Globish (Nerriere)
Encyclopedia
Globish is a subset of the English language formalized by Jean-Paul Nerriere. It uses a subset of standard English grammar, and a list of 1500 English words. According to Nerriere it is "not a language" in and of itself, but rather it is the common ground that non-native English speakers adopt in the context of international business.
as opposed to an artificial or constructed language
, claiming that it is a codification of a reduced set of English patterns as used by non-native speakers of the language. Intending to demonstrate that "Good Globish is correct English", the authors of the 2009 book Globish The World Over claimed to have written it in Globish. Robert McCrum
, literary editor of the London Observer, is quoted as supporting the efficacy of the language.
While serving as vice president of international marketing at IBM, Jean-Paul Nerriere first observed patterns of English that non-native English speakers used to communicate with each other in international conferences. He later developed rules and training in the form of two books to help non-native English speakers better communicate with each other by using Globish as a lingua franca
.
McCrum wrote the book Globish: How the English Language Became the World's Language (ISBN 9780393062557), describing Globish as an economic phenomenon, unlike "global English" whose uses are much more diverse than just business.
The term was then used in another context by Madhukar Gogate to describe his proposed artificial dialect based on English
that he presented in 1998 to improve English spelling.
Nerrière's use of the term is related to his claim that the language described in his books is naturally occurring. He has marked his codification of that language by taking out trademark protection on the term, as did I.A. Richards who trademarked Basic English in order to prevent dilution and misrepresentation of his work. Instances of attested prior usage, it can be seen, were incidental or not intended for the same purpose.
Nerrière's 2004 codification work began to legitimize the language purpose to the extent it drew some press attention. Clearly, and with much subsequent reference, the term Globish has grown increasingly as a generic term since the date of his first publications.
is also a controlled subset of the English language with about 1500 words, short sentences, and slower delivery than traditional English. Special English was first used on October 19, 1959, and is still presented daily by the United States broadcasting service Voice of America
.
Specialized English
is a controlled subset of the English language derived from Special English by Feba Radio
. It also has about 1500 words, with some differences in the word list from Special English.
is preferable to any natural one.
Origin and development of Globish
The author of Globish presents it as a natural languageNatural language
In the philosophy of language, a natural language is any language which arises in an unpremeditated fashion as the result of the innate facility for language possessed by the human intellect. A natural language is typically used for communication, and may be spoken, signed, or written...
as opposed to an artificial or constructed language
Constructed language
A planned or constructed language—known colloquially as a conlang—is a language whose phonology, grammar, and/or vocabulary has been consciously devised by an individual or group, instead of having evolved naturally...
, claiming that it is a codification of a reduced set of English patterns as used by non-native speakers of the language. Intending to demonstrate that "Good Globish is correct English", the authors of the 2009 book Globish The World Over claimed to have written it in Globish. Robert McCrum
Robert McCrum
Robert McCrum , is an English writer and editor. He served as literary editor of The Observer for more than ten years. In May 2008 he was appointed Associate Editor of the Observer and was succeeded as literary editor by William Skidelsky...
, literary editor of the London Observer, is quoted as supporting the efficacy of the language.
While serving as vice president of international marketing at IBM, Jean-Paul Nerriere first observed patterns of English that non-native English speakers used to communicate with each other in international conferences. He later developed rules and training in the form of two books to help non-native English speakers better communicate with each other by using Globish as a lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
.
McCrum wrote the book Globish: How the English Language Became the World's Language (ISBN 9780393062557), describing Globish as an economic phenomenon, unlike "global English" whose uses are much more diverse than just business.
Use of the word Globish
The term Globish is a portmanteau of "global" and "English". The first attested reference to the term to refer to a set of dialects of English spoken outside of traditional English speaking areas was in an issue of the Christian Science Monitor in 1997:- Indeed, the "globish" of world youth culture is more and more interactive. Non-Western forms of English now are as creative and lively as Chaucerian or Shakespearean or Dickensian English once were.
The term was then used in another context by Madhukar Gogate to describe his proposed artificial dialect based on English
Globish (Gogate)
Globish is an artificial language created by Madhukar Gogate that attempts to simplify English. It was presented to the "Simplified Spelling Society" of Great Britain in 1998...
that he presented in 1998 to improve English spelling.
Nerrière's use of the term is related to his claim that the language described in his books is naturally occurring. He has marked his codification of that language by taking out trademark protection on the term, as did I.A. Richards who trademarked Basic English in order to prevent dilution and misrepresentation of his work. Instances of attested prior usage, it can be seen, were incidental or not intended for the same purpose.
Nerrière's 2004 codification work began to legitimize the language purpose to the extent it drew some press attention. Clearly, and with much subsequent reference, the term Globish has grown increasingly as a generic term since the date of his first publications.
Related systems
Special EnglishSpecial English
Special English is a controlled version of the English language first used on October 19, 1959, and still presented daily by the United States broadcasting service Voice of America. World news and other programs are read one-third slower than regular VOA English. Reporters avoid idioms and use a...
is also a controlled subset of the English language with about 1500 words, short sentences, and slower delivery than traditional English. Special English was first used on October 19, 1959, and is still presented daily by the United States broadcasting service Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
.
Specialized English
Specialized English
Specialized English is a controlled version of the English language used for radio broadcasting, easier for non-native speakers of English. It is derived from Voice of America Special English....
is a controlled subset of the English language derived from Special English by Feba Radio
Feba Radio
Feba Radio is a broadcasting network. It is driven by Christian values rather than by government or commercial aims. It was established in 1959 in UK as the Far Eastern Broadcasting Associates - associated with Far East Broadcasting Company operating in USA and Philippines and the Far East...
. It also has about 1500 words, with some differences in the word list from Special English.
Criticism
Critics of Globish either feel that its codifications are not perfectly rendered, or that an artificial languageConstructed language
A planned or constructed language—known colloquially as a conlang—is a language whose phonology, grammar, and/or vocabulary has been consciously devised by an individual or group, instead of having evolved naturally...
is preferable to any natural one.
- Although Nerrière claims that the Globish described in his book is a natural language, he has never published any statistical evidence of his observations. Joachim Grzega, a German linguist, has even gone as far as to state "Obviously, it is not based on any empirical observations, neither on native-nonnative nor on nonnative-nonnative discourse."
- Globish is suspected of cultural imperialismCultural imperialismCultural imperialism is the domination of one culture over another. Cultural imperialism can take the form of a general attitude or an active, formal and deliberate policy, including military action. Economic or technological factors may also play a role...
, because it spreads only one language from which the subset of words is taken: this criticism is often by the speakers of other "neutral" languages, meant as languages not spoken in any nation. Clearly, derivative forms which have "English" in their titles are doubly suspect. According to CIA's "World Factbook", native English speakers represent only 4.68% of the world population but numerous other sources estimate the true proportion of all English speakers to be 20-25%.http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/53199http://esl.about.com/od/englishlearningresources/f/f_eslmarket.htm - Globish is criticized for having an ulterior economic motive. It is a registered trademark and some marketing is done with it, since its owner did not renounce his rights to it (as for example L.L. Zamenhof did; on the other hand, I.A. Richards discussed why he trademarked Basic English, in order to prevent dilution and misrepresentation).
See also
- Globish GogateGlobish (Gogate)Globish is an artificial language created by Madhukar Gogate that attempts to simplify English. It was presented to the "Simplified Spelling Society" of Great Britain in 1998...
- International auxiliary languageInternational auxiliary languageAn international auxiliary language or interlanguage is a language meant for communication between people from different nations who do not share a common native language...
- EngrishEngrishrefers to unusual forms of English language usage by native speakers of some East Asian languages. The term itself relates to Japanese speakers' tendency to inadvertently substitute the English phonemes "R" and "L" for one another, because the Japanese language has one alveolar consonant in place...
- Simple EnglishSimple EnglishSimple English usually refers to a simplified form of the English language, such as:* Basic English, a constructed language, created by Charles Kay Ogden, which only contains a small number of words...
- Basic EnglishBasic EnglishBasic English, also known as Simple English, is an English-based controlled language created by linguist and philosopher Charles Kay Ogden as an international auxiliary language, and as an aid for teaching English as a Second Language...
- NewspeakNewspeakNewspeak is a fictional language in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In the novel, it refers to the deliberately impoverished language promoted by the state. Orwell included an essay about it in the form of an appendix in which the basic principles of the language are explained...
- List of dialects of the English language
- AnglishAnglishAnglo-Saxon linguistic purism is a kind of English linguistic purism, which favors words of native origin over those of foreign origin. In its mild form, it merely means using existing native words instead of foreign ones...
External links
- Official international Globish site
- Official ebook about Globish: "Globish The World Over"- free sample chapters
- Interview with Jean-Paul Nerrière (author of Parlez Globish)
- Nerrière's Globish site
- BASIC GLOBISH (Text) (Globish Word Listing 1,500 words)
- Globish vocabulary (PDF) (1500 words; from Nerrière's site)
- Yvan Baptiste's site about Nerrière's Globish (in French; gives pronunciations for the 1500 words)
- Critical comments on Globish by Joachim Grzega in the article Globish and Basic Global English (BGE), published in the Journal for EuroLinguistiX
- So, what's this Globish revolution? Guardian Unlimited 3 December 2006
- Nerrière on Globish (Video)