ECS - Languages

ECS - Languages

If English is supposed to be the lingua franca, how come there's no word in English for lingua franca?

Poll

40 percent of the world’s population can communicate in English reasonably well.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Poll

Most conversations in English today are between non-native speakers.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Poll

In business meetings and international conferences conducted in English, non-native speakers prefer it when there is no native speaker present.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Whose language?

How many people can speak English? Some experts estimate that 1.5 billion people — around one-quarter of the world's population — can communicate reasonably well in English.

A World Language?

Never in recorded history has a language been as widely spoken as English is today. The reason why millions are learning it is simple: it is the language of international business and therefore the key to prosperity. It is not just that multinational companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Vodafone conduct their business in English; it is the language in which the Chinese speak to Brazilians and Germans to Indonesians.

Global English?

David Graddol, the author of English Next says it is tempting to view the story of English simply as a triumph for its native speakers in North America, Britain and Ireland, and Australasia — but that would be a mistake. Global English has entered a more complex phase, changing in ways that the English-speaking countries cannot control and might not like.

A Matter of Proportions

An important question one might ask is: whose English will it be in the future? Non-native speakers now outnumber native English speakers by three to one. The majority of encounters in English today take place between non-native speakers. According to David Graddol, many business meetings held in English appear to run more smoothly when there are no native English speakers present. This is because native speakers are often poor at ensuring that they are understood in international discussions.

A Matter of Proportions 2

They tend to think they need to avoid longer Latin-based words, but in fact comprehension problems are more often caused by their use of colloquial English, especially idioms, metaphors, and phrasal verbs. On one occasion, at an international student conference in Amsterdam, conducted in English, the only British representative was asked to be “less English” so that the others could understand her.

Poll

1 “I think the movie start at 8:00.”

• CORRECT

• INCORRECT

Open Ended

1 “I think the movie start at 8:00.”

Poll

2 “Is there restaurant in the hotel?”

• CORRECT

• INCORRECT

Open Ended

2 “Is there restaurant in the hotel?”

Poll

3 “I think the women usually talk faster than the men.”

• CORRECT

• INCORRECT

Open Ended

3 “I think the women usually talk faster than the men.”

Poll

4 “My friend gave me some very good advices.”

• CORRECT

• INCORRECT

Open Ended

4 “My friend gave me some very good advices.”

Poll

5 “I called to my brother but his cell phone was turned off.”

• CORRECT

• INCORRECT

Open Ended

5 “I called to my brother but his cell phone was turned off.”

Poll

6 “We discussed about global warming in class yesterday.”

• CORRECT

• INCORRECT

Open Ended

6 “We discussed about global warming in class yesterday.”

Standard English?

Professor Barbara Seidlhofer, Professor of English and Applied Linguistics at the University of Vienna, records and transcribes spoken English interactions between speakers of the language around the world. She says her team has noticed that non-native speakers are varying standard English grammar in several ways.

Standard English Part 2

Even the most competent speakers sometimes omit the “s” in the third person singular. Many omit definite and indefinite articles where they are required in standard English, or put them in where standard English does not use them. Nouns that are not plural in native-speaker English are used as plurals by non-native speakers (e.g., “informations,” “knowledges,” “advices”). Other variations include “make a discussion,” “discuss about something,” or “phone to somebody.”

Variations...

Many native English speakers will insist that these are not variations, they are mistakes. “Knowledges” and “phone to somebody” are simply wrong. Many non-native speakers who teach English around the world would agree. But language changes, and so do notions of grammatical correctness.

Academic English

Those who insist on standard English grammar remain in a powerful position. Academics who want their work published in international journals have to adhere to the grammatical rules followed by native English-speaking elites.

Natives Vs Non-natives

But spoken English is another matter. Why should non-native speakers bother with what native speakers regard as correct? Their main aim, after all, is to be understood by one another, and in most cases there is no native speaker present.

International English?

Professor Seidlhofer says, “I think that what we are looking at is the emergence of a new international attitude, the recognition and awareness that in many international contexts non-native speakers do not need to speak like native speakers, to compare themselves to them, and thus always feel ‘less good.'”

To what extent do you agree that...?

• when non-native speakers of English talk to each other, they should not worry about making mistakes as long as they can communicate

• non-native speakers do not need to speak like native speakers, nor should they feel inferior to them

• certain grammar mistakes should be considered variants of English, not mistakes

How important is it to you to be able to...?

• speak English accurately

• write accurately in English

• pass international tests in English

• read academic texts or literature in English

• communicate with native speakers of English

• communicate with non-native speakers of English

Right or Wrong?

If wrong... correct it

Multiple Choice

Can the person who has not turned off their phone please do so immediately?

• RIGHT

• WRONG

Multiple Choice

One never knows what the future holds.

• RIGHT

• WRONG