EXO 1a - Real English and Standard English 
This presentation is inspired by David Crystal, a clear thinking British linguist. Here is an extract from an interview (http://www.eltnews.com/features/interviews/028_david_crystal4.shtml):
Interviewer: Your next book, 'The Stories of English...(snip)
David: Once upon a time, we all knew where we were, there was British English and American English and that's fine. But now, it's all in the melting pot, with new styles, new varieties happening all over the place…
So my book is an attempt to retell the story of the language from the point of view of nonstandard English. In my book, all dialects are interesting - standard English is one of them. A very important one, the one we use for education, for standard intelligibility, the one most people think of as "correct." But what about the rest? Those poor students around the world who learn the standard form and then go out into the streets and they just don't hear it. They haven't been taught that the rules change from one part of the world to another, even from part of a country to another."
Click on "Next", and scroll down, for 5 illustrations of one interpretation of what David Crystal is talking about. There are 3 elements here - the video, the "more standard English" pronunciation, and the text.
| First, the question: What do you hope to accomplish before you die? The spoken and written versions are the same. This is Standard American English with its regional accent. | |
| Secondly, a "perfect answer" (Standard English) from James: I always have had a dream of industrializing Africa. The spoken and written versions are the same. James speaks clearly and uses the present perfect tense correctly in the context. This is also Standard American English with its regional accent. So far so good! But look at video # 3 now. | |
| Thirdly, an "imperfect answer" typical of informal speech. It seems a lot, a real broad, you know... Standard English: It seems like a very broad ambition. The spoken and written versions are not the same. James says "a lot" but a lot of what? "Broad" is an adjective, but he does not say what word (usually a noun) he is describing. This type of speech is very common. The listener (the interviewer in this case) reacts by nodding his head, showing that he has "filled in the missing words" himself. | |
| Fourthly, an answer typical of informal speech. But, I really, I really believe, that if I get a lot of money like that, I'll do it, I'll really do it. I'll go over there and make Africa just like the United States. Standard English: I really believe that if I get a lot of money like that, I'd really do it. I'd go over there and make Africa just like the United States. This example simply illustrates that we often use repetition for hesitation, and to put emphasize on certain ideas or intentions. The interviewer continues to nod his head, showing he understands. All native speakers of American English would in fact understand, but what about the poor student? | |
| Lastly, another "imperfect answer" with grammar mistakes, also typical of informal speech. So, I don't want no big power, you know, I don't want no big position, I just want to be noticed for that, you know. Standard English: I wouldn't want to have a powerful position, I would just want to be recognized for that. This example illustrates common grammar mistakes such as double negatives "...don't want no..." and the use of the present tense instead of the conditional "would" which is more logical in the context. |