Standardisation of English

The English language first came to Britain during the Anglo-Saxon invasion in 5AD. Now, it is recognised as an official language in over 50 countries worldwide and exists in many different varieties. English truly is a global language, and, thanks to the process of standardisation, people across the world can communicate and understand each other.

Fig. 1 - There are many variations of English but the standardisation of English has lead to easier global communication.

Variations

Factors that led to the standardisation of English

Standardised English didn’t just happen overnight. These changes occurred relatively ‘naturally’ over hundreds of years. However, several key factors significantly influenced the standardisation process.

After the Norman conquest in 1066, French and Latin replaced English as the language of the upper class and were the languages used in official writing. Throughout the Middle English period (11th-15th century), English existed in many regional forms and was mainly used for everyday life.

These regional variations of English were reflected in speech and writing, meaning that there were plenty of different pronunciations and spellings of words.

The printing press

Later on, in 1476, William Caxton introduced the printing press to Britain and published the first book in English. Printing helped to standardise the English language by regularising regional variation. This is because Caxton had to decide on one form of English to use in his printing, a form which would then be distributed to the population in all of his books.

Despite there still being many inconsistencies in printed texts, the availability of books meant that more people could learn to read and write according to the more fixed standards of English. People became much more linguistically aware, which was reflected in the recognition of regional varieties, and new vocabulary, such as ‘dialect’ and ‘Accent, was created to describe this.

Dictionaries

Spelling and vocabulary continued to be standardised throughout the Middle English period, with the first English dictionary, called Table Alphabeticall, being published in 1604 by Robert Cawdrey. 150 years later, in 1755, the Dictionary of the English Language was published by Samuel Johnson.

This dictionary gave detailed definitions of words and quotations showing how to use the words in context. The publication of dictionaries was an important factor in standardisation as they helped to stabilise spelling and definitions. This has led to the English language developing into what we know today.

Fig. 2 - The invention of the dictionary was a key factor influencing the standardisation of English.

The features of standardised English

When looking at the features of standard English we’re looking at four main areas of which have become standard ‘norms’. These areas consist of; Phonology, grammar, vocabulary, and spelling.

Phonology

Each English-speaking country has a certain Accent that is seen as standard. This standard Accent is often used by official organisations, on news channels, and when teaching English as a foreign language.

In the UK, this standard accent is the ‘Received Pronunciation Accent (RP)’, in America it is the ‘Standard American Accent’, and in Australia, it is the ‘General Australian Accent’.

English grammar

In school, we are taught the ‘correct’ way to use English by our textbooks and teachers. There are certain rules such as ‘never use a double negative’ (e.g. ’I don’t want nothing’) or ‘avoid the Passive Voice’ (e.g. ‘the book was read by the girl’).

The idea that standard English is the ‘correct’ form of English is a prescriptivist viewpoint.

Vocabulary (lexis and semantics)

Standard English tends to avoid Slang words; instead, it uses more Formal Language that derives from the French language, e.g. ‘commence’ rather than ‘start’ (think back to the Norman conquest of 1066).

Spelling

We are expected to use the ‘correct’ spelling when writing in standard English. This standardised spelling is further enforced by the dictionary, which keeps a record of the language.

Standard spelling differs slightly across the world. For example, British people use the affix -our (‘labour’), whereas Americans use the affix -or (‘labor’).

These standards are not officially enforced. However, there are ‘gatekeepers’ of the English language who maintain the standard. These include organisations such as Cambridge University Press, which maintains the standard through publishing educational materials in standard English.

How the standardisation of the English Language affected vocabulary

One key area of standardisation is vocabulary influenced by external factors (e.g. invasions) and key events (e.g. the establishment of the dictionary). Let’s have a look in more detail.

Modern English spelling

Modern English spelling remains pretty irregular, making things difficult for new learners of English. Even native English speakers struggle.

For example, take a look at this excerpt from a poem called 'The Chaos', written by Gerard Nolst Trenité in 1922. The poem highlights the biggest irregularities in the English language in terms of spelling and pronunciation.

In this text, we see how irregular Modern English spelling can be when compared to how we actually pronounce the word. Even words that are spelled the same have different pronunciations (e.g. ‘tear in eye’ and ‘dress you’ll tear’).

Standardisation of English for global communication

Fast-forward to modern-day English, and we see the importance of standardisation in everyday life. Standard English is used worldwide for international communication as well as for teaching English as a foreign language.

The stability and consistency of the standard mean that English is teachable and all learners can understand standard English around the world.

Whilst regional dialects are still prevalent across English-speaking countries, standard English will remain a useful tool for communication and learning for years to come.

Fig. 3 - Standardised English has become a connecting force across the world.