| It is undoubtedly true that English is an | | | | Dialect leveling often |
| international language and it is the most | | | | |
| widespread language on earth. . It is spoken | | | | occurred. As a result, pidgins and creoles |
| in many parts of the world, yet with various | | | | developed and new varieties |
| degrees of differences in grammar, | | | | |
| pronunciation or vocabulary. How do these | | | | of English emerged.Different patterns of |
| varieties arise? When we | | | | colonial activity and their effects on |
| | | | English |
| take a close look at the history in the last | | | | |
| few centuries, it is | | | | According to David Graddol et al., there |
| | | | were three types of |
| certain that the varieties of English have a | | | | |
| close relationship with | | | | English colony, each of them having |
| | | | different effects on the |
| the colonial activity in this period. | | | | |
| | | | development of English. In the first type, |
| Until the late sixteenth century English was | | | | exemplified by America and |
| not spoken anywhere | | | | |
| | | | Australia, substantial settlement by |
| outside the British Isles. The spread of | | | | first-language speakers of |
| English beyond the British | | | | |
| | | | English displaced the pre-colonial |
| Isles resulted from the spread of the | | | | population. In the second, typified |
| English-speaking people through | | | | |
| | | | by Nigeria, sparser colonial settlements |
| colonial activity. | | | | maintained the pre-colonial |
| | | | |
| As English-speaking colonies were | | | | population in subjection and allowed a |
| established, English came into | | | | proportion of them access to |
| | | | |
| contact with indigenous languages of the | | | | learning English as a second, or additional, |
| pre-colonial population. Very | | | | language. The third type, |
| | | | |
| often speakers in these communities tend to | | | | exemplified by the Caribbean islands of |
| incorporate many | | | | Barbados and Jamica. Here, a |
| | | | |
| linguistic features from their first | | | | pre-colonial population was replaced by new |
| language when speaking the new | | | | labor from elsewhere, |
| | | | |
| one. Besides, there was diversity in the | | | | principally West Africa.North America |
| language used by the | | | | |
| | | | In 1607 the first British colony was |
| English-speaking settlers themselves. | | | | established in Jamestown. |