GLOBAL ENGLISH

Jurgen van Raak

ABOUT ME

Teacher of English @ Rotterdam University of

Applied Science

Research into internationalisation

Experience: teaching & travelling abroad

http://www.slideshare.net/jurgenvanraak

GLOBAL English

Is NOT: superficial English!

Is: about awareness (and whenpossible agreement) about the English language, its speakers around the world and all the pitfallswe could step into…

WHY TEACH English?

Because it is the native language in:

England?

(Northern) Ireland?

Scotland?

Wales?

U.S.A?

Canada?

Australia?

New Zealand?

South Africa?

Jamaica?

PITFALL

“We teach English so that students are able to

communicate with native speakers”

FACT

Around 375 million people speak English as

their second language all over the world

About 750 million people speak English as a

foreign language

Approximately 80% of all websites

are in English

IN FACT, English is…

one of the most spoken languages in the world

and by far the most common

one of the ‘largest’ languages by number of

native speakers, after Mandarin, Chinese,

Hindi and Spanish

the most commonly spoken language in the

world, combining native and non-native

speakers

IN FACT, English is…

spoken on every continent

the second language in more than forty

countries with ties to England: from India and

Pakistan to the countries of the South Pacific

and many African states

currently the language most often taught as a

foreign language.

SO…

Around the world, English isn’t identical to the

way it is spoken in England.

Language evolves when spoken by different

people in different places. And it changes more

rapidly when millions of people use it for

working and travelling like today

GLOBAL English

More and more non-native English speakers

use the language to communicate with fellow

non-natives.

French speakers often find it easier to speak

English to Finns - and Greeks to Guatemalans

and Hungarians to Hondurans, and so on -

than to native English speakers.

from: Voertaal English – Ronald van de Krol

GLOBAL English

Native English speakers tend to mumble and

to slur over letters, syllables or entire words

They use slang and jargon

And… they assume everybody speaks English

so well that they needn’t bother to slow down

to check whether the poor non-native speaker

is able to follow what they are saying

from: Voertaal English – Ronald van de Krol

PITFALLS

1. Pronunciation (from ‘to pronounce’;-) vs.Spelling

Receive

People

Phoebe

Jeans

Piece

Deep

Be

/i:/

PITFALLS

Pronunciation vs. Spelling,

continued

Jeans vs. Sweater

Receive vs. Veil

Veil vs. Veal

PITFALLS

2. British English vs. American English

Labour Labor

JudgementJudgment

Organise Organize

ProgrammeProgram

Traveler Traveller

Grey Gray

Same meaning,

different spelling

= more options!-)

PITFALLS

British English vs. American English, continued

cookie-biscuit center-centre movie-film

pants-trousers fall-autumn beach-

seaside

color-colour candy-sweet vacation-

holiday

apartment-flat eraser-rubber french fries-chips

kid-child store-shop elevator-lift

Same meaning, different word = still more options!-)

PITFALLS

British English vs. American English, it gets

worse..

Mate: Friend Partner

Mad: Crazy

Angry

Rubber: Eraser

Condom

PITFALLS

3. Dunglish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEfZKQ0YCEw&feature=related

PITFALLS

4. Spanglish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppJDiSai2Pg

Googlear/gugulear = to

Google

El mouse = the computer

mouse

PITFALLS

5. Indianglish

PITFALLS

6. Culture

When speaking English in an international

context culture should never be

underestimated! Customs, habits, dos and

taboos…...

Meaning of ”YES” Ford Pinto

PITFALLS

Culture pt. 2

Successful European billboard campaign. Failure in Middle

East!

TIPS

Avoid miscommunication: be specific

Use structure (in reports, articles,

presentations)

Use short, simple sentences

Don’t take culture for granted: prepare

Be aware of 4 language skills: 2 active, 2

passive

CONCLUSION

Using Global English means being aware of

the pitfalls, working with the solutions and

avoiding miscommunication

When possible/necessary: cooperate, learn

from eachother’s strenghts, cover your

weaknesses?

THANKS!