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9 globalizing englishCrawford Kilian, “The rise of global English,” Writing for the Web, Nov. 13, 2004. ”Yet the Web and the Net disperse power, enabling the once-silent to speak in any voice they choose, to scribble in the margins and between the lines of the central text. We [writers and editors] may sneer at their spelling and punctuation, but what can we do about it? Send them grumpy e-mail, and hope we haven't made any typos or accidental errors in grammar?” A weblog essay wherein Kilian considers English’s long term historical context and explores the effect of the Web on the potential dialectal convergences/divergences among the many dialects of English. Kilian is a professor of literature and writing as well as a novelist.
For Response1. How does Kilian explain the maintenance of distinctiveness between dialects (written and/or spoken)? Have you noticed any similar phenomena among the language varieties and dialects that you use and hear in your daily life? 2. Think about the variety of English that you are most comfortable with. From what other varieties does it draw features and elements? Are they words, syntax, sounds and/or pronunciation, or other features? Describe the influence of other varieties of English in the English you use. Discuss your ideas with one or two classmates. 3. Kilian sums up his main argument in the final paragraph. Write an essay in which you respond to his argument, supporting or rebutting it. Are all dialects of English equally worthy of respect? Do you agree with his metaphor of cultural DNA? Why or why not? European Esperanto Union, “English mother tongue only... 1000 European jobs for English native speakers,” from Europa Esperanto-Unio, Feb. 9, 2005. ”European Metalworkers’ Federation, 1000 Brussels. Currently looking for a full-time Administrative Assistant. You are English mother tongue.” A lengthy list of job openings for native English speakers in various parts of Europe. The list illustrates, in a way that no essay ever could, the importance of English in global commerce. It is perhaps particularly ironic that this list is offered on a web site dedicated to promoting the use of Esperanto, a language invented in the nineteenth century as a lingua franca (see the glossary if you’re unfamiliar with the term).
For Response1. Scroll through the list of jobs (you will note that the dates are shown European-style; that is, dd/mm/yyyy). What proportion mentions abilities with languages other than English? Would you have expected more? Fewer? Why or why not? Might bilingualism with a language other than English be presumed from the ads? Why or why not? Discuss what you find with two or three classmates. Based on your responses, what can you infer about the importance of English in European businesses? 2. What common elements do you notice about the companies advertising for help in terms of location, types of business, etc.? What common elements do you notice about the jobs being advertised in terms of level of specialization, status or level of the position, other qualifications sought, etc.? Discuss what you find with two or three classmates. Based on your responses, where do you expect that English fits into the daily operations of the advertising companies? Why do you think so? 3. Read John Tagliabue’s Chapter 9 essay, “In Europe, Going Global Means, Alas, English.” Does this job list match the description that Tagliabue gives of the situation of English in European businesses? Why or why not? Write an essay in which you discuss Tagliabue’s ideas and whether and how they are reflected in the job listings on the Europa Esperanto-Unio’s web site. Be sure to give examples to support your ideas. |
