these changes are not yet established grammatical rules, therefore they are used only in informal and semi-formal speech.
Enter straight speech that helps emphasize emotions
Despite the fact that, according to all the rules, direct speech looks like this:
He said,”Great – I’ll go to the party”
Over the past few decades, several more ways have emerged to convey someone's words, while doing so in a more emotional way. We suggest considering several options:
— He goes, “Great – I’ll go to the party”
In this case, the word “goes” is equivalent to “said”, but sounds more youthful and emotional.
He is like,”Great – I’ll go to the party”
The construction “to be like” is used as an input into direct speech when we convey what a person said not literally, but only approximately, trying to express the essence of what was said. At the same time, we will try to copy the intonation and gestures of the person we are talking about. The Russian equivalent of this expression could be:
He's like, "Great, I'll go to the party."
To be all; - this is the newest construction, which is equivalent to the previous one, but is often used when a person said something very emotionally. In our case, he said that he would go to the party with delight.
He is all, “Great – I’ll go to the party!”
The Russian analogue may sound like this:
And he was like, “Great, I’ll go to the party!”
Separating the verb and the particle “to”
According to the rules of the English language, you cannot break the infinitive. If you write the phrase “our team tried very quickly to solve that problem” in your essay, the teacher will probably correct it.
However, in oral speech, native speakers increasingly break the verb and the particle “to” with an adverb. Interestingly, the rule not to break the infinitive appeared in the 17th century and was borrowed from Latin, which at that time was considered a model language. In Latin, infinitives were written together, so it was impossible to break them with another word. To bring English closer to Latin, a rule was introduced that it was impossible to separate the particle “to” from the verb.
Start to do or start doing
Verbs such as “start” and “begin” are used with both an infinitive and a gerund. Both constructions are correct and have been used for a long time. However, since the 40s of the last century, the tendency to use these verbs with a gerund has been steadily growing. But the preference to use verbs denoting emotions, hate, love like, with the ending ing began to increase since the 1950s. It is worth noting that verbs such as cease, stand, intend are still used with the infinitive.
Twice no
Teachers love to correct students when they use double negatives. But in spoken English, native speakers are increasingly using it.
For example, if it is grammatically correct to say “I didn’t eat any ice-cream today” (I didn’t eat any ice cream today), then in colloquial speech you can increasingly hear a phrase with a double negative: “I didn’t eat no ice-cream today.”
Continuous form of the verb in English
Apparently, native speakers liked the use of the continuous form of the verb, which is becoming increasingly popular. Today it is much more common to hear something like “He’s being furious” instead of “He’s furious”.
Continuous forms in the passive voice and with modal verbs also began to be used more often:
That question is beign taken seriously - that question is taken seriously
You should be going - you should go.
Modal verbs
It has long been clear that it is time to say goodbye to “shall” and “ought to,” which are used less and less. But “will,” “should,” and “can” were not affected by the changes. Recently, going to, have to, need to, want to are increasingly used, which often replace other modal verbs and constructions.
For example, often the verb have to replaces must, and instead of should, when giving a recommendation, they use want to.
Quite often you can hear:
You might want to use a dictionary (instead of: You should use a dictionary).
This construction looks like more polite advice by replacing “you should” with “you might want to.”
Don't have or Haven't
If we suddenly said “I haven’t a book” during class, the teacher corrected us, saying that there must be an auxiliary verb. However, it is actually acceptable to say “haven’t” when we don’t have something. At the same time, it is curious that such a “non-standard” option is preferred by the prim British, while Americans more often say “don’t have.”
Get-passive
In modern English, get is increasingly used in the passive. Instead of “he was promoted” (he was promoted), now they can more often say “he got promoted”. Of course, the use of this form of the passive is by no means new, but 50 years ago it was used much less frequently.
Animated animals
Back in school we were taught that any animal in English is it, that is, “it”. But is it possible to do this with our beloved pets? Now in relation to animals it is more correct to use he or she (depending on the gender of the animal).
A Briton may, to put it mildly, be very offended by you if you suddenly call his favorite horse “it”.
Modern English does not stand still, but continues to develop, and who knows how it will change in another century. In the meantime, we would like to remind you that all of the above points relate only to informal English, so if you are writing an essay, a business letter, or taking an exam, it is better to use grammatically correct constructions.
