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Standard Variations and Conceptions of Language in Various Language Cultures
Jennie Price (Senior Editor, Oxford English Dictionary, OUP)
Of course it's English, it's in the dictionary!: Global English, Standard English, and the challenge to the English historical lexicographerOver the past thirty years, there has been a significant increase in the use of English as a global lingua franca. This paper considers Global English in relation to Standard English - or the Standard Englishes - and the challenge that recording it presents to the historical lexicographer. It examines some definitions of Global English, and compares them to the 'mass-market English' of popular culture, the New Englishes, and the major varieties of English. Attitudes of 'native speakers' towards Global English, its users, and its effects on 'their' language, are discussed. Do native speakers have a responsibility to 'protect' their language in order to export it in its most user-friendly state, or should change be embraced as reflecting the needs of the wider linguistic community?
The Oxford English Dictionary is often considered to be the definitive historical record of the English language. How far can it - or should it - hope to go in recording Global English? Changes in the style and content of the Dictionary which reflect the rise of Global English and the New Englishes are examined, with particular consideration given to the Online Edition. The paper concludes by examining the potential effects of this more inclusive approach to English lexicography on the attitudes of language users, and considers the possibility of a Global English Dictionary.
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