Variety vs Standard English

With around 1.35 billion people speaking English around the world, it is no surprise many different ways of speaking the language have developed. In the UK alone, there are an estimated 30-40 regional variations of English, meaning that you can often hear a different way of speaking just 30 minutes down the road!

These different ways of speaking are called ‘varieties’. One variety that you'll probably recognise already is called Standard English. We use this variety in school and in formal situations. It's pretty standard, you could say.

Let’s learn more about Standard English and varieties. We will consider their usage, key features, and include plenty of examples along the way!

Standard English

Standard English is a form of English that is a widely recognised and accepted form of English. It is used in domains such as education, the media, and in official organisations (eg. in Government). Standard English is often used in situations where you need to be formal and polite, such as when you are speaking to your headteacher or sending an important email.

Standard English follows specific grammar rules (remember all of those spelling tests!) and that we use in exams. It is also the form that you are reading right now!

People studying English as a foreign language are taught Standard English. It is the form that is recognised by English speakers around the world and is used for international communication. Standard English is not associated with a particular place and is a uniform form of language throughout the world.

Different varieties of English are spoken all over the world, but generally, Standard English is taught to second language learners.

Types of Standard English

Each of these types of English is considered a 'Standard English' as they are widely recognised, accepted, and used:

• Standard British English
• Standard American English
• Standard Scottish English
• Standard Australian English
• Standard South African English

All standard varieties are similar to each other, and are generally understood by all English speakers. For example, Standard American English has some different features to Standard British English, including slightly different spelling eg. ‘color’ (American) vs. ‘colour’ (British) and some different vocabulary eg. ‘soccer’ (American) vs. ‘football’ (British). However, both varieties are understood by English speakers globally.

Features of Standard English

Standard English has some specific features:

• Phonology - Certain accents are seen as the standard for certain countries. For the UK, Received Pronunciation (RP) or the ‘Queen’s English’, is seen as the standard accent. It is considered typically British and is the standard accent taught to English language learners around the world. There are also other standard English accents, such as ‘General American’ and ‘General Australian’. Despite this, there are many unique and different English accents spoken across the globe.

• Syntax - Standard English follows certain rules concerning word order. For example, sentences in English follow the sequence subject, verb, object (SVO) eg. I (subject) play (verb) tennis (object).

• Grammar - Standard English maintains a standard of grammar. We are expected to use ‘correct English’ such as correct tenses and verb agreements. Language such as ‘we was going’ is not considered to be Standard or indeed ‘correct’, but it is a feature of some non-standard varieties of English.

• Vocabulary (Lexis) - Standard English tends to avoid slang. For example, the word ‘friend’ is standard whereas the word ‘mate’ is considered to be slang.

• Spelling conventions -Standard English consists of standardised spelling (ie. the spelling that we find in the dictionary). This may differ between countries. For example, British people use the affix -ise (‘recognise’) but Americans use the affix -ize (‘recognize’). There are also rules concerning punctuation, which we are expected to use in particular ways. We are also expected to capitalise the first word of a sentence and all proper nouns (i.e. the names of people, places, and things).

Standard English is also very diverse in register. It may be used in a variety of situations, including in both spoken and written English and in formal and informal situations.

Examples of Standard English

Let’s now look at some examples from everyday life:

In these examples, we use full-length sentences in standard English as well as more formal language (eg. ‘how are you today?’), and standard grammar eg. ‘we were’ instead of ‘we was’. We also see plenty of contractions in the examples of non-standard English, like ‘ain’t gonna’.

We often use more non-standard forms when we're chatting to friends, as opposed to more formal situations.

What is a variety of English?

A variety in linguistics is a specific form of language. This can include different registers, dialects, sociolects (social dialects), styles, and accents.

Regional dialects are varieties of English spoken in a particular region. Dialects are characterised by their own lexis (words), grammar rules, and accents. For example, Geordie is a variety of English from the region around Newcastle. It consists of its own words (eg. ‘howay, man’ meaning ‘come one, hurry up’) and its own accent (eg. ‘going out’ is pronounced ‘gannin oot’).

Standard English is seen as a variety of English, often referred to as the ‘standard variety’. It is a specific form of English, characterised by its own lexis, grammar rules, and the RP accent. All other varieties are considered non-standard (basically any variety that isn’t the standard is considered to be ‘non-standard’).

It is important to remember that ‘variety’ is quite a general term, which can be used to refer to any specific form of English. Varieties of English may include a larger, general population such as ‘American English’. This variety can then be split into specific varieties, like a ‘Southern American’ dialect, or even further into specific regional varieties such as ‘Texan English’.

Even your own way of speaking is a variety as you have a unique choice of words, grammar rules, and accent. This is called your idiolect.

Standard and non-standard English examples

Examples of varieties of English in the UK include more general varieties, such as Scottish English and Irish English, and more specific regional varieties associated with specific areas. For example:

• Geordie (associated with the Newcastle/Tyneside region)
• Mancunian (associated with the Manchester region)
• Brummie (associated with the Birmingham region)
• Glaswegian (associated with the Glasgow region)
• And many, many more

There are also plenty of varieties of English outside the UK:

• Australian Aboriginal English (a variety specific to the indigenous population of Australia)
• Indian English
• African American Vernacular English (a variety spoken by Black Americans in typically urban, working/middle-class communities)
• Canadian English

All of these varieties share the same basic characteristics and can generally be understood by all English speakers. However, each variety has its own specific features, including specific lexis, grammar, and accents.

Case study: the Scouse variety

Let’s look at some features of a UK variety of English called 'Scouse'. Scouse is a dialect from the Liverpool region and is a recognisable accent. It is spoken by the likes of footballer Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, and the Beatles.

Key features include:

• Phonology - People from Liverpool (Scousers) have a recognisable accent. For example, the /th/ sound (eg. ‘there’) is often pronounced as /d/ (eg. ‘der’). The /t/ sound at the end of words is commonly pronounced /h/ eg. ‘not’ would be pronounced ‘noh’.
• Vocabulary- Scouse has plenty of its own words. For example, ‘you webs are boss la’ means ‘your shoes are nice/cool’. You will often hear the word ‘sound’, meaning ‘cool’ or ‘good’.
• Grammar- Scousers often say the second person plural ‘you’ as ‘yous’ eg. ‘are yous going out?’. The pronoun ‘my’ is often replaced with ‘me’ too.

The Beatles were a band from Liverpool and spoke in the Scouse accent.

Importance of different varieties of English

Let’s consider two key differences between standard and non-standard varieties of English, and look at how each has its value:

Use in different situations

Think about the following situations:

• You are having a conversation with your headteacher about how exams are going.
• You are writing a formal letter to the Mayor.

What kind of language would you use in these situations?

Now compare the following situations:

• You’re chatting with your friends after school about the latest TV drama.
• You’re writing a funny text to your best friend.

What kind of language would you use in these situations?

Can you think of any differences between the language you would use in the first set of examples compared to the second set?

Typically, we would use Standard English in the first set of situations as these are formal contexts and involve people we respect. We would use non-standard English in the second set of situations as these are less formal and involve people we know well. In Non-standard English, we often use slang (eg. ‘that’s sick!’ meaning ‘that’s cool!’), contractions (eg. ‘ain’t’), and we may not always follow standard grammar rules (eg. ‘we was there’).

Flexibility

The form of Standard English is pretty fixed. It follows specific rules. While this standard isn’t officially governed by anyone, there are organisations that are seen as the ‘gatekeepers’ of the English language. This includes the Oxford English Dictionary which keeps a record of the language, as well as Cambridge University Press which publishes both academic and educational materials in Standard English. Cambridge also offers qualifications for teaching (standard) English that are recognised worldwide. Both are seen as prestigious, and maintain the standard through their materials.

Non-standard varieties are more flexible in their use of new vocabulary and grammar. We see brand new slang words coming into our language all the time, as well as non-standard grammar. Language can therefore be used in a more flexible and creative way.

Neutrality

We do not associate Standard English with a particular region in the same way that we do with regional varieties. This means that it can be seen as a more neutral form of language and is less likely to face stigma or bias.

Attitudes towards Standard English and Non-standard varieties of English

Different people have different attitudes towards different forms of English. For example, someone may associate Standard British English and the RP accent with being well-educated while another person may associate it with being pretentious.

Other people may associate varieties of non-standard English with positive traits. For example, people may associate the Yorkshire accent with being friendly and trustworthy while RP may be seen as pretentious and untrustworthy.

Prescriptivist and descriptivist viewpoints also reflect attitudes towards Standard and non-standard English. Prescriptivists view Standard English as superior to other varieties and believe that it is the correct, pure form of English. Descriptivists look at how language is used in everyday life and do not believe that any specific forms of language are correct or incorrect.

These attitudes towards language have developed over time and are often influenced by social and political factors.

Descriptivist and prescriptivist approaches to language will have different attitudes towards non-standard varieties of English, Pixabay