English is a Language, just like any other languages spoken by people anywhere around the world.
But more than just being a language, it is the language with the highest Global Influence.
It is spoken by approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide, which is why it is considered as the world's "lingua franca (a language that is adopted as a general or common language between speakers whose native languages are different)", widely used in international activities like business (trade), computer coding, and higher education.
In education most times, it is referred to as "English Studies". And it's vastness is broader than it sounds.
According to encyclopedia, "English Studies is an academic discipline focused on the English language and its diverse uses, encompassing both literature and linguistics. It involves the study of literature written in English, the structure and usage of the language, and its role in various social and historical contexts. Essentially, it's a field that explores the English language in all its forms and applications.
BRANCHES OF ENGLISH
English Studies can broadly be categorized into two:
1. Theoretical linguistics and
2. Applied linguistics.
*Theoretical linguistics focuses on the structure and nature of language itself.
*Applied linguistics explores how linguistic knowledge can be used to solve real-world problems. Key areas within these branches include phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, and psycholinguistics.
*SIMPLEST BRANCH IN ENGLISH
Is there a simplest approach to English Studies? Well, I think this depends on individual capacity or capabilities. It is subjective.
However, it wouldn't be so palatable for one to jump into "English Literature" or "Linguistics" without them having a good knowledge about "English Language Studies".
This is also because Literature and Linguistics can be so complex or complicated, especially for beginners. On the other hand, English Language studies often emphasize:
*developing strong communication,
*writing, and
*analytical skills, which are directly applicable to various professions.
Also, this branch (English Language Studies) focuses on the English language itself.
That is to say, its STRUCTURE:
1. phonetics
2. phonology
3. morphology
4. syntax
5. semantics
6. it's history
7. the variations (dialects, accents).
Don't worry yet about all these above, we would eventually get into them one after the other. This is just an introduction.
*LETTERS OF THE ENGLISH ALPHABET
Now, just for a moment, pretend like you haven't heard about the letters of the English alphabet. I believe that's one of the best ways to really have a clearer understanding, and you might just not get bored about this concept.
Different languages have various alphabets all over the world.
*French: it has 26 letters, just like the English Language, which is why, you would agree with me, that it is the closest language to English.
What differentiates it is the Accents, and other symbols known as the Diacritics.
*Chinese: I think Chinese is the most complex international language known.
It doesn't have an alphabet, like English. Rather, it uses thousands of individual characters that represent words or morphemes.
Back to English.
Below are the 26 letters of the English alphabet. In Upper and Lower cases:
Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, and Zz.