The English language is changing, and you are responsible! Whether we consider changes in grammar, spelling, pronunciation, or the very vocabulary of the language, you have played your part and continue to do so.
When we first learned basic grammar and spelling, perhaps in elementary school, we might have gotten the impression that these things were sacred. The rules that apply to such things might have been presented as unchanging and unchangeable. While this way might be helpful for teaching children, it is far from accurate.
The English language, like many others, is a living, growing, ever-evolving thing. Like it or not, you are involved in this change. These changes take many forms. Grammar and spelling have changed greatly over the years and centuries, with the spelling differences in different countries today a reflection of this. While the language of a thousand years ago might be called English, most of us would hardly recognize it today as the same language.
The first involves changes in the pronunciation of words. Many are familiar with the differences between the British and American ways of pronouncing certain words. In addition to these differences, the pronunciation of many words has changed over the years because of how you have decided to pronounce them. For example, consider the word "err." The traditional pronunciation of this word rhymes with the word "her." Older dictionaries show this to be the primary or only pronunciation. However, in recent years, more and more people have been pronouncing it so that it sounds like "air." Another change in the language involves the addition and removal of words. The makers of dictionaries decide which words deserve to be officially adopted as part of the English language. Through the centuries, many words have come from other languages. In fact, English has probably done this more than any other language in the world, which is why spelling and pronunciation rules for English have so many exceptions.
Of course, many slang words have been just short-lived fashions that have died out quickly. Others, though, have been adopted by mainstream society and become respectable, as have many technical terms. So then remember, the next time you repeat the newest expression to hit the street, or make up your own words, you may be contributing to the future of the English language.
【小题1】When we begin to learn English, we think _________.| A．it is interesting to pick up a new language | B．English rules are wrongly presented in fact |
| C．grammar and spelling rules are unchangeable | D．only adults have the ability to affect a language |
| A．we can change the English language |
| B．many languages are changing over years |
| C．English has changed little in the past 1,000 years |
| D．there were main changes in grammar and pronunciation |
| A．people speak in different ways | B．people have adopted foreign words |
| C．it has been affected by American English | D．makers of dictionaries often change them |
| A．Foreign words involved in English. | B．The British speaks differently from Americans. |
| C．English language is changing over years. | D．You can change the English language. |
