This blog, written by Karl Fisch on November 12, 2007, caught my eye after seeing his video, Did You Know. As he states it, Did You Know shows that the number of English speaking people in the world is growing, mainly people who learn English as a second language. To further understand his blog post, I clicked on a link and read "Whose Language?", an article by Michael Skapinker about the growing number of people learning English as a second language and the effect it has on how spoken English is changing.
While reading quotes from the article on Fisch's blog, I am amazed to find that the number of people who speak English as a first language is declining. However, the number of English speaking people is increasing due to so many learning English as a second or third language. The point of this blog and Skapinker's article is that as the number of non-native English speakers grow, the more the spoken language will change.
Since the point of learning a new language is to communicate, those learning English as a second or third language might not adhere to proper grammar. Therefore, the spoken language might be altered in some ways. This can also be examined by native English speakers working primarily with those who know English as a second or third language. As time passes, native speakers tend to naturally accomodate their spoken English to those who aren't native speakers in order to communicate better.
While altered spoken English is acceptable in many cases, proper English is required for those who want their work published in a scholarly journal. At this rate of change, it is not unreasonable to see these changes accepted in written English. Since non-native English speakers outnumber native English speakers three to one now, why not? As Fisch said in Did You Know, shift happens.
While reading quotes from the article on Fisch's blog, I am amazed to find that the number of people who speak English as a first language is declining. However, the number of English speaking people is increasing due to so many learning English as a second or third language. The point of this blog and Skapinker's article is that as the number of non-native English speakers grow, the more the spoken language will change.
Since the point of learning a new language is to communicate, those learning English as a second or third language might not adhere to proper grammar. Therefore, the spoken language might be altered in some ways. This can also be examined by native English speakers working primarily with those who know English as a second or third language. As time passes, native speakers tend to naturally accomodate their spoken English to those who aren't native speakers in order to communicate better.
While altered spoken English is acceptable in many cases, proper English is required for those who want their work published in a scholarly journal. At this rate of change, it is not unreasonable to see these changes accepted in written English. Since non-native English speakers outnumber native English speakers three to one now, why not? As Fisch said in Did You Know, shift happens.
Arapahoe High School where Karl Fisch works.
Very informative. I like the added pictures.
ReplyDelete