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JacktheCat
Joined: 08 May 2004
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 Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:49 am Post subject: Newsweek Coverstory on Future of the English Language |
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Newsweek International's March 7th edition has a coverstory on the future of the English Language and the EFL Industry.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3037881/site/newsweek/
Anyone else read it; thoughts and opinions? |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 4:44 am Post subject: |
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The article's introductory idea is pretty simple and more described than defended: Non-native English speakers are changing the language in general; at first it's intimated as being corruption, later as revolutionary. I disagree with this premise because I have yet to see any example of how the way English is spoken in a non-native country is changing the way English is spoken in native countries or in standard forms taught internationally.
It's your typical journalistic spin, an intriguing slant, not much more.
The latter half of the story is focussed on the less inflammatory, more obvious thesis: English is growing in importance and use within non-native English speaking countries.
That aside, here are some sentences which jumped out at me:
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| Last August, South Korea set up its first English immersion camp. |
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| For the traditional custodians of English—the British and, more recently, the Americans |
Recently? Who are they writing for? What scale? Three hundred years isn't recent, especially for an article otherwise micro-focussed on the short-term waves in China, the Middle East and the Internet generation.
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| the massive English-learning industry, which in India alone is a $100 million-per-year business |
Is that all? There's 20 times the population in India but that figure is a fraction of the ESL industry in Korea. I actually thought English was more invested in there than that; it must be the relatively poor incomes.
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| Hu Xiaoqiong argued for reorientating China's English curriculum toward China English, incorporating Chinese phrases like "pay New Year calls," a Spring Festival tradition, and "no face," to be ashamed—as Standard English. |
"Over my dead body," I say, "will such expressions be acceptable in my classroom." Because I wouldn't know what the heck they are saying if they used them, and English innovations should minimally be understood by native or non-native English speakers from other countries. If only those in China understand Chinglish, then what use is it? It's doing more harm than good, making them feel like they are speaking the language when in fact no communication is taking place.
The article is in Newsweek. For that level of discussion, it's alright.
Last edited by VanIslander on Sat Mar 05, 2005 4:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Tiberious aka Sparkles
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 4:45 am Post subject: |
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I will hang myself the day that "ur" is taught in elementary schools as an alternative to "you're."
L8r,
Sparkles*_* |
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JacktheCat
Joined: 08 May 2004
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 4:49 am Post subject: |
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| Also, in their discussion and accompanying diagram about the different "ishes" of English (Chinglish, Japlish, etc) they left out Konglish! |
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Blind Willie
Joined: 05 May 2004
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 4:53 am Post subject: |
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Here's some English:
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Oure Hooste saugh wel that the brighte sonne
The ark of his artificial day hath ronne
The ferthe part, and half an houre and moore;
And though he were nat depe expert in loore |
Language changes. |
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Tiberious aka Sparkles
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 5:04 am Post subject: |
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| In the future, suggests Crystal, there could be a tri-English world, one in which you could speak a local English-based dialect at home, a national variety at work or school, and international Standard English to talk to foreigners. |
The future is now.
George Orwell wrote some very poignant essays -- one of which is an addendum to 1984 -- in which he points out the banality our language is in danger of falling into. Over 50 years later, his writings have proven to be accurately sibylline.
Sparkles*_* |
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canuckistan
Mod Team
Joined: 17 Jun 2003
Location: Training future GS competitors.....
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 7:17 am Post subject: |
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| Blind Willie wrote: |
Here's some English:
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Oure Hooste saugh wel that the brighte sonne
The ark of his artificial day hath ronne
The ferthe part, and half an houre and moore;
And though he were nat depe expert in loore |
Language changes. |
The Lord's Prayer in Old English:
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F�der ure �u�e eart on heofonum
si �in nama gehalgod tobecume �in rice gewur�e �in willa on eor�an swa swa on heofonum
urne ged�ghwamlican hlaf syle us to d�g
and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfa� urum gyltendum
and ne gel�d �u us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele so�lice.
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Middle English:
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Oure fadir �at art in heuenes halwid be �i name;
�i reume or kyngdom come to be. Be �i wille don in her�e as it is dounin heuene.
yeue to us today oure eche dayes bred.
And foryeue to us oure dettis �at is oure synnys as we foryeuen to oure dettouris �at is to men �at han synned in us.
And lede us not into temptacion but delyuere us from euyl.
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Modern English (King James version):
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Our father which art in heauen, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen.
Giue us this day our daily bread.
And forgiue us our debts as we forgiue our debters.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliuer us from euill. Amen |
This link has a sound clip of the Lord's Prayer being read in Old English if anyone's wondering what all that written gibberish sounded like:
http://www.wordorigins.org/histeng.htm |
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peemil
Joined: 09 Feb 2003
Location: Koowoompa
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Old English sounds really good... |
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little mixed girl
Joined: 11 Jun 2003
Location: shin hyesung's bed~
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| Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:49 am Post subject: |
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language is in constant change. anyone that thinks that 'foreigner english' is 'ruining' the language is a fool.
english has more non-native english words than native english words
somebody's a prescriptive linguist  |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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I kind of agree with VI on the issue of teaching Chinglish.
The goal of learning a new language is to communicate with other speakers of that language right? If the people only learn regional variations and not the standards too, then that doesn't help communication any.
Last week, I was in a shop in my town, and the shopkeeper was really forceful in trying to sell me something. . I told her I was just looking and she didn't understand. I couldn't remember the Korean for browsing, so I said " eye shopping. With that the lights went on.
While I figure new phrases like "eyeshopping" are fine, they're entirely useless outside of Korea for now, so it's best to teach the standard along side it. |
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trigger123
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Location: TALKING TO STRANGERS, IN A BETTER PLACE
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| Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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recommended reading for linguists / sociologists / communists / revolutionaries
fastlook here |
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billybrobby
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| In the future, will writing 'cover story' as one word be considered correct? |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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"Within a decade, 2 billion people will be studying English and about half the world - some 3 billion people - will speak it, according to a recent report from the British Council."
Wow.
That sounds like a lot more than I would have guessed. |
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Saxiif
Joined: 15 May 2003
Location: Seongnam
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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That depends what you mean by "speak" English. Quite a lot of Koreans "speak" English.
As far as Chinglish goes. What's wrong with "no face," hasn't that been adopted in mainstream English for quite a while. Its interesting how many English words have been borrowed by other languages, but I don't see how this is going to change mainstream English (after all we borrowed tons of words from the French but I don't think that the French have adopted any of the ways that we've changed the meanings of French-derived words such as "mansion"). Well except for English teachers I guess, but I don't think that there's enoug of us to make "aircon" etc. standard usage. |
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tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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| peemil wrote: |
| Old English sounds really good... |
It does! |
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