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