English language Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === Australia and New Zealand === {{Main|Australian English|New Zealand English}} {| style="text-align: center; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" | {{listen|filename=AustraliaPart2.ogg|title=Speech example|description=An example of a man with a [[Australian English phonology|general Australian accent]].|image=none}} | {{listen|filename=Prime Minister Gillard of Australia at News Conference with President Obama.flac|title=Speech example|description=An example of a [[South Australia]]n woman with a [[broad Australian accent]] ([[Julia Gillard]]).|help=no|image=none}} | {{listen|filename=Geoffrey Rush bbc radio4 front row 01 05 2013.flac|title=Speech example|description=An example of a [[Queensland]] man with a cultivated Australian accent ([[Geoffrey Rush]]).|help=no|image=none}} |- | {{listen|filename=Eleanor_catton_bbc_radio4_womans_hour_09_09_2013.flac|title=Speech example|description=An example of a woman with a [[New Zealand accent]] ([[Eleanor Catton]]).|help=no|image=none}} | {{listen|filename=H.E. Mr. John Key Prime Minister, New Zealand - speech at Connect Asia-Pacific 2013 Summit.ogg|title=Speech example|description=An example of a man with a [[New Zealand accent]] ([[John Key]]).|help=no|image=none}} | |} Since 1788, English has been spoken in [[Oceania]], and [[Australian English]] has developed as the first language of the vast majority of the inhabitants of the Australian continent, its standard accent being [[General Australian]]. The [[New Zealand English|English of neighbouring New Zealand]] has to a lesser degree become an influential standard variety of the language.{{sfn|Eagleson|1982}} Australian and New Zealand English are each other's closest relatives with few differentiating characteristics, followed by [[South African English]] and the English of South East England, all of which have similarly non-rhotic accents, aside from some accents in the [[South Island]] of New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand English stand out for their innovative vowels: many short vowels are fronted or raised, whereas many long vowels have diphthongised. Australian English also has a contrast between long and short vowels, not found in most other varieties. Australian English grammar aligns closely with British and American English; like American English, collective plural subjects take on a singular verb (as in ''the government is'' rather than ''are'').{{sfn|Trudgill|Hannah|2002|pages=16β21}}{{sfn|Burridge|2010}} New Zealand English uses front vowels that are often even higher than in Australian English.{{sfn|Trudgill|Hannah|2002|pages=24β26}}{{sfn|Maclagan|2010}}{{sfn|Gordon|Campbell|Hay et al.|2004}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page