English Has Pairs of Forms Designating Country vs Nationality - Coursework Example

English Has Pairs of Forms Designating Country Vs. Nationality/Ethnos Table of Contents Introduction 3 Patterns in the Distribution and Behaviour of These Derivational Suffixes 4 Role of Phonology 6 Linguistic Features of China English 8 Linguistic Features of Japanese English 9 Linguistic Features of Italian English 10 Linguistic Features of Spanish English 11 Designations of Individuals 12 Conclusion 13 References 15 Introduction English is the widely accepted and spoken language in most parts of the world. The global reach of the language has made it popular among the non-native speakers. However, the importance of English language has raised its focus on linguistic description. As a result of which people across the world are learning the language in an immense manner by the non-native speakers rather than the native speakers of English. With the growth and development of the economy, the importance of communication has augmented to a large extent. The structure of English depends on different factors including whether the language is spoken or written. In addition to this, it also depends on the way it is being used. English language has different pairs of forms that indicate different nations. The form of English spoken by one nation is completely different from other nations. The differences in form majorly exist due to the structure of the language. The structure of the language depends on the rules and principles that govern the voice production of an individual. The basic principles of the language guide the manner in which the words are placed together in an appropriate manner in order to frame different sentences. The structure of the language gives a proper meaning to the sentence framed (TsoiIn, 2008). The aim of the paper is to examine the different forms of English language for example Japanese for Japan, Chinese for China, Spanish for Spain and many others. The paper also analyse the pattern of distribution and the role of phonology for determining the reasons for the changes. Patterns in the Distribution and Behaviour of These Derivational Suffixes The suffix used in names of different nations depicts a definite pattern that can be examined from its distribution. For instance, analysing the names of European nations indicates the use of suffix ‘ish’, for example, Spain : Spanish and Denmark : Danish. Figure-1 Suffixes of Nationality Source: (TsoiIn, 2008) The above table depicts the origin of different suffixes. Form the above table, it is clear that ‘ian’, ‘an’ as well as ‘ean’ have the same origin. This indicates the fact that Arab: Arabian, Italy : Italian, Belgium : Belgian and other countries are likely to have the same Latin origin. The use of suffix for different nations follows a particular pattern that is if the last alphabet of the nation is a vowel then suffix ‘an’ is used rather than using ‘ian’. Most of the suffixes used for denoting the nations follow a geographic pattern except ‘ese’. The suffix is mainly used for Chinese, Japanese and many more (Bauer & et. al., 2013; TsoiIn, 2008). However, the use of suffix ‘ese’ does not follow any geographic pattern like that of other suffixes. In comparison with English, Italian use of the suffix ‘ese’ more, as it is the place of origin. The terms ending with the suffix ‘ese’ have its origin in Italy and are majorly used in case of countries belonging to Asia. The origin of the suffix ‘ese’ can also be analysed from the historic point of view. In this context, it has been further argued that a number of traders belonging to Italy were the first visitors to European nations. Therefore, it reveals the cause behind the use suffix ‘ese’ in case of Asian nations (TsoiIn, 2008). The use of suffix in Denmark as Danish and Scotland as Scottish has its origin in Germany. The suffix indicates a sense of belongingness. It has further been argued in this context that the suffix ‘ish’ used for different nations is not as productive because English was much more influenced by Latin and French as compared to other. The geographic differences between the nations can be identified from the use of the different suffix for diverse nation. In addition to this, the nations using the suffix ‘ish’ belongs to Europe or Germany. It has been further argued in this context that the nations with suffix ‘ish’ belong to Germany despite the fact that the origin country does not end with respective suffix. The reason behind the fact is that the word German mainly defines the people of the particular concerned region and has been derived from Latin (Bauer & et. al., 2013; TsoiIn, 2008). The suffix ‘’ also indicates belongingness and has its origin in Arab for instance Iraq : Iraqi, Israel : Israeli and many more. It has been argued in this context that the countries using suffix ‘’ has Arabic as one of its major languages belong to Islamic nations. The use of suffix ‘’ can be classified geographically that is the nation’s mainly belong to Middle East and to some extent covers African nations (TsoiIn, 2008). For the above discussion of distribution of suffix, it is clear that it indicates the geographic factors. In addition to this, the linguistic factors are another cause for the use of different suffixes for different group of nations. Moreover, the suffix also defines its origin in early historic period that is also a cause for use of different suffixes (Bauer & et. al., 2013; TsoiIn, 2008). Role of Phonology The importance of communication for the growth of nation has raised the use of English language. Improvement in technology and advancement in education has made it possible for the individuals to have an easy access to the language. English language spoken in different countries is affected by different factors including social factors. In addition to this, the differences between the mother language and English are also likely to affect the behaviour (Bauer & et. al., 2013). The growth of English in the Asian regions of the world was mainly due to the increase in contact with the concerned language speakers. The language was introduced as a medium of communication and was soon introduced in the education system. The form of English language spoken by people of different nations can be distinguished on the basis of phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics (Bauer & et. al., 2013). Phonology focuses on the pattern in which the sound is being produced and perceived by other individuals. Phonology creates a link between the concerned language and the sound component. In other words, it can be defined as the system that emphasizes the sound system and its overall impact on language. Phonology plays an important role in learning English language. This is because of the fact that phonology is related to sound and any mispronouncing of an alphabet or word has the potential to mislead the later person. The dissimilarity in pronunciation of letters and words creates the differences in the same language spoken around the world. For instance, the pronunciation of the word ‘great’ as ‘grit’ is likely to create differences in meaning and has the potential to misguide the listeners. In the context of English language, phonology also defines the pattern of tone used in pronouncing different alphabets as well as words. In addition to this, the pitch used while communicating the concerned language also has the potential to affect the different forms that is designating diverse nations (Bauer & et. al., 2013). Phonology is not only essential for sound system, but also affects the reading as well as writing behaviour of the individuals. In addition to this, lack of awareness about phonology is likely to have negative impact on the quality of spelling development. In the context of English language, it has been further argued that the alphabetical system is mostly affected by the lack of proper knowledge about sound. The individual with a greater ability to recognise sound have better knowledge of using the language in an appropriate manner. Furthermore, as phonology is related to sound, it helps the individuals to recognise and remember the English alphabets easily that in turn has positive impact on sentence formation. Phonology awareness among the speakers as well as learners also helps in the development of proper vocabulary, which in turn improves consciousness about the use of words. Phonology enables an individual to pronounce the alphabets clearly that makes the English language perfect. The concept of phonology differentiates English language spoken in different nations with respect to linguistic features (Bauer & et. al., 2013). Linguistic Features of China English Phonetics defines the pattern of sound pronunciation in different contexts. For instance, the difference of English in China is mainly in the context of phonology. According to Jingxia (2008), the variation in sound is the major factor that defines the differences between English language spoken in Chins and other countries of world. Some of the features of the English language spoken in Chine include issues involved in distinguishing between the vowels. For instance, in Chinese context, both the words ‘sheep’ and ‘ship’ are pronounced in a same manner and accordingly, the people fails in recognising the difference between the words. In addition to this, individuals find it difficult to distinguish between some alphabets of the English language that also indicates difference in the language spoken. For instance, the differences in the letter ‘l’ and ‘n’ are not understood by the people of China (Meyer, 2010). As a result of which, the transfer of such feature to English language creates problem in learning the language. This feature of Chinese language creates confusion between different words for example the use of word ‘light’ and ‘night’ together reflects similar sound. In this context, Li (2012) has analysed that despite less scope of expression the Chinese people are capable of speaking fluent English language. However, the people are more interested in using their native language to express their views rather than using English language. Therefore, it indicates the major limitation of English language over the native language (Li, 2012; Hamilton, 2007). Some of the factors that affect the English Language include the impact of the native language. In addition to this, the differences in opinion among the individual also has the potential to affect the English language. It has been further argued in this context that English learners have the potential to be influenced by Chinese that in turn affects the language. Moreover, the difference in linguistic system also affects the pattern of English language spoken in China. In the social context, it has been further argued that Chinese and other non- speaking English language nations have less scope as compared to other nations to communicate in English. The major reason behind this is that learning is based on classroom learning and therefore, the scope of learning is limited to a certain extent. The difference between the native and English Language also acts as a barrier (Li, 2012). The progress in learning English language has risen with an increase in the importance of listening. From the concept of phonology, it is clear that the pattern of English used in different nations differ due to different factors. In the context of phonology, it has been argued that the learners of non-speaking English have issues related to listening ability. This in turn is likely to have negative impacts on the learning of English language. On the other hand, language is a part of culture. Therefore, culture is another factor that is likely to influence the English language. It has been further argued in this context that different nations have diverse culture and the belief of each individual has the potential to affect the language (Li, 2012; Meyer, 2010; Hamilton, 2007). Linguistic Features of Japanese English Apart from the differences in Chinese language, there also exists a considerable difference with Japanese language. The difference majorly exists in terms of structuring and framing appropriate sentences. In the context of phonology, Japanese language has different forms of vowel sounds including both ‘long’ and ‘short’. The learners of English students often face difficulties due to the complex nature of consonant sound. For instance, the word ‘strength’ is often pronounced by the Japanese as ‘ste-rength’. Therefore, the use of the additional vowel in the word makes it different from the actual form. Furthermore, the problem of diphthong is another feature of the Japanese language that creates problems in accurately pronouncing a particular word (Meyer, 2010; Stanlaw, 2004). For instance, the word ‘coat’ and ‘caught’ seems to be similar due to the similarity in the tone. In addition to this, the problem of English consonant also exists in the Japanese language that differentiates it form the other nations. It has been further argued in this context that Japanese have problems in hearing that also has negative impact in speaking English language. As the result of differences in perceiving the language is also likely to affect the pattern of speaking among the individual belonging to different nations (Stanlaw, 2004). Linguistic Features of Italian English Italian language is used worldwide as it is likely to have close relation with the Latin language. Though Italian language is different from other languages, it has some forms of similarity with English. This is mainly because the words as well as phrases of English language are widely used in case of Italian language in order to satisfy the socio linguistic features. According to Gargano (2011), in terms of phonology, the consonant used in the Italian language has similarity with respect to English. For instance, the use of vowel ‘u’ and consonant ‘q’ together produce similar sound in case of both Italian as well as English language. However, in contrast to English language, the consonants used in Italy produce similar sound except the vowels. Another similarity of the Italian language with English language is the sound feature of the alphabet ‘h’. Unlike in English, the sound associated with consonant ‘h’ is same that is silent. In addition to this, social factors like age and class of the Italian speakers are also seemed to be influencing the pronunciation of the language (Gargano, 2011). Linguistic Features of Spanish English The linguistic feature of Spanish language is different from that of other languages and has its origin in Indo-European country. Therefore, it has some kind of similarity with Italian language. It has been argued in this context that alphabets from Latin language are mainly used in case of Spanish language. The vowels used in Spanish language effectively apply acute pronunciation. Moreover, language has additional alphabets as compared to the English language (Meyer, 2010; Lee & Malovrh, 2009). In the context of phonology, Spanish language is different for that of English with respect to the sound of vowels used for framing of sentences. The differences with respect to sound are the major reasons that create trouble for the English learners belonging to Spain. In addition to this, the pronunciation used in English language is different from native language of Spain. This is the major caused for the difference in English speaking of Spain as compared to other nations. In the context of language, sound plays an important role that distinguishes between the same English spoken in different countries. In addition to this, the length of sound associated with each consonant and vowels also differentiates the speaking of same language in different countries. In the context of the Spanish language, the sound associated with the vowels plays a vital role. It has been further argued that due to the length of sound of consonants as well as vowels, it creates differences in the English language spoken by the people of Spain. This in turn creates difficulties for the English learners to differentiate between the different words producing similar sound for example ‘sheep’ and ‘ship’ (Lee & Malovrh, 2009). Designations of Individuals Individuals are designated with respect to their nationality. In the context of English language, people belonging to Italy are designated as Italian. On the other hand, people belonging to Denmark are designated as a Dane. This indicates the use of article ‘a’ and ‘an’ for the purpose of designation the individuals with respect to their nationality. The use of article is differentiated from sound associated with the word that in turn raises the importance of phonology. Phonology is not only important for English, but for all other languages across the world. It is also linked with the use of article for designating the individuals with respect to nationality (Endley, 2010). The use of article also indicates the pattern of its use with vowel and consonants. For instance, a Dane is used to designate an individual belonging to Denmark that in turn indicates the application of the article ‘a’ before word starting with consonant. On the other hand, the article ‘an’ is used before the word starting with a vowel for example an Italian. Furthermore, singular noun is used to represent an individual belonging to particular nation or region. The use of article also raises the important of grammar for designating different nationalities. In English grammar, articles have been divided into definite and indefinite form (Endley, 2010). The use of the indefinite article depends more on the sound factor rather than the use of alphabets. In English grammar, noun exists in two forms that include proper noun and common noun. The common noun further defines indefinite and definite noun. The use of the countable noun further defines the countable nouns. On the other hand, the singular countable noun has been divided according to the usage of the article ‘a’ and ‘an’. The use of article is important, as it is likely to provide information about the use of noun. On the other hand, it also indicates the fact that whether the concerned noun is specific or not. The article ‘a’ and ‘an’ used for describing the nationality of the individuals is identified to be having same meaning. The only difference between the uses of two articles is with respect to the sound of vowels and consonants. It has been further argued in this context that nationality noun used to designate the individuals is likely to be negatively related due to some political as well as historic reasons. In such cases, the use of adjective is preferable for indicating the individuals with the name of a country. In the context of geographic region, an African is used to designate the people of Africa. However, in some cases ‘an African’ is denoted as someone from African country (Endley, 2010). Conclusion English language is globally accepted and has different forms of designating different countries or nations. The paper analyses the pattern of English language spoken in different part of the world. The forms of designations indicating nationality include for instance Chinese for China, Korean for Korea and many others. The pattern of words used to indicate different nations also defines the use of suffix for the purpose of differentiating. The suffix used for different nations indicates a certain pattern. It has been recognised that the origin of the suffixes as well as the pattern of its use are the reasons for pronunciation of different English alphabets and words are different. The origin of the suffixes describes a geographic pattern as well as defines the history linked with it. It has been also identified from the above study that phonology is an important consideration with respect to its use in English language. The concept of phonology differentiates the patter of English language spoken in different regions. Phonology relates to the pattern in which the sound is produced and perceived by the concerned individuals. Correspondingly, phonology is identified to be a major cause of the differences in the pattern of English language. In addition to this, it has been further analysed that lack of proper knowledge about the sounds associated with different vowels and consonants are also likely to influence English language. Phonology not only affects the speaking ability, but also has the potential to influence writing as well as reading skills. The linguistic characteristics of English language spoken in China, Japan, Italy and Spain have been recognised to be depicting different forms of English language. The linguistic feature differentiates the language spoken by the native people of the concerned regions. From the analysis of the linguistic features of the different regions, it can be concluded that phonology plays an important role in defining the pattern of English language. In addition, the logic behind the use of article in representing people belonging to different nations revealed that English has different forms for designating countries with respect to nationality. References Bauer, L. & et. al., 2013. The Oxford Reference Guide to English Morphology. Oxford University Press. Gargano, A., 2011. The Linguistic Impact of Southern Italian Immigrants in Connecticut. New Haven Dialect. [Online] Available at: http://honors.usf.edu/documents/thesis/u01695268.pdf [Accessed April 22, 2015]. Hamilton, E. E., 2007. The Importance of Phonological Processing In English - And Mandarin-Speaking Emergent And Fluent Readers. University of Michigan. [Online] Available at: http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/57695/eehamilt_1.pdf?sequence=2 [Accessed April 22, 2015]. Lee, J. F. & Malovrh, P. A., 2009. Linguistic And Non-Linguistic Factors Affecting OVS Processing Of Accusative And Dative Case Pronouns By Advanced L2 Learners Of Spanish. University of New South Wales and University of South Carolina. [Online] Available at: http://www.lingref.com/cpp/hls/11/paper2206.pdf [Accessed April 22, 2015]. Li, H., 2012. The Influence of Chinese Linguistic Contexts on English Learning. International Conference on Education Technology and Management Engineering, Vol.16-17, pp. 432-442. Meyer, C. F., 2010. Introducing English Linguistics International Student Edition. Cambridge University Press. Stanlaw, J., 2004. Japanese English: Language And Culture Contact. Hong Kong University Press. TsoiIn, T., 2008. So Many Nationality Suffixes. Suffixes of Nationality. [Online] Available at: http://geo-mexico.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/So-many-nationality-suffixes.pdf [Accessed April 22, 2015]. Read More