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| The issue is particularly complicated because English has become the most widely used language in the world, and therefore it is the language most subject to alteration by non-native speakers. | The issue is particularly complicated because English has become the most widely used language in the world, and therefore it is the language most subject to alteration by non-native speakers. | ||
| A rough ] used in some parts of the world, particularly those that are (or were) members of the ], is to follow pronunciation and old usage guides of the ], otherwise known as ] or the ]. Some residents of such countries oppose what they see as the linguistic mandate of moneyed classes and claim to intentionally use non-standard English as a form of protest. | A rough ] used in some parts of the world, particularly those that are (or were) members of the ], is to follow pronunciation and old usage guides of the ], otherwise known as ] or the ]. Some residents of such countries oppose what they see as the linguistic mandate of moneyed classes and claim to intentionally use non-standard English as a form of protest. Similarly, there is a growing minority in the United States of native speakers of American English who choose to use the ] because they see it as "more standard," or for other more political reasons. | ||
Revision as of 07:25, 17 January 2005
| Dialects and accents of Modern English by continent | |||||||||||||||||||
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Standard English is a general term for a form of written and spoken English that is considered the model for educated people. There are no set rules or vocabulary for "standard English" because, unlike languages such as French, English does not have a governing body (see Académie française) to establish usage. As a result, the concept of "standard English" tends to be fluid. Various regional and national "standards" exist.
The issue is particularly complicated because English has become the most widely used language in the world, and therefore it is the language most subject to alteration by non-native speakers.
A rough rule of thumb used in some parts of the world, particularly those that are (or were) members of the Commonwealth of Nations, is to follow pronunciation and old usage guides of the BBC, otherwise known as Received Pronunciation or the Queen's English. Some residents of such countries oppose what they see as the linguistic mandate of moneyed classes and claim to intentionally use non-standard English as a form of protest. Similarly, there is a growing minority in the United States of native speakers of American English who choose to use the Queen's English because they see it as "more standard," or for other more political reasons.