The Impact of Revolutions and the Evolution of English

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Industrial Revolution

Several influences fueled the Industrial Revolution: Britain's industry, wealth, labor force, a greater demand for goods, new power sources, and improved transportation.

Increased food production made it possible to feed a large population. This created an opportunity to manufacture and sell goods, and a demand for people to produce those goods.

Machines were invented for basic jobs, which introduced the idea of division of labor. One invention led to another. Other countries bought British uniforms, equipment, and weapons, particularly after the invention of a cloth-making machine. Ultimately, Britain was exporting all of this to Europe.

Workers' Rights

Workers tried to join together to protect themselves against powerful employers. They wanted fair wages and better working conditions. Some riots occurred, but the government supported the factory owners.

The Rise of Methodism

A new movement that met the needs of the workers was led by John Wesley, an Anglican priest. "Methodism" was able to give ordinary people a sense of purpose and dignity. It paved the way for social change.

French Revolution

The French Revolution was instigated by the bourgeoisie (middle class), leading the peasants and urban working classes. They had no sympathy for the French aristocracy and were frightened of awakening the working class. They saw the danger of revolution as landowners went in search of work.

The revolution changed the social and political structure of France. It put an end to the French monarchy and feudalism, brought new ideas of freedom, and abolished slavery.

The Evolution of English

Accents and Class

RP English is associated with educated people, while Cockney is the English of the lower class. Estuary English falls somewhere in between, associated with the middle class.

Accents usually tell us where in the country a person is from; RP tells us only about a speaker's social or educational background.

English as a "Foreign Language"

The second part of the language learning iceberg relates to people who live in countries where English has no official status but is learned as a foreign language in schools and institutes of higher education, and through the use of a wide range of "self-help" materials.

English as a "Second Language"

In countries where English has some kind of special status (an official language in Ghana and Nigeria, for example), governments have settled on English as the main language to carry on the affairs of education, commerce, the media, and the legal system. In such cases, people need to learn English to succeed in life.

Creole Languages

Creole has its own grammatical structure and is considered an official language in some places. Creolized varieties of English are very important throughout the Caribbean and in countries to which Caribbean people have emigrated. Black English in the USA is also a creole. This is due to the African slaves who were transported from Africa to American colonies for trading. Creole gives its speakers their identity as an ethnic group.

Pidgin Languages

Pidgin languages are mainly found in two big "families": one in the Atlantic and the other in the Pacific. The Atlantic varieties developed in West Africa and were transported to the West Indies and America during the years of the slave trade. The Pacific varieties are found across the southwestern part of the ocean, from the coast of China to the northern part of Australia.

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