[Mrs Ivan]

The French will do anything to deny that English is indeed the international language.

[untenured]

I argued awhile back that English actually has structural advantages that give it advantages as a global language, apart from the role played by American commercial, cultural and scientific power and the historical legacy of the British Empire. English is, conspicuously unlike French, also not a language managed from the top down, which is a strength in terms of its global appeal.

Just thinking aloud about so-called "Globish," I am not too impressed with the author's thesis. Most of the people who are nonnative in English but need it to speak with native speakers of third languages are movers and shakers who will spend the time to master a decent core of the language. You'll need "Globish" to speak with your cab driver in Cameroon, but anyone you are likely to interact with above that level who has taken the time to learn English - business execs, diplomats, scientists - will find it worthwhile to learn more. This is especially true for written English, which is less intimidating because of error-correction software.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Is it like Ebonics?

[Lazamataz]

Avoid all humour

Won't be an issue with the left.

A more humorless lot, you will never find.

[Bob Loblaw]

This language -- Globish -- was developed in part by one of my brothers:

Glob Loblaw