The Language

The Celts spoke Celtic which survives today in the form of Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic. Less than a quarter of all Welsh people (600, 000, out of 2, 800, 000) speak Welsh. Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic are still spoken, although they have suffered more than Welsh from the spread of English. However, all three languages are now officially encouraged and taught in schools all over the country.

English developed from Anglo-Saxon and is a Germanic language. However, all the invading peoples, particularly the Norman French, influenced the English language and you can find many words in English which are French in origin. Nowadays all Welsh, Scottish and Irish people speak English (even if they speak their own language as well), but all the countries have their own special accents and dialects, and their people are easily recognisable as soon as they speak.

Occasionally, people from the four countries in the UK have difficulty in understanding one another because of these different accents. A southern English accent is generally accepted to be the most easily understood, and is the accent usually taught to foreigners. Hence, English is the official language in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. But in the highlands of Scotland and in the Uplands of Wales a remnant of Celtic speech still survives. The Scottish form of Gaelic is spoken in parts of Scotland while few people in Northern Ireland speak the Irish form of Gaelic. Welsh which is a form of British Celtic is the first language in most parts of Wales. The Manx variety of Celtic is still used in the Isle of Man but on rare occasions only for certain official pronouncements. That is why it cannot be considered any longer as an effectively living language.

The English language evolved from a babel of Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Latin, Norse and Norman French dialects. The untrained ear to this linguistic mix would be hard put to tell the difference between a Scots accent and an Irish one, both having similar ‘burrs’. Being a monolingual country, Britain is at least comforting for anyone who reads and writes the language, no matter how rudimentary. How much English you should know in order to feel comfortable is a rather different barometer. Suffice that you should be able to read road signs, bus, and tube and train schedules which have the basic destination /times/ frequency/ routes information. Obviously being able to speak Basic English is a must; otherwise you are likely to feel isolated.

Accents can vary so much that you may wonder what languages you are hearing. Whichever gateway you choose to enter Britain, your ears will be immediately assaulted by the dozens of regional accents. Standard English pronunciation is not typical of any particular area of the country, but is more an indication of the level of general education and wealth. Thus residents of the richer counties near London will often speak with plumy accents, and originally the BBC conformed to this standard. Nowadays there is a revival of interest in local dialects and using regional pronunciation is not an indication of a lower status. The reason for this change is that it is the language of the people. With so much population diffusion and movement related to work, specific speech patterns tend to be restricted to small groups. The English language evolved from a babel of Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Latin, Norse and Norman French dialects. The untrained ear to this linguistic mix would be hard put to tell the difference between a Scots accent and an Irish one, both having similar ‘burrs’. Being a largely monolingual country, Britain is at least comforting for anyone who reads and writes the language, no matter how rudimentary. How much English you should know in order to feel comfortable is a rather different barometer.

In Victorian times, language separated the classes with a fine divide. The division is less strict today though it still exists. And in these very same great houses that are now bed and breakfast places or divided into birdcage size flats, language is a mash of different accents with the occasional plum.

Your linguistic hurdle can be sinister or simply quaint, depending on whom you meet first. The immigration officer’s probing tone is frightening enough without your having to translate his strange vowels into intelligible English. You should simply say “Would you speak slowly, sir, I cannot understand you,” and he will be more helpful. He is highly suspicious who does not speak English, never mind that you don’t understand his.

After getting past this forbidding civil servant, you will be assailed by the more raucous - and initially unintelligible - tones of a cockney taxi driver. Both speak English but they could be from different planets. Still, the taxi driver would regale you with the story of his life, the current political disorder or the vagaries of British weather. Just emit the occasional “uh-huh” and he’ll thank you profusely when you tip him, as you should, about 10% being the standard practice here.

English as you have been taught for so many years in you country completely disappears! And it takes years to distinguish between the soft lilt of the Yorkshireman, the clipped burr of the Scotsman and the strangeness of Liverpudlian which, at first, sounded positively Germanic!

Notes*

to encourage, v. - заохочувати	accent, n. - вимова, акцент
pronouncement, v. [prə'naunsmənt] - оголошення (рішення), офіційна заява	highlands - гірська сторона, the Highlands - гори північної Шотландії, Uplands - гориста частина країни,
a babel, n. - змішання мов	remnant, n. - залишок
to comfort, v. - потішати, забавляти	plumy, adj. - перистий, покритий пір’ям
a gateway, n. - ворота, вхід	to conform, v. - пристосовуватися
to assault, v. - нападати, штурмувати	population diffusion - поширення населення

Talking points*

What are the official languages on the British Isles?

What’s the origin of English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish?

Is it easy to recognise people from different parts of GB when they speak?

What accent is generally accepted as the language norm and is regarded as Standard English?

Why is there a revival of interest in local dialects and pronunciation nowadays?

It’s worth remembering that...

· It may take you a couple of years to distinguish between the soft lilt of the Yorkshireman, the clipped burr of the Scotsman and the strangeness of Liverpudlian which, at first, sounded positively Germanic! English as you have been taught completely disappears!

· Street English. A ‘nipper’ is also a small child and ‘tatty’ could be a potato rather than your cut-price decor. A ‘moggy’ id the affectionate name for a cat and many grandmothers are called ‘nans’. The epitome of an English parlour scene is someone’s ‘nan’ cradling her ‘moggy’ on her lap while waiting for her cattle to boil to make a ‘cuppa’ (tea).

· Trying to find accommodation through the classifieds is a protracted exercise in decoding that by the time you make any sense of it, you are too late. Try this: “ Rm, ch, bt entr in des. Res. Off st.pk”. Room, central heating, basement entrance, in desirable residence, off street parking.

· On the pleasant side of physical contact, the British are generally free of taboos that beset others, especially Orientals who don’t like any kind of overt physical gestures. With a first time acquaintance, a firm handshake is in order whatever your gender, though young people, especially teenagers and yobos, would find this too formal. On knowing someone a little better - some may call it affectation but it’s regarded as refinement among many British - a peck on the cheek is acceptable. Male and female of course. Many Europeans kiss both cheeks resoundingly and across all gender. The British way is very restrained, more the woman proffering her cheek with a slight tilt of her head so the man may gently touch it with his cheek at the same time making a puckering sound.

· Park bench introductions. This is one of the best ways to communicate with a Briton: he’s already in the right and receptive frame of mind basking in the sun. There is no other reason to sit on a park bench. Talk about the weather is the usual ice breaker but don’t ask nosy questions like where he or she works, lives or salary earned. Even among close acquaintances, such topics are deemed too personal. Money is general a taboo subject: you should not ask how much people have paid for purchases.

Дата добавления: 2015-08-18