Cultural dimensions of English used as a lingua franca in Southeast Asia

Cultural dimensions of English used as a lingua franca in Southeast Asia

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the cultural influence on the use of English as a lingua franca in Southeast Asia. The findings were derived from semi-structured interviews with 24 Thai students of English. Four morphosyntactic variables of Thai English have been selected for analysis (‘be’ as copula and auxiliary, past tense marking, noun plural marking, particles) and contrasted with linguistic features of Southeast Asian varieties of English (Singapore Colloquial English, Philippine English and Malaysian English). The evidence suggests that variable occurrence of the investigated forms is not random. On the one hand, the data shows substrate language influence, e.g. nul copula, use of particles, past tense omission. However, the analysis also reveals that these variables are present in other non-Asian vernaculars.

Культурное измерение английского языка, использованного как лингва-франка в Юго-Восточной Азии

Цель статьи – анализ влияния культурных факторов на использования английского языка как лингва-франка в Юго-Восточной Азии. Исследование основано на результатах частично классифицированного интервью среди 24 тайских студентов, которые изучают английский язык. Для анализа использовались четыре морфосинтаксические формы (глагол «быть» как глагол-связка и вспомогательный, маркировка прошедшего времени, маркировка множественного числа существительных и служебные слова), которые автор статьи сравнил с другими юго-восточными отличиями английского языка, который используется в Сингапуре, Малайзии и на Филиппинах. Результаты исследования показали, что использование данных морфосинтаксических форм не ест случайным, очевидным ест влияние местных языков, например, упущение глагола «быть», использование служебных слов, неиспользование прошедшего времени. Однако, как показывает глубокий анализ, те изменения также присутствуют и в английском языке, который используется за пределами Азии.

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