British and Irish English

For a relatively small area, one can find an incredible variety of English around these two islands. Standard English (also known as RP or Received Pronunciation) is the “proper” English most of the rest of the world associates with Britain (until recently the BBC, the Royal Family amid many educated professionals all used RP for example) but a wide range of regional variations also exist. A couple of examples would be Cockney, the famous rhyming slang spoken in the East End of London, or Scouse, the English spoken in the northern city of Liverpool. Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic all have their own particular variations of English that at times can be difficult to understand for non-Britons who are more familiar with Standard English. In Britain, how you speak says much about your social class and general background.

Australian and New Zealand English

This is a colourful form of English that mixes an American-styled openness, a somewhat British (probably closest to Cockney) sounding pronunciation together with a number of words and expressions heard nowhere else. “G'day”, “fair dinkum" (meaning genuine) and “the bush” (meaning the countryside) are but three examples. Like North American English, many terms (especially those dealing With nature such as kangaroo and wombat) come from the Aboriginal tongues the British encountered upon their arrival “down under” (another Australian expression used to describe their location below the Equator). 

North American English

Although not a separate language (despite what some Britons and Americans might tell you!), there are several differences between British and American English. Vowels sounds, intonation, pronunciation and even grammar can vary and there are a number of that words that differ. If an English person wants to borrow a pen, he or she will ask "Have you got a pen, please?", but an American will say "Do you have a pen?". If you ask a question in British English, your voice doesn't always go up at the end of the question. In American it does. Ironically, many Americanisms" (such as the use of fall for autumn) are actually antiquated forms that have long fallen out of use’ in Britain. North Americans have also taken many words (such as caucus and raccoon) from the languages of the Native Americans. Neither the USA nor Canada has a direct equivalent to Received Pronunciation but there is a particular Midwest 'accentless' English one often hears in the cinema and mass media.

'World English'

It is sometimes forgotten that non-native speakers of English in the world today outnumber native- speakers three to one. Inevitably, you will encounter forms of Creole English that have long been mixed with local cultures and languages (such as in Jamaica or on the Indian sub-continent).  You may also encounter English that is routinely spoken as a second language for business or other specific purposes (such as in Japan or continental Europe). These forms often greatly deviate from Standard English and whether they should be considered 'pure' English at all probably depends on people's point of view.

 (adapted from Scoop, Carl Schonbeck and  Speak Up, Rachel J. Roberts)