History of English Language

History of English

• Origins: Germanic languages (Angles, Saxons, Jutes) brought to Britain in 5th century
• Influenced by:
  • Latin (Roman occupation)
  • Old Norse (Viking invasions)
  • French (Norman Conquest)
  • Other languages (e.g. Greek, Arabic) during colonial period

Language Features

• Alphabetic script: 26 letters of the Latin alphabet, with additional letters (e.g. th, ch) and diacritics (e.g. é, ñ)
• Phonology: 44 phonemes (distinct sounds), with variations in pronunciation across regions and accents
• Grammar: Subject-Verb-Object word order, with many exceptions; tenses (e.g. present, past, future) and aspects (e.g. simple, progressive, perfect)
• Vocabulary: Over 170,000 words in current use, with many borrowed from other languages

Varieties of English

• Regional accents and dialects: e.g. RP (Received Pronunciation), Cockney, Southern American, Australian
• Standard English: formal, standardized variety used in education, government, and media
• Non-standard English: informal, regional, or social varieties (e.g. African American Vernacular English, Singlish)

English Language Skills

• Reading: decoding, comprehension, fluency
• Writing: handwriting, spelling, grammar, composition
• Listening: auditory comprehension, phonological awareness
• Speaking: pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, discourse

Language Change and Evolution

• Language contact: influence of other languages on English vocabulary and grammar
• Neologisms: new words and expressions (e.g. "selfie", "hashtag")
• Language shift: changes in language use over time (e.g. from formal to informal)

English Language Teaching and Learning

• Language acquisition: natural, informal learning (e.g. children)
• Language instruction: formal, structured teaching (e.g. classrooms)
• Language assessment: evaluation of language proficiency (e.g. tests, exams)

History of English

• Germanic languages, including Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, were introduced to Britain in the 5th century
• Latin, Old Norse, French, and other languages influenced English due to Roman occupation, Viking invasions, Norman Conquest, and colonial periods

Language Features

• English alphabet consists of 26 Latin letters, with additional letters (e.g. th, ch) and diacritics (e.g. é, ñ)
• 44 phonemes (distinct sounds) exist in English, with variations in pronunciation across regions and accents
• English grammar follows a subject-verb-object word order, with many exceptions, and features various tenses (e.g. present, past, future) and aspects (e.g. simple, progressive, perfect)
• English vocabulary comprises over 170,000 words in current use, with many borrowed from other languages

Varieties of English

• Regional accents and dialects include Received Pronunciation (RP), Cockney, Southern American, Australian, and others
• Standard English is a formal, standardized variety used in education, government, and media
• Non-standard English includes informal, regional, or social varieties such as African American Vernacular English, Singlish, and others

English Language Skills

• Reading skills involve decoding, comprehension, and fluency
• Writing skills include handwriting, spelling, grammar, and composition
• Listening skills involve auditory comprehension and phonological awareness
• Speaking skills involve pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, and discourse

Language Change and Evolution

• Language contact influences English vocabulary and grammar
• Neologisms are new words and expressions, such as "selfie" and "hashtag"
• Language shift occurs when language use changes over time, such as the shift from formal to informal language

English Language Teaching and Learning

• Language acquisition involves natural, informal learning, such as how children learn language
• Language instruction involves formal, structured teaching, often in classrooms
• Language assessment evaluates language proficiency through tests, exams, and other means