“language is not black and white; it’s not right or wrong; it’s not good or bad…language is about communication and communication is about context.”
How we speak is one of the markers of our identity and our individual dialects are what keep the English language dynamic and evolving.
Instead of making moral judgments about how someone speaks, we should simply listen and appreciate the speaker’s unique dialect as part of his or her identity.
A TEDx talk by Kory Stamper, lexicographer and author.
“English is the world’s second language. Your native language is your life. But with English you can become part of a wider conversation – a global conversation about global problems, like climate change or poverty, or hunger or disease.”
Jay Walker explains why two billion people around the world are trying to learn English.
He shares photos and spine-tingling audio of Chinese students rehearsing English – “the world’s second language” – by the thousands.
“Let’s face it, it’s the language of the internet, it’s the language of finance, it’s the language of air traffic control, of popular music, diplomacy… English is everywhere!”
English is fast becoming the world’s universal language, and instant translation technology is improving every year.
So why bother learning a foreign language?
Linguist and Columbia professor John McWhorter shares four alluring benefits of learning an unfamiliar tongue.
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