English may succeed and can become a mother tongue in certain speech networks. English is an inherently anglicizing language, so by contrast the need for a localized form, identifiable and definable through the local distinctive features had emerged in many communities all over the world.
But these local variations of the English language have been characterized at times as deviations from the proper standard English and have been received the contempt and sometimes the condemnation of educated English people. The crucial question, therefore, is what does the term “native standard English” mean and how does it juxtapose to the innumerable “non-native usages of English” found in sociolinguistic contexts outside Britain (since our main interest is English as an international language, we shall deliberately “ignore” the fact that such varieties of English, fairly different to the standard one, can also be met in Britain itself).
Usually when people speak standard English they are speaking a variety which originated and was propagated largely in writing (O’Donnell and Todd, 1980:11). It is the vehicle used by the “educated” speakers of the language and was first developed in the south-east area of England.
According to Ward (1912:1) no-one can give an adequate definition of what exactly standard English is “simply because such a thing does not exist”, whereas Stevens (1981) reports that “standard” does not imply “imposed” or “of the majority”. Indeed, the “non-native” speakers of English are much more than the “native”. Besides, being a native speaker does not seem to be as important as being fluent in the language use and familiar with the several different national varieties (Kachru, 1992:88). As a result, it is rather difficult to define the prevailing “norms” of standard English and much more complicated to delineate its characteristics.
But these local variations of the English language have been characterized at times as deviations from the proper standard English and have been received the contempt and sometimes the condemnation of educated English people. The crucial question, therefore, is what does the term “native standard English” mean and how does it juxtapose to the innumerable “non-native usages of English” found in sociolinguistic contexts outside Britain (since our main interest is English as an international language, we shall deliberately “ignore” the fact that such varieties of English, fairly different to the standard one, can also be met in Britain itself).
Usually when people speak standard English they are speaking a variety which originated and was propagated largely in writing (O’Donnell and Todd, 1980:11). It is the vehicle used by the “educated” speakers of the language and was first developed in the south-east area of England.
According to Ward (1912:1) no-one can give an adequate definition of what exactly standard English is “simply because such a thing does not exist”, whereas Stevens (1981) reports that “standard” does not imply “imposed” or “of the majority”. Indeed, the “non-native” speakers of English are much more than the “native”. Besides, being a native speaker does not seem to be as important as being fluent in the language use and familiar with the several different national varieties (Kachru, 1992:88). As a result, it is rather difficult to define the prevailing “norms” of standard English and much more complicated to delineate its characteristics.
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