LESSON NOTES

All About S2 #1
British English - Top Five Reasons
to Study English

CONTENTS
2

Grammar

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GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson is the Top 5 Reasons to Study English
I. Linguistics
English is a Germanic language that has been shaped and influenced by many languages
from all over the world. The native language of Britain was originally a Celtic language, but
during the fifth century Britain was invaded by three Germanic tribes and this gave English the
Germanic basis it still has to date. The English spoken then was called Old English and
although it bears little resemblance to the English spoken today some words are still in use.
The Norman Invasion in the twelfth century brought the French language to Britain and the
English language adapted to include many French words. This French influenced version of
English, known as Middle English, is closer to modern-day English than it is to Old English.
The period after the Norman Invasion saw a natural change in the pronunciation of vowels and
that, coupled with the expanding British Empire and influence of languages from all over the
world, saw Middle English expand its vocabulary to become Modern English.
II. About Britain
The United Kingdom is located in the west of Europe. It consists of four countries - England,
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, that are joined in a union. The United Kingdom was
once connected to mainland Europe by a land bridge and this is how it was originally
inhabited, but it now consists of two large islands and many smaller islands. The Republic of
Ireland borders Northern Ireland on the smaller of the two large islands.
The British influence has been felt throughout the world as the UK was the first country to
become industrialised. The British Empire at its height, covered a quarter of the world and
was the largest empire in history. The capital city is London. The UK has a temperate climate
with plenty of rain and mild winters.
III. Where English is Spoken
English is the main language of many countries throughout the world, such as the United
States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada amongst others. Different countries speak different
variations of English. American English, for example, is different to British English and is
thought to resemble Middle English more than British English does. There are also many
different dialects of British English that can be heard throughout the UK.
IV. Writing System and Pronunciation
English uses the Latin (Roman) alphabet. Due to the evolution of English and influences from
many different languages, words are not always pronounced as they are written and letters
can have many different pronunciations. There are also spelling and pronunciation
differences between countries and dialects.

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ALL ABOUT S2 #1 - BRITISH ENGLISH - TOP FIVE REASONS TO STUDY ENGLISH

V. Why It Is Important: The Top Reasons to Learn English

1. English is a global language: it is the lingua franca and the most widely used language in the
world. It is the language most commonly taught as a second language and the easiest way to
communicate with people from many different countries.
2. Media: movies, music, the Internet...the most popular language for all of these is English!
3. Careers and business: as English is the most widely used language, it is seen as a valuable
skill by employers. Many fields such as science, computing and business place a great value
on the ability to speak English.
4. To read: not only is English the most published language, but many of literature's classics
were originally published in English, from the works of William Shakespeare to Harry Potter!
5. To have fun: learning a language is fun and rewarding! As English shares so many words
with other languages, it is easy for everyone to start learning, and with time and effort, anyone
can become fluent.

ENGLISHCLASS101.COM

ALL ABOUT S2 #1 - BRITISH ENGLISH - TOP FIVE REASONS TO STUDY ENGLISH