26 April 2005

Globish -pidgin English for the world

Technically a contact language without native speakers is a pidgin; it has a limited vocabulary and a simplified syntax and is focused on the task of enabling people who do not speak the same languages to communicate for the purposes of trade [usually]. If such a language makes it into a second generation by acquiring native speakers it's called a creole. So welcome to the latest pidgin: Globish. There's a whole branch of linguistics pretty much dedicated to studying pidgins and creoles and I'm sure they'll have a lot to say about this.
Personally I suspect a French plot to undermine the global 'dominance' of English by hiving off a non-standard version into pidgin-dom if you don't believe me and if you read French it may be worth looking up this site too. Otherwise try this under the heading 'debate'.
If you can't master English, try Globish

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