Variation

English speakers can be divided into three groups:

1) ENL, those who have English as a native language. (350 million)

2) ESL, those who have English as a second language (700 million)

3) EFL, those who learnt English as a foreign language.

In countries where English is an official language, the users are either native speakers or ESL speakers. At least 60 sovereign states in the world have English as an official language.

In other countries, English is a co-official language, sharing its status with other languages.

English is a lingua franca, a language used by speakers who do not share a native language. There are many reasons:

English is used by the majority as a second language and has a considerable importance in government and education.

Standard varieties tend to be:

- national

- non-regional

Non-standard varieties are often linked to a specific geographical region or community.

Varieties spoken in the Caribbean, in the Pacific and West Africa.

  • the development of printing and the growing strength of London as the capital;
  • Immigration
  • Trade and colonisation, a process which resulted in English being spoken as a native language in the USA, in Canada, in Australia, New Zeland, South Africa.

It is useful to distinguish:

While studying variation, some aspects are important to be taken in consideration:

  • The background of the variety and its status in the place where it is spoken, in particular if it is a standard or non-standard variety or if it is mainly used by a native or non-native speaker.
  • Personal and social aspects of the speakers, such as age, gender and social status.

- Lexical variation

- Grammatical variation

- Variation in discourse

- Phonological variation

Lexical variation

Vocabulary changes are the most rapid. There is a considerable degree of lexical variation to be found in both standard and non-standard dialects.