Hi Readers,
According to Robert McCrum, author of Globish ( from newsweek.com ), "English has evolved in to the world's language" because of "the Internet and the global media." His assertion forecasts the practical use of English in international communication, while reminding English majors and Native Speakers to remain flexible ( not being "purists" ) in their use of the English language ( during the evolution/transition/period ).
Globish's history can be traced back in 2005 when concise uses of English were spotted in the protest posters of Muslims reacting to a Political Cartoon published in a Danish newspaper. On another side of the world, IBM executive Jean-Paul Nerriere also noticed the brief way English is spoken in Korea and Japan, thus he termed this straight-to-the-point style of using English as Globish. This type of English, also known as "Easy English," doesn't have grammar or structure ( well not traditionally standardized anyway ), but it's still understandable.
No longer in the hands of U.S. or U.K; this English is thus shaped by the world and used as a linguistic tool, which contains 1500 vocabulary words. Whether it's Globish or other types of World English ( such as Philippine English ), the "cultural reference points are expressed in English but without references to its British or American origins." It's currently in use in China, India ( as illustrated in the movie, "Slumdog Millionaire" ), and Iran ( recent protest appealing to a Western audience ).
It's gone viral thanks to the Internet and the global media. At this rate, says the British Council, "nearly one third of the world population will be trying to learn English " by 2030. This is great news for English majors out there, we'll have jobs as guardians, interpreters, and diplomats of the English language contributing to the improvement of Global Communication overall. Go Globish!
I have had experience with English as a second language, in schools, and with adult literacy programs. I always wonder at how insensitive American teachers are to the needs of someone who is learning English. The American too often runs together words or syllables in a garbled nasal monotone, may have a difficult accent (for example Texas, South, black dialects), and may use colloquial bad grammar and spelling. Until the learner has reached, say, a passing TOEFL level, accents and colloquialisms are just obstacles.
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