Considering the "inevitability of change", Ferdinand de Saussure once stated: "Time changes all things: there is no reason why language should escape this universal law".
In reference to the English language, Trask noted: "English […] has been changing throughout its history and is still changing today". In doing so, there is a great number of factors playing an important role for ongoing changes in a language such as sociolinguistic causes of chance which are illustrated in Aitchison in a very coherent and detailed way.
"Geographical separation" will be the central keyword, as I will investigate differences and varieties in British and American English use of language. Surprisingly, in comparing Australia and New Zealand, where "equally big differences in language [...] from their mother country" could be expected, it turns out that this is not the case. Although differences in slang expressions can be recognized, spelling and word usage, actually, are alike the original British form so that these differences seem trivial in contrast to the variety of English used in the United States.
Therefore, I have decided to focus my attention on specific distinctive attributes of the American variety of English and, based on foregoing research in this field, to create a questionnaire whereby central hypotheses are to be checked and verified, at best.
Hence, this paper comprises a brief summary of previous knowledge on this matter, so to speak the theoretical background of my work.
Moreover, not only regional factors play a role but also the interviewee's social background when it comes to certain features of language such as word use. Thus, it is highly exciting to see what assessments will be done in the course of this paper.
Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. Main Body
2.1 Theoretical background
2.2. Data and methods
2.3 Results
2.4 Discussion
3. Conclusion
4. Works cited
5. Appendix
Objectives & Topics
This study investigates the linguistic differences between British and American English through a corpus-based case study, specifically examining how geographical separation and social factors influence language usage. By employing a questionnaire, the paper tests hypotheses regarding grammatical tendencies in American English.
- Phonetic reduction and coalescence in semi-modals (gotta, gonna, wanna).
- Usage of the "emphatic negative" expression "no way".
- Application of "do-support" with the verb "have".
- Differences in negation patterns and expanded predicates (have/take a + noun).
- The usage and perceived naturalness of the subjunctive mood.
Excerpt from the book
2.2. Data and methods
The questionnaire, which was being composed to check the hypotheses gathered in the previous chapter, consists of three main parts: the introductory part in which the participants learn about the general framework of the questionnaire, the second part requires personal data with regard to the interviewees' social background, and the third deals with questions in the context of relevant distinctions between British and American English. In the following, the three parts of the questionnaire will be further expounded:
Firstly, there is a short introduction which comprises the purpose, content and general approach. Then, the assurance of confidential handling of all given data is granted to the interviewees. Finally the participants learn about the necessity to reveal certain data concerning their social backgrounds, which leads to the second part of the questionnaire:
Here the interviewees should write down their name, gender and age. Beyond that, the current occupation, place of residence and previous changes of residence (including the respective number of years living at one place) are further pieces of information that might have an impact on the participant's way of speaking.
As for the third part, the questionnaire focuses on six grammatical fields which provide relevant distinctions between British and American English. So the first question, which deals with the field of phonetic reduction and coalescence (cf. Leech 2009: 105), is:
Imagine you are at different places (at school, at work, […] etc.). Please describe at which places you would use sentence a) and where […] sentence b). In case you do not use either of them, what alternative expression would you choose? Is this alternative bound to a special place?
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Discusses the inevitability of language change and the focus on distinctive American English attributes through empirical investigation.
2. Main Body: Presents the theoretical framework concerning various grammatical phenomena and details the methodology of the questionnaire used to test these theories.
2.1 Theoretical background: Explores specific linguistic features like semi-modals, negation, expanded predicates, and the subjunctive mood based on existing research.
2.2. Data and methods: Outlines the structure of the questionnaire, covering participant background and the specific grammatical tasks designed to verify research hypotheses.
2.3 Results: Provides an overview of the participant pool and summarizes the empirical data gathered from the survey responses.
2.4 Discussion: Evaluates the findings by comparing participant responses against the theoretical hypotheses and addressing sociolinguistic factors.
3. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, noting that while some linguistic fields align with theory, others show patterns that deviate or remain inconclusive.
Keywords
British English, American English, Corpus-based study, Language change, Grammaticalization, Phonetic reduction, Do-support, Negation, Subjunctive, Sociolinguistics, Questionnaire, Linguistic variation, Semantics, Grammar, Usage patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research paper?
The paper examines linguistic differences between British and American English, specifically focusing on how certain grammatical forms change over time and how they are used by native speakers.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The work covers phonetic reduction, the use of "no way," "do-support" with "have," negation types, expanded predicates with light verbs, and the usage of the subjunctive mood.
What is the central research objective?
The objective is to verify or falsify existing hypotheses regarding American English linguistic features by analyzing data collected from a structured participant questionnaire.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author employs a corpus-based approach supplemented by primary data collection through a questionnaire distributed to a small group of participants.
What does the main body of the text analyze?
The main body integrates theoretical literature with empirical results, focusing on the usage of semi-modals, "Americanisms," and varying grammatical constructions in modern English.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include American English, language change, grammaticalization, corpus linguistics, and sociolinguistics.
How did age affect the use of reduced modals like 'gotta' among the participants?
The results did not definitively confirm the hypothesis that modal usage is strictly proportional to age, as participants showed diverse usage patterns independent of their age group.
Why did the author investigate the subjunctive mood?
The subjunctive was investigated because it is considered a distinctly characteristic American trait, though the study results suggested it might be on the brink of disappearance.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Christian Roßmeier (Autor:in), 2011, Differences in British and American English. A Corpus-based Case Study, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/462625
