Zoya Proshina The abc and Controversies of World Englishes ббк 81

Varieties and Their Acceptance

South Asian Englishes

South Asian Englishes include varieties of English spoken in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, the Seychelles, and Mauritus (Crystal 1997; Gargesh 2006; McArthur 2003, Melchers & Shaw 2003). These are the oldest varieties of the Outer Circle, dating back to the early 17^th century. Brought by English traders and established with the foundation of the East India Company, English was stimulated by influential indigenous authorities who were sufficiently impressed by Western thought, culture, and scientific advances. In South Asia, English proves to be in contact with four major language families: Indo-Aryan, used by the majority of the population, Dravidian, Tibeto-Burman, and Munda (Kachru B. 1994/2006: 255)

The range of functions the English language carries out in this region is wide:

1. 
   Regulative
   
2. 
   Instrumental
   
3. 
   Interpersonal
   
4. 
   Creative
   

In education, English serves an instrumental function. It is an auxiliary language required for acquiring knowledge and used for internal communication in a multilingual society (Brutt-Griffler 2002: 5). In 2004, the Central Advisory Board of Education (India) discussed the issue of including English in the list of modern Indian languages, which will be followed by standardization of Indian English (Gargesh 2006: 94). At present there is a growing trend in India to start early teaching English as a subject in Grade 1, as the “increasing demand for English represents the transformation of a society from an agrarian to an industrial and service-based one” (Gargesh 2006: 95). In Pakistan, English is a compulsory language from Grade 6. Bangladesh falls between an ESL and EFL country, with English introduced as a compulsory subject from Grade 1 to 12. English education in Nepal and Bhutan has significantly been influenced by India. The regional first English-language universities were established in 1857 in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras. English is still the medium of instruction in higher education in South Asia where it “continues to be a status symbol in society and commands prestige in all walks of life” (Gargesh 2006: 96).

The supplementary function of English is found in tourism. English is used by taxi-drivers, which gave reason for R.Gargesh to call it a “vehicular language” (Gragesh 2006: 92). It is a link-language serving to facilitate communication between various ethnicities.

Indian scholars’ research has found that South Asian audience enjoys English popular songs, soap operas, and sitcoms (Gargesh 2006: 100). English-language newspapers make up a significant proportion of published mass media in India, The Times of India having the largest circulation. There are also many English newspapers in Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Radio news and debates during Indian parliamentary sessions are broadcast in English. Music programs are also in English. In India, 25% of sport programs are in English. Private TV channels provide entertainment and information in various Englishes.

The attitude toward English in South Asia is in general favorable (Gargesh 2006: 101). Many Indians believe that being one of the Indian languages, English is sensitive to Indian culture and enhances progress in science and technology. There is strong parental encouragement of the study of English in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

• 
  Pronouncing diphthongs [eI] [qV] (as in face, goat) as monophthongs [e] [o];
  
• 
  No clear-cut opposition between /A/ - /q/ [bAs – bqs], /a/ - /O/, /F/ - /x/;
  
• 
  Using glides with word-initial high vowels (em > yem; open > wopen);
  
• 
  No vowel reduction, no distinction between strong and weak forms of vowels;
  
• 
  Unaspirated /p, t, k/ in the beginning of a syllable: pin > bin;
  
• 
  Retroflex t, d pronounced with the tongue-tip curled up towards the hard palate;
  
• 
  [r] pronounced in all positions;
  
• 
  Palatalization of /ts/ and /G/;
  
• 
  No distinction between [S] and [Z];
  
• 
  Possible substitution of [Z] by [z] (pleasure [plezar];
  
• 
  Substitution of the interdental [T] and [D] by [t] and [d];
  
• 
  [f] is often pronounced as an aspirated [p];
  
• 
  Substitution of [v] by [b];
  
• 
  Pronouncing [z] as [G] (bijit < visit);
  
• 
  Not distinguished /v/ and /w/;
  
• 
  Not distinguished /n/ and /N/;
  
• 
  Epenthetic vowels in consonant clusters sk, sl, sp (ischool/ seekool < school);
  
• 
  Syllables uttered with an almost equal prominence;
  
• 
  Elision of syllables (university [jV`nqstJ];
  

• 
  Complex noun phrases (Metros Operation Control Centre) ;
  
• 
  Tendency to use complex sentences as opposed to simple ones;
  
• 
  The Present Progressive with stative verbs (I am having a cold);
  
• 
  The Present Perfect preferred to the Simple Past (I have bought the book yesterday);
  
• 
  Direct word order in questions (What you would like to read?);
  
• 
  Universal tag-questions (You went there, isn’t it? He isn’t going there, isn’t it?);
  
• 
  Yes and no used as tag-questions: He is coming, yes? She was helping, no?
  
• 
  One is preferred to a: He gave me one book;
  
• 
  Word reduplication (I bought some small small things; to give crying crying “incessantly crying”);
  
• 
  Unusual verb government (He doesn’t hesitate from using four-letter words; She said that her party wanted that we should not intervene in internal affairs of Afghanistan.);
  

• 
  Fresh meanings of words in local contexts (secular “respect for all religions”; trade “exchange”; to intimate “to inform”; military hotel “non-vegetarian restaurant”);
  
• 
  New culture-bound loan-words (lakh a unit of 100,000; rupee, sahib; atta “flour”) – especially words related to flora, fauna, local customs, festivals and rituals, legal system, and administration;
  
• 
  Hybridization (policewala “police station”, management guru; cooliedom;);
  
• 
  New collocations (address communication “write a letter”, body bath “an ordinary act of having a bath”; head bath “washing one’s hair”; full-boiled “hard” and half-boiled “soft-boiled” eggs; foreign-returned of someone who has been abroad for educational purposes; cousin-brother, cousin-sister);
  
• 
  Idiomatic calques (to sit on smb’s neck “to watch a person carefull”);
  
• 
  Archaic words as compared with today’s British and American English (needful);
  
• 
  Only used for emphasis: They live like that only (“That is how they live);
  

• 
  Code-mix in informal talk and newspapers (especially in headlines and captions);
  
• 
  Enhancing the communicator’s self-esteem (maintaining a positive face) (What’s your good name please?);
  
• 
  Using kinship terms for addressing (sister, auntie, uncle);
  
• 
  Honorific suffixes attached to names (Gandhiji);
  
• 
  The author of an academic text does not provide solutions and convince the audience of their rightness; but informs the readers on all facets of an issue and thus leads them to find the right solutions (Kachru Y. 2001: 60).
  

53. Color South Asian countries on the map and mark the areas and countries where the following languages can be found:

Fig. 9. South Asia.

54. Count the percentage of English-speakers and fill out the table (Source: Crystal 1997: 57-60)

Territory	Population (1995)	L1 /L2	Usage estimate	%
Bangladesh	120,093,000	L2	3,100,000
Bhutan	1,200,000	L2	60,000
India	935,744,000	L1 L2	320,000 37,000,000
Nepal	20,093,000	L2	5,927,000
Pakistan	140,497,000	L2	16,000,000
Seychelles	75,000	L1 L2	2,000 11,000
Sri Lanka	18,090,000	L1 L2	10,000 1,850,000

55. Read a passage with an example of Baboo (Babu) English and mark its characteristic Indian features:

[iskHl] __________________________

[isteSn] __________________________

[istudant] __________________________

[sqpo:rt] __________________________

[sqteiSan] __________________________

[sqto:r] __________________________

[sqpJC] __________________________