Demos Project : As You Like It

International Quidditch

samuel[dot]jones@demos[dot]co[dot]uk ( Sam Jones ) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:02:31 -0100

Just a brief post to draw attention to this article in the Guardian.

Apparently, the English language version of the last instalment of the Harry Potter saga sells more overseas than in the UK - people don't want to wait for the translation. A million copies were sold last month in Germany alone, and the Chinese love it, racking up a number of pre-orders 200% higher than the last one.

Apart from wizard-fever, this shows how important popular culture is in relation to the globalisation of English, a theme we discussed in As You Like It. It's also pretty revealing, it's difficult to imagine either a German-language or Mandarin book selling 1m pre-order copies in the UK.

Bismarck, Geertz, Bradwell ... and Sam Jones (from Sex and the City)

samuel[dot]jones@demos[dot]co[dot]uk ( Sam Jones ) — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:26:06 -0100

As You Like It has been reviewed by Salon.com. You can read the review here.

It begins: 'Any essay on the globalization of the English language that includes references to Otto von Bismarck, open-source advocate Eric Raymond, U.K. reality TV star Shilpa Shetty, Clifford Geertz, "Sex and the City" and Chinua Achebe is an essay that one should pay attention to. And so it is with the 118-page 'As You Like It: Catching Up in an Age of Global English' by Samuel Jones and Peter Bradwell, writing for the U.K. think tank Demos.'

...Or what you will

samuel[dot]jones@demos[dot]co[dot]uk ( Sam Jones ) — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 17:46:32 -0100

Jamie has just pointed me in the direction of an article in Newsweek that chimes with As You Like It. It's worth a look because it gives further examples to sit alongside those that we outlined in the pamphlet.

For instance, it talks about the degree to which different governments around the world are pushing English learning 'recognizing that along with computers and mass migration, the language is the turbine engine of globalisation'.

In another paragraph, the authors point out that 'new English-speakers aren't just passively absorbing the language—they're shaping it. New Englishes are mushrooming the globe over, ranging from "Englog," the Tagalog-infused English spoken in the Philippines, to "Japlish," the cryptic English poetry beloved of Japanese copywriters ("Your health and loveliness is our best wish," reads a candy wrapper. "Give us a chance to realize it"), to "Hinglish," the mix of Hindi and English that now crops up everywhere from fast-food ads to South Asian college campuses. "Hungry kya?" ("Are you hungry?"), queried a recent Indian ad for Domino's pizza. In post-apartheid South Africa, many blacks have adopted their own version of English, laced with indigenous words, as a sign of freedom—in contrast to Afrikaans, the language of oppression. "We speak English with a Xhosa accent and a Xhosa attitude," veteran actor John Kani recently told the BBC'

This last point is of interest because we're going to be looking in greater depth at the close link between language and identity and what this means in light of some of the policy challenges we raised in the pamphlet.

What absolute drivel, what rubbish, what poppycock.

peter.bradwell@demos.co.uk ( Pete Bradwell ) — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 11:00:01 -0100

We launched the new pamphlet As You Like It yesterday here at Demos. We had a great discussion that touched on some fascinating areas covered in the report - language learning, global powers, international development to name a few. Thanks to everyone that came down, and especially to our speakers and panellists David Graddol and Simon Anholt who shared with us their considerable insights and expertise.

Alongside some good press, there was some ripe coverage of the pamphlet too. I say it was ‘of’ our pamphlet – actually, we found it a little difficult recognising our position or its recommendations in some of the coverage. We shouldn’t be too precious about these things of course, but I thought it was worth making a brief comment about this stuff.

The Daily Mail was perhaps the pick of the bunch, with the disbelieveing headline ‘A-Levels in Hinglish?’ We gathered some stinging comments too. The headline of this post is how my favourite comment begins, a note from Ken – Suffolk. I think he is worth quoting in full:

“This hair-brained notion can only have come from one of those groups of intellectual pygmies that inhabit various and nefarious 'think-tanks' and consultancies who lose sight of common sense in the rarified atmosphere they breath and share among themselves. English is English and does not need manipulating to meet the way that other nationalities chatter. No wonder half the children leaving school are unable to express themselves clearly.”

I just looked up nefarious (in an Oxford English Dictionary, no less), and apparently it can mean wicked, and even criminal! Not very nice. We aren’t taking it personally though because, to be fair to Ken, he and all the other commenters are responding to a pretend version of the pamphlet, one that fits in to all sorts of well-rehearsed stories.

We don’t recommend teaching Singlish or Hinglish instead of UK English, and we don’t think we should ‘dump the dictionary’.

We have what we think is an interesting idea about an online dictionary that anyone can add entries to (called democtionary.org), comment on and develop. And we suggest that we will encounter English in lots of different forms, from functional business English to culturally specific forms like Singlish and Hinglish, and that being able to accommodate and respond to this difference is an important skill.

In the pamphlet we are trying to point out some challenging trends relating to our native tongue that are likely to have a big influence on the world around us, and which will change the benefits and opportunities English has afforded. And we suggest how we might respond.

If you’re interested in knowing more, you can download the pamphlet free here. Do let us know what you think.

Democtionary

peter.bradwell@demos.co.uk ( Pete Bradwell ) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 08:30:31 -0100

We've just launched the pamphlet As You Like It: Catching up in an age of global English. You can download a pdf here. In it, we argue that Engish has developed around the world into something called 'global Engish' - which is best described as a family of language rather than one, single language with roots in one particular space.

There are lots of different forms spoken around the world, for lots of different purposes - people use English to communicate for business; some have taken on the language and developed national or regional variants such as Singlish, often embodying nationalistic or identity-based responses to the presence of English.

We recommend in the pamphlet that we should use the open nature of the Internet to track these developments with additions, entries and comments from people describing the words they use, where, and what they mean. Using 'tagging' we could track the links and associations amongst different forms, and using the geographical information track trends over time. We envisage a map of how the language is developing across the world, called Democtionary.org, that could complement dictionaries designed to record particular standards.

We're developing this idea into reality over the next months - if you're interested and / or would like to help out, drop us a line at englishlanguage@demos.co.uk.

"Je veux go" - Launching As You Like It

peter.bradwell@demos.co.uk ( Pete Bradwell ) — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 18:11:18 -0100

Lots of interesting stories about languages recently. The Guardian picked up on a protest about proposals to restrict access to English language courses.

Perhaps most interesting was a report in the BBC website on the emergence of a new language in Cameroon: frananglais. It's a mixture, apparently, of French, English and Creole, and has been causing teachers there some consternation.

Interesting stuff, and especially for us perhaps; Sam and I have just finished writing As You Like It: Catching up in an age of Global English. In it we suggest that what has happened over time to the English language is closely bound up with shifts in global power. As it has become a global 'lingua franca' - used by people who don't share a first language as a means to communicate - so the UK's relationship with the world has changed dramatically.

English now offers access to individual opportunities across the world - but these opportunities 'sit' within the legacy of the power relations of old. English has always facilitated opportunity, influence and reach; but in the UK, counterintuitively, we must learn that where we once directed the spread of English around the world, we are now just one of many shareholders in the asset that it represents.

We'll be discussing what the UK can do about this at the launch event on 15 March with help from David Graddol, author of English Next and expert on Global English, and Simon Anholt, country branding expert and member of the Public Diplomacy Board. If you would like to join us, drop an email to englishlanguage@demos.co.uk.

As You Like It

samuel[dot]jones@demos[dot]co[dot]uk ( Pete Bradwell ) — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:58:11 -0100

On March 15 we will be launching a new Demos pamphlet As You Like It. We will be joined for the launch by David Graddol, author of English Next and an expert on Global English, and Simon Anholt, country branding expert and member of the Public Diplomacy Board.

English has come to reflect the changing powers of globalisation. It has become a global language, and this represents a huge shift in the UK’s relationship to the rest of the world. As You Like It argues that where the UK once directed the spread of English, we are now just one of many shareholders in the asset that it represents. As a result, the UK can no longer guarantee returns from the world’s use of our native tongue, and we need to address many of the more outdated opinions that we have of English.

Up to about 1.3 billion people speak and use English in the world today. It is recognised as being the language of innovation, of international relations and of influence. It is also central to Britain’s political and economic future. However, non-native English speakers outnumber native speakers by 3 to 1 and, as English is used around the world, so it is changing and new forms are emerging.

The UK needs a policy response that understands this changing context. As You Like It sets forth the considerations that must shape this.

If you would like to attend, please send us an email at englishlanguage@demos.co.uk.

French Protest Over English Language

samuel[dot]jones@demos[dot]co[dot]uk ( Sam Jones ) — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 11:17:04 -0100

'We have nothing against the Brits or the American ... But we simply cannot accept that our language is reduced to a local dialect - we are protesting against this linguistic hegemony'.

So said Albert Salon, the president of the French-speaking campagining group, Forum Francophone International

It's a long-standing complaint and is key to the way that native speakers of English are perceived the world over. However, as other French-speakers have observed, English as a global language of communication and business is a fact of life. However, not all of that English is the same. M. Salon's complaints come in advance of two of the key things in our forthcoming pamphlet:

That we need to consider the impact and perceptions that English creates around the world
We need to think about how we respond to the impact that other languages are having on English

When M. Salon speaks of the Brits and Americans, we need quickly to come to terms with the fact that - as far as English use goes - we are talking about users all over the world.

Where's the ambiguity in this sentence?

samuel[dot]jones@demos[dot]co[dot]uk ( Sam Jones ) — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 15:09:45 -0100

“This agreement shall be effective from the date it is made and shall continue in force for a period of five (5) years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five (5) year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.”

Well, it's the second comma. Can the agreement be terminated - with one year's notice - at any point, or just after five years?

It's a question that is exercising the finest legal and grammarian minds across the Pond. The story comes from Canada's Globe and Mail and it relates a legal disagreement between two companies. However, I would argue that the interesting point is not in the comma. More than anything else, that seems a case of grammatical clumsiness. I'm no lawyer, but the case seems to rest on a comparison that is being made between a French and an English version of the contract. You see, there's an ambiguity between two different renditions of the document. The question of linguistic accuracy and is ultimately down to intent. What will be interesting is which one, in the final verdict, will be given precedence.

Tales of Dearing do

samuel[dot]jones@demos[dot]co[dot]uk ( Sam Jones ) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 14:21:47 -0100

On the back of last week's Dearing report into language learning in schools, the UK's linguistic competence is back in the newspapers and, once again, we are reminded of the monoglot mire into which we could well fall.

The current issue of the Economist includes three articles on the subject. In the UK, we are 'God's Worst Linguists' (subscription only) and 'as bilingualism becomes the norm worldwide, the future of English has moved', shifting from native speakers to a more global picture in which the majority of users have learned or developed it as a second language and in various different contexts and to varying degrees of fluency.   Meanwhile, Brussels is 'babelling on' as 'more official languages could eventually mean less diversity'.

In the UK, diversity is somewhat of a confused point in relation to our linguistic competence. Monoglot we may be in the contexts of international business and global markets, but there are over 300 languages spoken in London's schools. As Beijing musters its English-speaking abilities before the 2008 Olympics, Tower Hamlets alone is the home of almost as many languages as there will be competing nations in 2012.

As commentators have pointed out, there are several big issues in all this:
·    If more and more people are speaking English as well as their own language, why would people in an increasingly inter-related world employ people who speak only English?
·    As new forms of English emerge, influenced by the different social, national and other contexts in which they are used, will native speakers slip out of the loop?
·    What can we do with the real linguistic variety that we have and what cultural opportunities are we missing?

Overall, we need to get over what has become a frequent fascination in English's prevalence the world over, and we need to go beyond gulping at our lack of language skills. The question is what we're going to do about it.

Some, like the former Vice-President of IBM, Jean-Paul Nerriere have proposed 'Globish', a more widely intelligible form of English with its nuance removed. That could be missing the point - it's not so much about enforcing comprehension as it is coming to grips with diversity. We need to find a way in which policy-makers across the board (and not just in relation to Education), come to recognise just what changes in the English language will mean, and how we can shape things to respond to this.

Linguistic Diversity in India

samuel[dot]jones@demos[dot]co[dot]uk ( Sam Jones ) — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 10:51:57 -0100

This is a really interesting article by Pratap Bhanu Mehta about the dynamics of politics and langauge in India. Actually, it makes some pretty salient points about language choice and politics generally.

As debates about the dominance of English and linguistic imperialism proliferate and some countries take active and coercive steps to limit its influence, Mehta argues for 'the principle of non-coercion', a linguistic policy for which he praises Nehru.

Inside and Out

peter.bradwell@demos.co.uk ( Pete Bradwell ) — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 10:53:55 -0100

It's easy to say that providing English language teaching to newcomers to the UK is important - but the how is less easy, and the why more contentious.

One of the reasons is the massive increases in demand for ESOL courses. For example, the number of Polish people looking to enrol in ESOL courses rose from 151 in 2000-01 to 21,313 in 2004-05. You don't need a screaming headline to note that that is a big increase.

But it is important, in the face of these statistics, to reassert why it is so important. Aside from the economic reality that immigrants who speak English to a reasonable proficiency are 20% more likely to find work and earn on average 18-20% more than those who don't, with increasing numbers of non-native English speakers the spaces and channels for cross-cultural and -ethnic communication are vital. And that means not just integration and assimilation, but real two-way communication of values and ideals.

So citizenship education is a controversial and important area of debate. And another blog post entirely.

China and English Language Policy

peter.bradwell@demos.co.uk ( Pete Bradwell ) — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 11:36:52 -0100

Just read an interesting piece in China's 'People's Daily Online'. It argues that perhaps there is little value in investing so much energy and effort in teaching everyone English - that the country's 'internationalization' doesn't necessarily entail that increasing numbers need be proficient in English.

This is presumably down largely to two factors. Firstly, that only a particular sector of Chinese society need be engaged in the kinds of transactional conversations likely to be conducted in English. Secondly, that perhaps in the future, given current population and market trends, Chinese will attain a status similar to that which English enjoys now.

The piece seemed interesting because of how it frames the utility argument for learning the English language - ie that it gives people access to certain networks and resources that are useful to them - in the context of national interest. Whilst it's easy to think in terms of individual emancipation or empowerment, it's less easy to weave that back into broader national or regional narratives.

As well as the debate about English overpowering other languages, there are questions about the extent to which states can influence and shape language use and how that policy might relate to national identity and to national interest.

China is a really interesting example because of the very proactive and overt ways that it engages with language policy. The Confucius institute is a good example.

English in China

samuel[dot]jones@demos[dot]co[dot]uk ( Sam Jones ) — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 14:12:56 -0100

A recent article in the Chinese paper, the People's Daily, demonstrates just how global English is. It mentions a Russian, teaching English in the training department of a premier Chinese hotel.

That's pretty much the reality of global English and it's something to which the UK will have to accommodate. Examples of Chinglish are easy to come by. However, no matter how humorous the misunderstandings may on occasion be, we mustn't let them distract from this reality.

First, 'Chinglish' can come across as being patronising. In China, as all over the world, skills in English are far in advance of the UK's skills in foreign languages.

Second, the Chinese government is actively tightening up on 'Chinglish', seeking cut down the number of misunderstandings and losses in translation.

This raises a couple of points that we're investigating in this project:

The need to develop our capacities in other languages.
The need to accommodate the different Englishes that are emerging as speakers of other langauges learn it in their own terms

Language and the 'Real World'

peter.bradwell@demos.co.uk ( Pete Bradwell ) — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 16:03:49 -0100

One of the claims about the prevalence of the English language is that people want to learn it because it helps them deal with real-world problems they face - English provides them access to the networks and contacts that can help them get jobs and take advantage of global trade.

The flip-side of that argument is, of course, that such a 'real world' problem is framed within a certain context manifesting particular relations of power - and that acquiescing in the face of that real-world dilemma is the worst kind of political pragmatism.

Power never disappears. So to what extent, and in what ways, is English linked to a particular political project? And what is the UKs particular investment in that? What should the government do about it?
These are some of the core issues we're thinking about in the research on language teaching and policy. If you have any thoughts you'd like to share, do let us know.

It's a complex problem. I've just read Claire Kramsch's 'Post 9/11: Foreign Languages between Knowledge and Power' (purchase or ATHENS login required unfortunately...power and knowledge?!) which is really strong in mapping out the role linguistics can play in unmasking the role of power in framing how we understand 'real world problems'. If you can, I'd recommend giving it a read.