What is nonstandard English?

What is nonstandard English?

not conforming in pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, etc., to the usage characteristic of and considered acceptable by most educated native speakers; lacking in social prestige or regionally or socially limited in use: a nonstandard dialect; nonstandard English.

What is the difference between standard and nonstandard language?

A standard language is a variety of language that is used by governments, in the media, in schools and for international communication. In contrast, there are non-standard forms of a language that are used, for example, in different regional dialects and these non-standard varieties are different from each other.

What are nonstandard English examples?

Examples of non-standard British Englishedit edit source

  • we was is used in place of “we were”.
  • if I was you is used in place of “If I were you”.
  • they was waiting for us is used in place of “they were waiting for us”.
  • ain’t is frequently used – even if in a jocular vein – instead of (be) not (and also (have) not)

When should you use nonstandard English?

We use non-standard English in informal settings, when we are more relaxed and with people we know well, such as family or friends. Look at the table below to see two versions of the same message in standard and non-standard English, and compare the different features they have.

Where do we use standard English?

Definitions. Although standard English is generally used in public and official communications and settings, there is a range of registers (stylistic levels), such as those for journalism (print, television, internet) and for academic publishing (monographs, academic papers, internet).

Why is standard English?

And so, Standard British English was created (as opposed to dialects, which developed more naturally) and the same kind of process happened for every Standard English in the world: government officials and academics chose grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary from one or more dialects that had some higher status in …

Why is standard English prestigious?

Historically, we can say that Standard English was selected (though of course, unlike many other languages, not by any overt or conscious decision) as the variety to become the standard variety precisely because it was the variety associated with the social group with the highest degree of power, wealth and prestige.

Is Standard English outdated?

The English language is a standard that is considered a patchwork of different dialects. It follows a cycle in which a standard today becomes outdated tomorrow. There are facts about the linguistic problems in some countries and confusion about whether some languages are dialects or not.

Does standard English exist?

Standard English refers to any form of the English language considered by some people as the ideal use of language for educated native speakers. Although originating in England, English is now spoken as a first language in many countries of the world, each of which has developed its own “national standards”.

Is British Standard English superior?

From a sociolinguistic point of view, British Standard English is seen as superior due to being the most widely used form in both spoken language and in most published media, such as textbooks, news broadcasting and documentaries. It is also generally associated by most people with a more highly educated speaker base.

Is English accent or British accent?

The UK has the most local accents of any English speaker country. As such, a single “British accent” does not exist. However, someone could be said to have an English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish accent, although these all have many different sub-types.

What are accents in French?

French accents

  • L’accent aigu (é)
  • L’accent grave (à, è, ù)
  • L’accent circonflexe or “chapeau” (â, ê, î, ô, û)
  • La cédille (ç)
  • Le tréma (ë, ï, ü)