There are two main approaches to defining language universals: Chomsky's focus on innate linguistic units in the brain and Greenberg's analysis of common patterns across languages. Standard English refers to an idealized norm used widely, while World Englishes describe regional variations that have emerged as English is used globally. Kachru's concentric circles model classifies contexts of English use into inner circle, outer circle, and expanding circle. Philippine English displays unique characteristics including interchange of consonants like "f" and "p" as well as terms like "nosebleed" and "traffic".

1. Plurality of
English

2. Objectives
A. compare and contrast the two common
approaches in defining language universals;
B. differentiate Standard English from World
Englishes and highlight their importance; and
C. identify the concentric circles according to
Kachru
2

3. English and
its Variety
3

4. “
There is an underlying unity among
language as there are specific features
that are common to all human
languages in the world- this are the
language universals.
4

5. 1.
2 Approaches of
Language Universal
5

6. Noam Chomsky
▧ Every human being has the language ability that is already innate so that
s/he can acquire the large amount of knowledge by hearing just a part of it
without enough experience; there has to be some genetic determinacy/
biological properties that makes the phenomenon possible.
▧ deals with deep structure rules and patterns of the language in the brain
(abstract)
▧ His study showed that humans are born with the linguistic units in their
brains to have a language, and these linguistic units are the language
universals.
6

7. 7

8. Joseph Greenberg
▧ Language universals are the general principles or rules that govern all the
spoken languages around the world. It states what is possible in human
language and what is not .
▧ deals with data collected from worldwide languages (concrete)
▧ From his analysis of world languages, he has found out some commonality -
in declarative sentences with normal subject and object, the dominant order is
almost always one in which the subject precedes the object.
▧ E.g. When a yes-no question is differentiated from the corresponding assertion by an intonational pattern, the
distinctive intonational features of each of these patterns are reckoned from the end of the sentence rather than from the
beginning.
8

9. Maps
9
Standard English
vs.
World Englishes

10. STANDARD
- both an actual variety of
language and an idealized
norm of English
- acceptable in many social
situations.
- used in public discourse like
media, legal profession, or
any social institutions.
WORLD ENGLISHES
- the differences in
the English language that emerge as
it is used in various contexts across
the world
- It varies on different sociolinguistic
contexts, analyzing the history,
background, function, and influence.
- Philippine English, South African
English, Spanglish,
10

11. America English
- first floor
- Center
- Color
- elevator
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"[T]here is no such thing (at present) as a Standard English which is not British or
American or Australian, etc. There is no International Standard (yet), in the sense that
publishers cannot currently aim at a standard which is not locally bound."
- (Gunnel Melchers and Philip Shaw, World Englishes: An Introduction. Arnold, 2003)
British English
- ground floor
- Centre
- Colour
- lift

12. 12
English lacks any official body setting and prescribing the norms of the
language.
a useful shorthand for classifying contexts of English worldwide
World English has been defined as a phase in the history of the English
language. This phase has witnessed the transformation of English from
the mother tongue of a handful of nations to a language being used by far
more speakers in non-mother tongue settings.

13. Which do you
think is
better?
13
Establishing
Standard English
or accepting World
Englishes?

14. Kachru’s
Concentric Circles
14

15. 15
traditional historical and
sociolinguistic bases of English.
used only as a medium of
international communication.
a useful lingua franca between ethnic and language
groups. Higher education,the legislature and judiciary,
national commerce and so on may all be carried out
predominantly in English.

16. Philippine
English
16

17. Unique Characteristics
• In spoken English, the consonants f
and p are often interchanged. Same
for b and v.
• long and short vowels are often not
differentiated
 Colloquial Filipino English:
 Nosebleed
 Traffic
 "As in!“
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18. 18

19. Can you give
more examples
that represents
Philippine
English?
19
It can be general
or specific words
or statements.

20. Thanks!
Any questions?
20

21. References
Holmes, J. (2013). Introduction to sociolinguistics . [Ebook].
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=
web&rct=j&url=https://salahlibrary.files.wordpress.com/2017/0
9/janet_holmes_an_introduction_to_sociolinguisticbokorg.pdf&
ved=2ahUKEwiWu425t7XrAhXX7WEKHWdOCS0QFjAKegQIDRAB
&usg=AOvVaw0jbeyUNo29KEpsZYYUX9Ir
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