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Globish?

של andrew.longhofer, 25 בינואר 2009

הודעות: 23

שפה: English

andrew.longhofer (הצגת פרופיל) 25 בינואר 2009, 17:49:20

The BBC is reporting on the pervasiveness of English on the French horizon. Buried in this article is a reference to "Globish," a stripped-down English without idiom, acronym, or wordplay, but available to native speakers of every other language. Here's the story.

What do you think?

Matthieu (הצגת פרופיל) 25 בינואר 2009, 18:35:16

The article:That the French resent the global supremacy of the English language is nothing new
I don't know which French they are talking about: as a French, it seems to me that anyone who tries to defend the French language or complains about the supremacy of English is automatically a stupid anti-American chauvinist. Franglais is considered trendy, and some people seem to think that the more (pseudo-)English words they use, the more clever they sound.
It's funny that the French are considered patriotic abroad, because I have the feeling that despising France is fashionable.

Among the arguments against Esperanto, I often hear “it has no culture, no idioms, it's not a real language, inventing a language using others is awful.” Then why would a crippled version of English be acceptable?

I think that using Globish worldwide would make its speakers inferior: native English speakers would master real English, whereas others would speak a simplistic language.

ceigered (הצגת פרופיל) 26 בינואר 2009, 08:55:31

users must avoid humour, metaphor, abbreviation
What a bland tongue indeed...

Ironchef (הצגת פרופיל) 26 בינואר 2009, 18:56:31

users must avoid humour, metaphor, abbreviation. What a bland tongue indeed...
...indeed. The ability of English to be funny, idiomatic, sarcastic, twisted, metaphorical, descriptive, euphemistic whilst retaining a level of specificness few other language can reach is what makes English the rich language it is today.

There is another thread on the forums about "language and culture" and I think that this fits in well with that argument too. The Sapir-Whorff (qv) theory tries to prove that language shapes thought processes. I partially agree with that idea; and I think that a lot of what we perceive as "culture" (the way Brits do some things the French don't, for example) has to do with the way people describe things, and talk about things. I am struggling to come up with good examples but I know that in some languages, words cover whole swathes of concept where English may have 20 words for details and specifics. Works the other way round too.

Coming back to the BBC story about French. My reaction to that was, why does everyone complain about language? There is nothing wrong with mixing languages. English is the fruitcake of languages. Even Esperanto borrowed all its vocab from other languages; what do people want? Isolation? Lojban? ridulo.gif

Sorry I'm off on a few tangents there. Writing quickly and thinking quicker. Forgive my randomness. Just throwing a few thngs up in the air and seeing which of them stick. There, you couldn't have said that in Globish!

Français (הצגת פרופיל) 26 בינואר 2009, 19:39:29

If Globish is what Yasir Arafat spoke, then by no means should we want this! Lol I loved Arafat and think he did so much good for the people of Palestine, but his English is like impossible for me to sometimes comprehend!

If someone wants to learn English, they shouldn't learn just 1500 words and speak all "globby." Rather, they should learn it to the fullest extent they can.

I speak fluent English. But I don't need it in everyday activities. I go to French University, and everyone here speaks French! The only reason I need to know it is for my spouse because we speak English to each other.

But I know it, because it not only opens basic communication in business, but because it opens the door to communication to a whole lot of people! I come online and get on forums and just enjoy myself and enjoy learning with others. If I only knew basic English, this would not happen.

Not to mention it would suck without English music. One thing that can be admitted is that here in the French world, English dominates the media, especially in music and movies. If I don't know the idioms and all, how can I enjoy myself at the cinema's!!!

Globbish is a bad idea. People should quit being lazy and learn the whole language.

Sure, when I was traveling through Europe, through Eastern Europe, I only needed to know "globbish" to order my food and get around. But this isn't fun for me, because it takes away the beauty of English.

I speak English because my boyfriend is from Israel and his English is decent, contrary to his French. And because I went to Uni in the USA for a while. But if I only knew Globbish this would not have happened!!

Sure, they can promote Globbish. But prepare to have major negative consequences because of it.

ceigered (הצגת פרופיל) 27 בינואר 2009, 05:11:34

Actually what they should do is break English into several languages (region specific, e.g. US, British, Aus, S.African etc) and then use a more standardised version of English as a branching tongue (when I say standardised, I mean having something done about the pronunciation - either pronounce it as it is written or write as you speak, either one will do).

The other 'sublanguages' would then use more specific spelling systems etc to suit the speakers of their regions.

Only the organisational processes involved would be bothersome.

erinja (הצגת פרופיל) 27 בינואר 2009, 13:45:54

Learning two Englishes would certainly be bothersome. You'd have to learn two whole spelling systems, rather than just one. I don't think that simplifies things at all.

ceigered (הצגת פרופיל) 27 בינואר 2009, 16:18:36

erinja:Learning two Englishes would certainly be bothersome. You'd have to learn two whole spelling systems, rather than just one. I don't think that simplifies things at all.
Touché, I forgot that not everyone else in the world wants to be forced to learn multiple languages rido.gif.

erinja (הצגת פרופיל) 27 בינואר 2009, 16:25:53

Learning multiple languages is wonderful.

Learning multiple versions of your native language is not so wonderful lango.gif

Senlando (הצגת פרופיל) 27 בינואר 2009, 18:19:34

I have hard enough time with the current English we use. shoko.gif

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