The English language has become a very rich and widely used language. It is the second most spoken language in the world (behind Mandarin Chinese) and “it is the language of science, aviation, computing, diplomacy, and tourism.” (krysstal.com) It has had many influences along the line to reach the language that it is today. From the strict use of Latin by the church in the Middle Ages to the Norman Occupation of what is modern day Great Britain, English’s many influences has given it the deepest vocabulary of all languages. Through the years many different dialects have arisen further richening it’s legacy. There are too many to write about in their entirety here in this paper but if they could be split into main dialects and then sub dialects they would most likely stem from two main sources: American English (AmE) and British English (BrE).

The argument can be made that BrE is more diverse than AmE and to a degree I would agree with this. English was born in the British isles and grew to become Modern English. In the history of the language the American dialect has merely been around for the blink of an eye. The different regions and sometimes, even villages, in Britain enjoyed a long time of maturation of dialects. Before public transportation, before travel was common amongst the average family, these dialects were able to define themselves with out getting diluted by human migration. However, in the history of the U.S. things happened at a more rapid rate.

When looking at a dialect map of the U.S. one can see a big difference Between the North and the South of the Eastern half. Looking closely than can see a subtle difference between Boston and New York and than as they travel farther south the even greater difference between the New England area and Florida or Georgia. However, as you move west the dialects fade into one more general American dialect, the sound of CNN and Hollywood. It is the Eastern Coast that was settled first. It is there that the United States of America was born and grew for a time. As a result this area has the most diverse dialects. The move West happened faster and Technology itself made the country smaller at the same time. As it became more common for people to travel and move as they got older the dialects mixed and became diluted. With Radio and then Television and now finally the Internet we are experiencing a time where a place is merely a click of the mouse away. With this kind of access some dialects have begun to slowly disappear while a few others are fast becoming the main dialect spoken.

England itself has experienced such trends. The so-called “Queens English” or the common language of the BBC at one time became the educated norm. It became the language of Cambridge and Oxford University. It became the language of education. The public schools institutionalized it. As a result it became easy or easier at least to tell who had an education and who didn’t. Elitism grew as many people that spoke the “good” English looked down upon those that didn’t. Naturally this became the dialect of public office and the media. However, the rich and diverse dialects of Britain were not lost. In recent decades public figures have hung on to their accents and use them as opposed to the learned folks of the past. The BBC itself has hired a variety of accented people from diverse backgrounds to please both an increasingly diverse London audience and to reach the many viewers in villages across England, Wales, and Scotland. Overall the diversity in dialects in England alone is immense. From North Yorkshire down to Stoke on Trent In the Midlands and North to East London where the Cockney accent still thrives, England seems to have America beat. In an area that could easily be a state in the U.S. England offers as many if not more dialects.

At the end of the day it is easy to say that the English language as it is spoken all over the world with many different accents and sometimes a varying vocabulary is the richest of all the languages. As the originator and as the largest country speaking it, England and America respectively hold the title of masters of the English language.

SOURCES: British English vs. American English

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

I lived in London for two years with a job that took me all over the country and even into Wales for 2 week period. During this time I met, worked with, and lived with many people from all over the UK.

Christopher Brown