Origins Of The English Language

It is the language of business, popular media and the most diverse in the world. With more than one million distinct words at a yearly growth rate of 8,500, English is more diverse and confusing than any other language. The little intricacies of inflection and pronunciation make it considerably different to any other language and notoriously difficult to master for non-native speakers. Its diversity and sheer size make it one of the most descriptive languages, and with just over 500 million total speakers, it is not uncommon for words and phrases from other Indo-European languages to be borrowed and incorporated either. If you're planning on studying English abroad, you might be interested to know more about the beginnings of the language.

A History of English

A West Germanic language, English is from the same group as German, Dutch, Yiddish and Afrikaans. English finds its roots in the Anglo-Frisian dialects that Germanic invaders and settlers brought with them into Britain. These dialects were initially quite diverse, each becoming part of what we know today as Old English. Late West Saxon became the dominant dialect among the four that Old English was comprised of. The others, Merican, Kentish and Northumbrian, lost their popularity with time and especially as Late West Saxon became the first written English dialect - known as the Winchester Standard.

The language changed significantly during the Middle Ages, with modern English dating back to the 15th century and the 'Great Vowel Shift' - an event that separated middle and modern English quite distinctly with a dramatic change in pronunciation.

1604 marks the year of the first English dictionary, the Table Alphabeticall, and also the time when the language became clearly recognisable as English. The next four centuries saw changes in minor details such as pronouns and developments in pronunciation, but from the 17th century onwards the English we speak today had taken its form.

Learn English in New Zealand

Because of its popularity and its status in international business throughout the developed world and in both Western and Eastern countries, English is a popular language for students looking to better their opportunities in the future. New Zealand welcomes ESOL students with schools dedicated to the subject throughout the country. As the biggest city in the country, English language courses in Auckland are some of the most popular choices for international students with great accommodation available around the CBD and all the Kiwi culture to go along with it.

CCEL ( Christchurch College of English Ltd ) is a privately-owned English language school located on the University of Canterbury campus in Christchurch. CCEL works in partnership with the University and provides international students with a pathway to further study, find out more here: http://www.ccel.co.nz/

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