Varieties of the English language

English is the most widely spoken language in the world. This is not because it is the most international language, but because of the enormous numbers of second and third language speakers of English. Did you know that there are now more learners of English in China than there are native speakers of English in the USA? English has become the gateway to communication in to the globalized international society today. Overall a third of the world's population is learning English. In the multilingual countries where English is not an official language, English is important for historical reasons. India can be mentioned as an example of countries like this. In other multilingual countries English is used solely because it is the lingua franca. But with so many people worldwide speaking and communicating using English, different varieties of English will inevitably develop. Your way of speaking is shaped by the culture and language you grew up with.

In Singapore two varieties of the English language has developed, Standard Singapore English and Singapore Colloquial English (Singlish). They are influenced by Chinese and Malay.  Most of the educated Singaporeans speak Standard Singapore English, mostly because it is not too far from British English grammatically. Examples of how they are similar in this way are the use of the word "tyre" over "tire”, and "shopping centres" over "shopping centers".  The difference between the British and the Standard English is confined to accent and rhythmic patterning. According to the National Institute of Education in Singapore, Singapore English is described as syllable-timed, while British English is more assumed to be stress-timed.

In Asia, English is widely spoken in countries like India and Pakistan. Indian English is somewhat diverse across the different parts of the country, but some features are typical for Indian English all over. The use of -ing forms is one. They write and say:  "She is knowing the answer" when the "correct" way to say it is: "She knows the answer". The rhythm of Indian English is very different from Standard English as well as the pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. Therefore Indian English sometimes can be very difficult to understand.

Another country with varieties of English is South-Africa. Wikipedia defines South Africa as an Anglo-American language. English is actually an official language in many African countries; all of whom have developed their own version of the so called Proper English or Standard English. The South-African English is very influenced by Afrikaans, a language with similarities to the Dutch language.

There are hundreds of different varieties of English world over. Despite the enormous support English has among the masses, there are many rivals and rebels against the manifestation of the English language.  How will English develop in the future and what role will English have in society? Is the huge infiltration of the language beneficial for all countries? These are questions I definitely would like to research and reflect more on at some point.

Grand Torino

In class today we watched the movie Grand Torino. It is a 2007 American drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. He also plays the lead acting role, Walt Kowalski, a recently widowed Korean War veteran. Kowalski is a bitter, rude, depressed and cranky old man. He lives in a dangerous neighborhood where gang violence is an issue, something he will experience close up. He suddenly finds himself fighting another war, this time a war against the gang members, trying to keep his new neighbors and friends out of harm’s way.

 It all begins when one of Walt's Hmong neighbors, a boy named Thao, is pressured by his cousin to steal Walt's car as his initiation to the cousin's gang. Through a series of events Walt develops a relationship with this boy and his family, which he initially wanted nothing to do with. In a neighborhood filled with gang members, racism, discrimination and an unsafe environment, Walt finds a light in the Hmong family. The more attached he gets to this family, the more we get to know the human being behind the tough and hardened facade Walt puts up. The movie address issues regarding cultural differences and the challenges following, how having different ethnic backgrounds affect human interaction, manners and communication. It is about young people and old people, the respect they have for each other, and how your upbringing defines your values and morals. An example of this is the scene where Walt stands on his porch smoking a cigarette when he sees a gang of punks walking by an old lady who drops all her groceries on the ground. They react by laughing, pointing and making fun of the lady before continue walking. Right before Walt decides that there is no hope for the future generations, Thao comes running cross the road to help the old lady pick up the groceries.

 We are introduced to the Hmong people, an Asian ethnic group from the regions of Vietnam, China, Laos and Thailand. I had never heard of the Hmong before I watched this movie, therefore I liked that Clint Eastwood chose this ethnic group for his film. The movie also lets us know a little about the Korean War and the hardships it inflicted on Walt. The emotions Walt revealed when talking to Thao about the war and the lives he took speaks for itself. We understand how that part of his past is a significant reason why he behaves the way he does and why he is not at peace with himself and his life. It represents the same emotions and haunting memories thousands of war veterans live with everyday, creating a real and believable character. 

The plot and the conflict of the movie slowly unfold, beginning with the gang trying to initiate Thao, even though he does not want anything to do with them. He is pressured to steal Walt's precious Ford Grand Torino, but ends up fleeing the scene. From there on out Thao becomes their target of harassment. The gang members are determined to make Thao's life very unpleasant unless he joins them. I think the movie reaches a maximum, a turning point, when Sue (Thao's sister) fumbles through the doorway of their little house almost beaten to death and raped by the gang members. After that scene everyone, even the priest, understands that something drastically has to be done and Walt is the one who is going to solve the gruesome conflict at hand. He has to make completely sure the gang members won’t ever hurt someone again. The situation evolves and escalates leading up to the big finish scene where Walt gets shot. He had obviously planned this encounter with the gang members very carefully. He made sure witnesses were watching, he made sure every single gang member had their gun pointed directly at him, and he made sure they would believe he was reaching for his own gun when he went for his jacket pocket, and he made sure every single one of them would fire.

 I say the movie has a dramatic conflict resolution due to how Walt had to sacrifice himself to put all those people away without necessarily killing them.  He had killed enough people in his life. It was absolutely amazing as well as extremely emotional to watch the transformation in Walt as he found something new to value and appreciate. Walt's act and sacrifice can be related to the meaning behind the powerful sentence from "The Kite Runner" by Khalid Hosseini that we read last semester; "There is a way to be good again". Walt had lived a life of bitterness and hatred, haunted daily by his troubled past of war and bloodshed. This was his way to be good again. This was his final redemption.  

My opinion of the film is that it is an excellent one. It focuses on the importance of reaching out and helping others.  I recommend "Grand Torino" to absolutely everyone and I can promise that you will not regret watching this powerful, emotional and inspirational movie. 

A Thousand Splendid Suns

In class we were given an assignment to choose a book to read and write about. In the following weeks I will be reading the phenomenal book ”A thousand splendid suns” by Khaled Hosseini. Last semester I read his first novel ”The kite runner” and I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to continue reading books written by him. “A thousand splendid suns” was released in 2007 and became Khaled Hosseini’s second best seller and success, with remarkable reviews and well-deserved praise.

I only just started reading the book, but I have already come to the point where I do not want to put the book down. The beginning is somewhat different in this novel than in his first, “The kite runner”. Whereas “The Kite Runner” goes off to a gripping and emotional start, “A thousand splendid suns” starts off more programmatically and gains speed and power as the story slowly unfolds. Hosseini lures me slowly in to the tumultuous lives of a mother and daughter, two afghan women, and the challenges following their lives. Like I said I have just started reading the book, but so far I like it. I cannot wait to be captivated like I was by “The kite runner”.

If you want to know more about the book “A thousand splendid suns” or about the author Khaled Hosseini you can go to Khaled Hosseini's webpage