The development of the English language in America can be divided into three periods：The first period extends from the settlement of Jamestown in 1607 to the end of colonial times.The second period covers the expansion of the original thirteen colonies.This time may be said to close with the Civil War，about 1860.The third period，since the Civil War，is marked by an important change in the source from which the European immigrants came.They came from northern and southern Europe in large numbers.
As time went on，the English language gradually changed on both sides of the Atlantic.At the beginning of the 17th century the English language was brought to North America by colonists from English.They used the language spoken in England，that is，Elizabethan English，the language used by Shakespeare，Milton and Banyan.
Following American independence，famous persons like Thomas Jefferson，John Adams，and Webster began to consider that the country should have a language of its own.English in America has developed a character of its own，reflecting the life and the physical and social environment of the American people.
【词海拾贝】
1．colonial adj.殖民的
2．expansion n．扩张
3．immigrant n．移民
【问题思考】
True (T)or False (F)：
1．The development of the English language in America can be divided into four periods.( )
2．At the beginning of the 17th century the English language was brought to South America.( )
答案：1.F 2.F
