Re: Global English

Subject: Re: Global English
From: "Lauren Tozer-Kilts" <botgrrrl -at- hotmail -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 12:51:30 -0800


Goober Writer wrote:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=simplified+english


I was wondering if Simplified English would raise it's head in this thread.

I really like the concept, and I've been trying to get my company which has subsidiaries in every hemisphere and on every continent but Africa to start using a controlled language like Simplified English (In fact my specific proposal was to adopt SE, but that's another story.)

I think it's a useful tool, but I would hardly call it "Global English" by any stretch of the imagination, especially since it isn't the only controlled language out there. (Caterpillar invented the first Controlled Language back in the 60's).

I also find it funny that people are saying that "American English" is standard in many places. What is "American English"? Someone from the North East corner of the US uses many different colloquialisms that someone from the South East corner of country might have problems figuring out the what's being said. Add someone from the Mid-West and you're going to have an argument whether a carbonated beverage is a "soda" or a "pop".

"Global English" is just as much an illusion as "Pure English"

Now, this is not to say that a standard isn't useful. Simplified English is an amazing accomplishment becasue an *entire industry* agreed on that standard. On the other hand, since what's good for the goose isn't always good for the goat, I'm hesitant to say that adapting a single standard for everyone anywhere is a good idea.

-botgrrrl
"Now that's a piping bag I can love." -Alton Brown

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