Different types of English Language (American / British /Australian etc)

English the lingua franca of the world exists in different varieties. The people of a particular geographical location add their own regional spice to the English language making it a specific type. The most popular types of English are the:

(1) American

(2) British

(3) Australian

Not just these there are New Zealand, Indian and Canadian types of English too. And each of these types is internationally recognized. No specific English type is superior in Status. Certain spelling types and usage demarcate these languages from one another. Also that these language styles are rampant in their own geographical area is a significant point to be considered.

To begin with English is spoken as a first language in many countries-- England, Scotland, Ireland, America, Canada, South Africaand New Zealand. There is a lot of fundamental difference between English spoken in England and the English spoken in the USA. The difference could be primarily attributed to pronunciation. Even considering country itself there is a regional variation in the English language spoken. Even within the British Isles there are many varieties of English spoken. The English of England is different from the English of Scotland. Even within England there are many regional dialects of the English language. With so many dialects found in a language it’s going to be increasingly difficult for the language analysts.

In India owing to history the natives speak more of British English than the American English. But the ushering in of the IT era and the concept of multinationals and immigration playing widely there is a lot of variety of English used in India now. Indians precisely follow the Southern British dialect also called as the RP or the Received Pronunciation. Received suggests that the variety of English spoken is more social in context than regional.

The important point that this rather detailed description shows is, that though at first the dialectical forms sound wrong if you are used to Standard English, they can be explained in linguistic terms in exactly the same way as Standard English forms. It is simply that different choices were made among the varied speech communities forming the speakers of English in the past. These choices are not conscious or deliberate, but pronunciation is always changing, and leads in time to changes in word forms. All the authenticated forms of English are accepted and acceptable. One need not worry too much about the varieties of English.

You may be wondering about these varieties but having some basic insight into the above information might be good to you and help you deal with problems that you might encounter owing to ignorance of English language varieties. English is no longer a monolithic entity and has been modified according to need and purpose. The primary purpose of such a thing could be ascribed to the need of simplicity. There are not just dialects now in English but idiolects, slang, vernacular, jargon and many more. All these emerge out of purpose, if some dialects are for the layman some are for the professional community. A number of changes are constantly being made to English grammar, syntax, vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation, making the changes in the language a continuous and dynamic process.