My PhD journey opened my mind to the varieties of English advocacy where the English language is not owned solely by the Western people, and their ideologies towards languages do not have to be true. All this time, I was pressured to speak with a correct accent, where my accent is ultimately part of who I am, which this man-made standard language ideology is trying to take away from me. How unjust is that? To please them, I need to take away something that is mine?

Further, I also like the idea of using Santa Claus as an analogy to discuss our views on something that we believe is true our entire life but definitely is questionable. This kind of bold movement is what we need to reinforce the ideology that no English version is better than others. We add our flavor to this language based on our language background, making it distinct and unique. As Dr. Peterson mentioned, if we speak English the same way, the world will be boring; there is no diversity, which makes communication interesting.

Great idea! To think about all the new technical possibilities for spelling reform …

So important is this subject that I’ve composed a booklet for male audiences in a world long riven by gender-based injustice, but how is one to broach the notion that in several ways women are actually superior to men: From the world of nature as an ice-breaker, consider a global approach transcending east and west vis-à-vis three mindset-changing starting points: (1) only the female date palm bears the fruit (2) in Africa the hunter rightly fears above all, the lioness, not the lion (3) in the Arabian Desert the longest wind for the longest journey is possessed by the mare, not the stallion.

And here’s the clincher among many others, this mere male feels, for the sake of my own sons who are now (alas and alack in the max) of military serving age in these tumultuous times: Flight into the realm of world peace is retarded until women are equally represented in the parliaments of the world – primarily because women, particularly mothers, will move heaven and earth rather than see their sons, daughters or relatives needlessly fall in combat against other nations. By and large, despite a few bellicose, be-frocked belligerents in the 20th century, ‘tis women in government assisted by their advisers and supporters who will succeed in outlawing war itself, if not into the bargain, in eradicating all armed conflict once and for all.

Ever the idealist, dear Paul! 🙂
Have a good Sunday,
Ingrid

TALK TRUTH TO POWER TIME as the domination Brynn accurately depicts in relation to English diminishes in influence à la the language of Voltaire post WW1.

Perhaps a twist on the three concentric circles crops up when an Aussie ESL teacher, in this case this privileged Paul who peripateticated his way around China for a decade – living the life of Riley on campuses galore – merely thanks to his mum instilling from birth an appreciation of the language of Shakespeare: Picture an excursion down town for valedictorian English majors from various universities in Tianjin (i.e. Beijing’s mega harbour city of ten million souls or more) as to my left sits an ace student from West Africa and to my left her equal from S-E Asia in a three way tête-à-tête so to speak. Articulate and voluble though they be, for complicated verbalizing between the students in question the native speaker’s assistance is indispensable.

Alternatively, maybe this more serious matter rings home for globe trotters: Although English is currently used as the international language of aeronautical and marine navigation and communication, numerous fatal accidents testify to its dialectal variation and the extreme difficulty to both learn and retain it. For example, we Australians aren’t renowned for our pronunciation of the King’s English, thus creating some minor problems for American and British visitors. Imagine a Pakistani pilot being guided by a Scottish air traffic controller to land his stricken aircraft. Yet, all these nationalities mentioned have used English as an official language – for centuries.

On the review process for academics, all praise to Brynn: “It’s this sacred thing. But it’s literally man-made,” Mumma mia and mamma mia, how true! Notwithstanding limits applying on which a non-academic may criticize, perchance I may take a less diplomatic approach on calling out an imperial, colonial, racist and sexist language: Recent technological advances like the Internet reveal how debased the beautiful English language has become in the wrong, largely commercial hands. It’s almost impossible for our children to avoid daily obscenities on the Information Super Highway. Esperanto has a few coarse words which are almost amusing in their innocence compared with the pervading degradation of modern English. The variety of derogatory words, whether in normal or coarse English, disparagingly describing women of all ages and having no male equivalent is a sexist abomination; e.g. crone, hag, harridan, shrew, termagant, virago etc. just to mention a few of the printable epithets invented by men.

To redress social injustices associated with the power and prestige of elitist English necessitates thinking outside the box and the step by step introduction of a universal auxlang selected by a universally agreed upon body of selectors which will de facto protect every other language in the world including all those in the Nordic zone, mes amis.

The question of an auxiliary international language, to be used in harmony with the mother tongue when internationality and cosmopolitism are required has the utmost importance. Through this means international education and training become possible; the evidence and history of the past can be thoroughly acquired. The spread of the known facts of the human world depends upon language. As long as a lack of comprehension of other languages continue, these glorious aims cannot be realized. Therefore the very first service to communicating well is to establish an auxiliary international means of communication for it will become the cause of the tranquillity of the human commonwealth. Through it sciences and arts will be spread among the nations and it will prove to be the means of the progress and development of all races.