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Emily Post didn’t have to deal with proper protocols for using cell phones or laptops in public.
The English of the Future
By Virginia Prescott on Wednesday, July 16, 2008.
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Verbal communication always evolves and mutates over time. If Shakespeare could listen in to a cell phone conversation between teenagers, he’d have no idea what they were saying.
Now we’re seeing English transformed by those who grew up speaking non-English tongues. By 2020, an estimated 2 billion people on the planet will speak English, and only 15 percent of them will be native speakers. Those regional dialects will become totally foreign to each other, but may also give rise to a globalized English referred to as Panglish.
Joining Word of Mouth with more about the English of the future is Michael Erard. He’s the author of "Um: Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean." His article on Chinglish and the future of the English language is in the July issue of Wired.
You can see more examples of signs in Chinglish by clicking here.
(Photo by Charles W.)
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Word of Mouth is all about what's new. Online and on-air, the show looks at our fascinating and ever-changing world, and puts the latest ideas under a microscope. Word of Mouth investigates everything from science and technology, to health and the environment, to new trends in popular culture. The show airs Monday through Thursday at noon and is hosted by Virginia Prescott.
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Additional reading:
All you want to know about the future of English:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-research-englishnext.htm
All you want to know about Chinglish:
http://chinglish.com/community/show/Everything+there+is+to+know+about+Ch...