Prestige and Received Pronunciation
is the accent long associated with the BBC and the British upper class. For decades it carried prestige, and a regional accent could count against you in a job interview. Today RP is treated as just one accepted accent among many, and broadcasters use a wide range of regional voices. The shift shows that 'correct' English is partly a social judgement, not a fixed fact about the language.
Slik uttrykker du det
is the accent once linked to the BBC and the British upper class, and for a long time it carried prestige while regional accents could count against you. Today broadcasters use many regional voices and RP is just one accepted accent among many. I would use this to argue that what counts as 'correct' English is partly a social judgement, not a fixed fact about the language.
What counts as 'correct' English is partly a social judgement.
English as a lingua franca
A Norwegian engineer, a Korean designer and a Brazilian client meet online and run the whole meeting in English, though none of them is a native speaker. Here English works as a lingua franca, a shared bridge language between people with different first languages. The grammar is often simplified and the accents vary widely, but communication succeeds. This global role, rather than any single 'correct' homeland version, is now the main reason English matters worldwide.
Slik uttrykker du det
When a Norwegian, a Korean and a Brazilian run a meeting in English although none of them is a native speaker, English is working as a lingua franca, a shared bridge language. The grammar may be simplified and the accents vary, but they still understand each other. I would point to this global role, rather than any single 'homeland' version, as the main reason English matters in the world today.
English matters globally as a shared bridge language, not one homeland version.
English is spoken differently across regions and countries: British, American, Australian, Indian and Nigerian English all have their own pronunciation and vocabulary. These are varieties, not mistakes. Variation also runs along social lines, not just geography. A dialect is tied to a place; a sociolect is tied to a social group or class. The way someone speaks can quietly signal where they come from and which group they belong to.
Even one speaker varies their English from moment to moment. Register is the level of formality you choose to fit the situation and audience. The same person uses relaxed with friends and careful in a cover letter. Slang signals belonging to a group and changes fast; Standard English is the variety expected in formal, public and written settings. Knowing when to switch is itself a language skill.