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.)
