Potato or potahto?

A Glance At The Different Dialects Of English Language Spoken Around The World

Madhav Sharma
AIS Vasundhara 6, XI D

It is often said that you don’t need to know the grammar or pronunciation of a language as long as you have a good enough amount of people using it the way you do. The argument, in support of this, usually comes that all languages are man-made, and if a man created a rule for it, another one can change it as they see it. Such cases can be seen for a lot of languages in the world, where it changes with the dialect, area, and perception of the people. Yet no language has gone through these changes better than English, the lingua franca that moulds itself according to the people it is spoken by. Don’t believe us? Believe these examples instead!

British English
Known as the old school English, British English is usually spoken and written in the United Kingdom or, broadly, throughout the British Isles. The term is used as an umbrella variety, adding all its subheads under it like Scottish English, Welsh English and even Irish English. It has its own words, phrases, and connotations like ‘wee’ being a synonym of ‘little’. The language also comes with its own dialects and accents like British, Southern English, West Country, Ulster English, Welsh, Scottish etc., and one of the phonological features of British English remains its specific dropping of the letter R. After all, we know the internet loves to make fun of the British ‘bowahaufwota’[bottle of water].

American English
Though English ended up being a part of America because of British colonisation, it now stands to be just as unique to the country; it is now the most widely spoken language in the country. With America being the superpower it is, it also does not come as a surprise that their variation of English ends up affecting the rest of the world. How often have you been confused between the American spelling or the British spelling of a word? And unlike the British, it does believe in pronouncing the R. American English also moved on a different path in terms of vocabulary and spelling; it incorporated a lot of foreign words like en masse, cookie, kindergarten, rodeo, adobe etc. Not to mention that the American dictionary, Webster’s Dictionary, created new rules and spellings for the language. Is it honour or honor? Depends on who you ask.
Indian English
Another English born out of the British colonisation, Indian English is spoken in India and the Indian diasporas. Indians were first taught the language so the trade of East India Company could be smoother, as well as so Indians could follow the orders of their ‘masters’. Though the British might have left the country, they leave behind English, which now is one of the official languages of the country. However, the people of the country have created their own pronunciations and phrases, like ‘Kindly revert’,‘Out of station’, ‘I passed out’, etc. Not to mention that this English can have an intonation pattern, a result of the speakers speaking their mother tongues.

Ugandan English
Ugandan English, or Uglish (you-glish), is the dialect spoken in Uganda, which is filled with tremendous favours of the locals who speak it. One of the biggest distinctions is how their speech patterns, formed via different Ugandan languages, strongly influence the English they speak. They generally alter foreign words to make them sound more euphonic, and just like the Bantu languages spoken in the country, Ugandan English also does not stress on consonants that stand alone (and they also don’t like the R sound starting a word!)

All these are different variations of a language, spoken widely yet so beautiful and brilliant. They all are independent and correct on their own as well as narrate the story of the region they come from. Yes, language is a man-made thing, and it is via these examples that we understand that it is constantly evolving, growing as humanity grows.

Ability in disability

Using Technology To Build An All Inclusive Set-Up

AUUP

Amity Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences, AUUP, organised a two-day, virtual Continuing Rehabilitation Education (CRE) programme on ‘Management of Children with Non-verbal Learning Disability in Inclusive Set-up,’ from September 8-9, 2022. The programme saw various experts conduct insightful sessions on diverse topics, including, ‘Recent Development and Changes in the field of Specific Learning Disability’, ‘Understanding Non-verbal Learning Disability’, ‘Teacher Perspective on Management of Children with Non-verbal Learning Disability’, ‘Intervention strategies: Social Emotional Learning in School Set Up’, and ‘Inclusion of Students with Non-verbal Learning Disability: Current Scenario’. The participants also got a chance to ponder over and share what they learned during the two-day webinar at the concluding ceremony, which was followed by informative speeches from esteemed dignitaries present at the programme.
First in line to address the gathering at the valedictory programme was chief guest, Himanshu Gupta (IAS), director, Directorate of Education, Government of NCT. He averred, “The programme conducted by Amity is a huge step in recognising the need for empowering children with non-verbal learning disability. Our honourable PM Narendra Modiji has also released ‘Prashast’, a disability screening checklist for schools, which will help teachers and special educators to screen children at preliminary levels and refer them for further identification at assessment camps. Directorate of Education and Amity Group as such will work collaboratively in this direction and contribute towards empowering the young children dealing with disabilities.”
Sharing his views on the occasion, Dr Ashok K. Chauhan, Founder President, Amity Education Group, pondered, “Amity is proud to be associated with such a noble cause and aims to work tirelessly to transform the situation of disabled children . Through research and innovation, which is the focus of Amity, new technologies will be developed for children with special disabilities.” 
Lastly, presenting a report of the two-day programme, Prof (Dr) Jayanti Pujari, director, Amity Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences, said, “The programme included participation from 13 states, including Punjab, Haryana, UP, West Bengal and Kerala amongst others. It has been highly beneficial for all the participants, and Amity research scholars are already working on developing new technologies.”
The webinar ended with a vote of thanks by Dr Pallavi Chauhan, deputy director, Amity Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences.
(Courtesy: Amity Media Cell)

Rake in that review

Book: The Invisible Life of Addie Larue
Author: V E Schwab
Published on: October 6, 2020
Genre: Fantasy fiction

Synopsis: The book, set in early 80s, is about a woman named Adeline and her struggle of wanting to escape a wedding set against her own wish. On the night of her wedding, she makes a deal with a mysterious god, ostensibly a devil, in exchange for her soul; she is soon granted her wish to be free and immortal. The catch – she is cursed to forget every individual she meets. She moves through different people’s lives without leaving a mark. Now, after almost three centuries, she meets a man in a bookstore who strangely remembers her.
Why is it worth reading: The premise of this book is quite unique and captivating. It is a fast-paced novel that wastes no time in plunging into the intricacies of Addie’s life. It is fascinating to see Addie in various circumstances where she meets people one day and forgets them the next. Besides this, the book switches back and forth between Addie’s life in the eighteenth and twenty-first centuries. A strong sense of place can be experienced as the book is embedded with descriptions of different cities and countries. All in all, Schwab’s writing is beautiful, inspirational and thought-provoking.
Iconic Quote: “Three words, large enough to tip the world. I remember you.”
Rating: 
Review by: Anwita Agarwal
AIS Saket, X D