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Файл:Английский язык для аспирантов. English for Post-Graduate Students. Учебно-методическое пособие по английскому языку для аспирантов
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What is Globish?
1. As described, it is a type of “dialect” of English that is used in the
international business world to establish a sort of conversation that is at the very
least understandable for two people of different nationalities who perhaps are not
entirely fluent in English and who wouldn’t receive passing grades on any English
test, but who do have the skills necessary to close a deal.
This concept was initiated by a former executive of IBM, Jean-Paul
Nerrière, when he saw this phenomenon in meetings, conferences, or symposiums
with international attendants and decided to create the term “globish”,
incorporating “global” and “English”. According to Mr. Nerrière, this English is
limited with a vocabulary of 1,500 words.
2. A new and simplified version of the English language spoken by
approximately 4 billion non-native speakers on earth that want to communicate
worldwide.
It has a stripped-down vocabulary of just about 1500 words and is hard to
understand for native speakers.
e.g. Him: The son of my brother got married yesterday!
Me: You mean your nephew? You speak such a Globish!
3. A simplified version of the English language, not created but
consisting of the most common English words and phrases, enabling non-Englishspeakers to communicate.
“Yes, the Parisians speak French and the Berliners German, but the rising
generation - often to an embarrassing degree - are using what I've called Globish
as a way of hooking into global culture; music, films, and literature.”
Culture. Guardian.co.uk
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Text 1
Why proper English rules OK
Of course native speakers of English aren’t more intelligent than foreigners.
But in a ‘Globish’ world they sound it
By Simon Kuper (FT)
“To be born an Englishman,” Cecil Rhodes supposedly said, “is to win first
prize in the lottery of life.” But the old imperialist was wrong. What he should
have said was, “To be born an English-speaker...” The global rise of bad English is
helping us native speakers rise.
I first realised our advantage at a conference last year. The speakers came
from across northern Europe, but they all gave their talks in English – or a sort of
English. Germans, Belgians and French people would stand up and, in monotones
and distracting accents, read out speeches that sounded as if they’d been turned
into English by computers. Sometimes the organisers begged them to speak their
own languages, but they refused. Meanwhile the conference interpreters sat idle in
their booths.
Each new speaker lost the audience within a minute. Yet whenever a native
English-speaker opened his mouth, the audience listened. The native speakers
sounded conversational, and could make jokes, add nuance. They weren’t more
intelligent than the foreigners, but they sounded it, and so they were heard. Here, in
microcosm, was a nascent international hierarchy: native English-speakers rule.
English has been invading international settings since at least 1919, when
the Treaty of Versailles was written in English as well as French. Later leg-ups for
the language include the rise of American multinationals, the fall of the Berlin
Wall, the coming of the internet and the opening of China, says Nigel White, head
of international training and development at the Canning communications
company.
Today about one in four humans speaks at least some English, according to
the British Council. Many more want to learn it. Robert McCrum, co-author of The
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Story of English, hails “the apparent realisation of one of mankind’s oldest dreams
– the end of Babel”.
Of course most of these new speakers don’t speak proper English. They
speak “Globish” – a simple, dull, idiom-free version of English with a small
vocabulary. Most Europeans at my conference, for instance, spoke Globish.
Speakers of Globish often struggle to understand native English. They are
confused by idioms, half-sentences, references to ancient TV programmes, or
simply the British habit of not saying what you mean. Hilary Moore, a senior
trainer at Canning, notes that Germans in particular don’t understand that when
Britons say, “Well, it wasn’t fantastic,”* they might in fact mean, “It was
dreadful.” And some native speakers have impenetrable accents. “Nobody
understands the Irish,” notes White. Foreigners often sit in English-language
meetings getting tired, confused, jealous and irritated. A Dutch friend of mine
describes a meeting in which 10 Dutch executives speak English to accommodate a
single Briton – who, my friend grumbles, “sits there feeling superior”.
Because English-Globish misunderstandings are common, experts often
warn that native English-speakers will suffer in this new world. However, native
speakers simply need to learn Globish. White says a half-day course can teach
native speakers to speak slowly, without irony, and to bin confusing verbs like “to
put up with”.
Let’s say a native English-speaker can learn Globish in days. Compare that
with the years it takes to learn French (let alone Mandarin). No wonder British
teenagers have stopped bothering with foreign languages. French has dropped out
of the top 10 subjects studied by British 16-year-olds. Why spend years learning to
order a beer in bad French, when you can order it in Globish? Only a few
specialists need to learn foreign languages well enough to penetrate foreign
societies. For most Britons, bad French is no longer necessary.
Worse, learning a second language can actually disadvantage native Englishspeakers. If you speak mediocre French, you might find yourself speaking it in a
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business meeting with French people. That way they will sound quicker and
smarter than you. Force them to speak English and you win.
In a Globish world, the native English-speaker triumphs. When you need to
drop into Globish, you can. But when subtlety or speed is required, you beat them.
Moore says native English-speakers often steer conversation, using phrases like,
“Can I just jump in here...” and, “So what we’re saying is...” Foreigners sit mutely,
trying to follow what’s being said.
This now happens even in Brussels, especially since the non-Frenchspeaking eastern Europeans joined in 2004. Today most of the European
Commission’s spokespeople speak English. Brits and Irish draft many official
documents, because writing decent English is a strain for everyone else. So nativespeakers quietly shape debate. The same happens in multinational companies, says
Moore.
The strategy for native English-speakers is clear. Learn a bit of extra
Globish, and Bob’s your uncle.**
Notes:
* We get fantastic from the Latin phantasticus, meaning “imaginary.”
Sometimes it’s still used that way. Most often, though, fantastic means strikingly
out-of-the-ordinary. It can be complimentary ("You got an A? Fantastic!") or
disparaging ("He was always foolishly unrealistic, but trying to reach the moon
using a balloon tied to his bicycle was his most fantastic idea yet.").”
** Translation for Globish-speaking readers: “Bob’s your uncle” means
everything will be OK.
Exercise 1. Answer the questions:
1. What does the author mean saying, “To be born an English speaker is
to win first prize in the lottery of life.”?
2. Why did the reporters sometimes ask the reporters to speak their own
language?
3. How did the native speaker sound?
4. How does the author characterize Globish?
A. Words
B. Definitions
1.come from across Northern Europe
a. to be deep in
2. to give a talk
b. excessive physical or mental
tension
3. to be turned into English by
computers
c. to withdraw from participation
4. to beg
d. to be translated with the help of
machines
5. to drop out
e. to draw a preliminary sketch,
version or plan
6. to drop into
f. to come from all over Northern
Europe
7. draft
g. to ask smb for smth formally,
humbly or earnestly
8. strain
h. to make a report
5. What usually confuses a non-native speaker in a foreign language?
6. Why did the English stopped learning foreign languages?
7. Why do Brits and Irish draft official documents?
Exercise 2. Match the words from column A with their definitions from
column B.
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Exercise 3. Answer the followinf questions.
1. Do you often give talks in public? On what occasions?
2. Where do people come across from for these events?
3. Do you usually speak your native language or English?
4. What parts of your report should be written in English?
5. Do you have to turn the text into English by a computer?
6. What is the most strained stage of preparing your report or writing an
article?
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7. Do you really drop into your theme? What are the signs of this
process?
8. Do you show anybody the draft of your project, report? Why?
Text 2
Answer the questions:
1. What problems may non English scientists face when they want to publish
their works in a foreign journal?
2. Are there any ways to overcome them?
English as the universal language of science: opportunities and challenges
David G. Drubin and Douglas R. Kellogg*
English is now used almost exclusively as the language of science. The
adoption of a de facto universal language of science has had an extraordinary effect
on scientific communication: by learning a single language, scientists around the
world gain access to the vast scientific literature and can communicate with other
scientists anywhere in the world. However, the use of English as the universal
scientific language creates distinct challenges for those who are not native speakers
of English. In this article, we discuss how researchers, manuscript reviewers, and
journal editors can help minimize these challenges, thereby leveling the playing
field and fostering international scientific communication.
It is estimated that less than 15% of the world's population speaks English,
with just 5% being native speakers. This extraordinary imbalance emphasizes the
importance of recognizing and alleviating the difficulties faced by nonnative
speakers of English if we are to have a truly global community of scientists. For
scientists whose first language is not English, writing manuscripts and grants,
preparing oral presentations, and communicating directly with other scientists in
English is much more challenging than it is for native speakers of English.
Communicating subtle nuances, which can be done easily in one's native tongue,
becomes difficult or impossible. A common complaint of nonnative speakers of
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English is that manuscript reviewers often focus on criticizing their English, rather
than looking beyond the language to evaluate the scientific results and logic of a
manuscript. This makes it difficult for their manuscripts to get a fair review and,
ultimately, to be accepted for publication.
We believe that the communications advantage realized by native speakers
of English obligates them to acknowledge and to help alleviate the extra challenges
faced by their fellow scientists from non-English-speaking countries. Native
speakers of English should offer understanding, patience, and assistance when
reviewing or editing manuscripts of nonnative speakers of English. At the same
time, nonnative speakers of English must endeavor to produce manuscripts that are
clearly written. We offer the following guidelines for writing and evaluating
manuscripts in the context of the international community of scientists:
1. Nonnative speakers of English can write effective manuscripts,
despite errors of grammar, syntax, and usage, if the manuscripts are clear, simple,
logical, and concise. (We note that native speakers of English sometimes write
manuscripts exhibiting good grammar, yet filled with muddled and confusing
logic.)
2. When possible, reviewers and editors of manuscripts should look
beyond errors in grammar, syntax, and usage, and evaluate the science.
3. It is inappropriate to reject or harshly criticize manuscripts from
nonnative speakers of English based on errors of grammar, syntax, or usage alone.
If there are language errors, reviewers and editors should provide constructive
criticism, pointing out examples of passages that are unclear and suggesting
improvements. Reviewers and editors may also suggest that authors seek the
assistance of expert English speakers or professional editing services in preparing
revised versions of manuscripts. And finally, all involved should bear in mind that
most journals employ copyeditors, whose job it is to correct any lingering errors in
grammar, syntax, and usage before final publication of an article.
4. Nonnative speakers of English must be aware that reviewers, editors,
and journal staff do not have the time or resources to extensively edit manuscripts
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for language and that reviewers and editors must be able to understand what is
being reported. Thus, it is essential that nonnative speakers of English recognize
that their ability to participate in the international scientific enterprise is directly
related to their ability to produce manuscripts in English that are clear, simple,
logical, and concise.
The fact that English is the de facto global language of science is not likely
to change anytime soon. Optimizing communication among members of the
international community of scientists, and thus advancing scientific progress,
depends on elimination of obstacles faced by nonnative speakers of the English
language. This ideal can best be achieved when all members of the scientific
community work together.
Exercise 4. Are the following statements true or false? Write T if the
statement is correct and F if it is false.
e.g. The adoption of a de facto universal language of science has had a slight
effect on scientific communication. F
1. The use of English as the universal scientific language creates
difficulties for those who are nonnative speakers of English. _________
2. Only 5% of the world’s population speaks English. ___________
3. Manuscript reviewers usually concentrate on the scientific results and
logic of the manuscript.________
4. Both nonnative English speakers and native ones should treat each
other with respect._______
5. Manuscripts of nonnative speakers are usually more logical than those
of native speakers of English.___________
6. Reviewers and editors of manuscripts should be especially strict to
nonnative English speakers.__________
7. Having copyeditors in journals is a good practice. _________
8. Nonnative speakers should pay particular attention to the way they
present their manuscripts. _______
Exercise 5. There is one mistake in each of the sentences. Find it and
give the correct version.
1. He was quite amusing when he heard what had happened.
2. I went to the library to get as many information as I could.
3. He has been working here for sometimes.
4. He stopped speaking to see if the listeners could followed him.
5. It is quite acceptable to pay a lot for a high quality work especially if
the service is well.
6. I decided to review the obtained date to get a better picture of the
process.
7. I don’t think I have ever red one of his books.
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8. After a few minutes I look up and saw that it was getting dark.
9. I often watched him prepared for his presentations in English.
10. We studied the research paper with detail.
Confusing words and false friends
Confusing words are two or more words which have a similar meaning
to each other but are used ina different way,
or
are related to the same topic, but have a different meaning
or
look similar, but have a different meaning
False friends are words in English which have a similar-looking word in
another language but which have a different meaning.
Exercise 6. Make a careful study of the following groups of words. Note
the difference in the meaning in English and in your native language, suggest
appropriate equivalents:
1. actual – актуальный ; 2. appellation – апелляция ; 3. aspirant –
аспирант; 4. balloon – баллон; 5. baton – батон; 6. billet – билет; 7.
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compositor – композитор; 8. concern – концерн; 9. depot – депо; 10. direction
– дирекция; 11. fabric – фабрика; 12. genial – гениальный; 13. intelligence –
интеллигенция; 14. motion – моцион; 15. motorist – моторист; 16.
obligation – облигация; 17. physique – физик; 18. probe – проба; 19.
protection – протекция; 20. pathos – пафос.
Exercise 7. Complete the following sentences with the appropriate
word in bold.
1. action / activity
The police took immediate ____________ when they realised the situation
was getting out of hand.
Economic ____________ stagnated as the recession took hold.
2. advice / advise
Can you ____________ me on the best course of action to take?
He offered me some excellent ____________ .
3. affect / effect
Cuts in spending will have a serious ____________ on the healthcare
services.
The strike will seriously ____________ train services.
4. appreciable / appreciative
There is an ____________ difference between manslaughter and murder.
She was very ____________ of our efforts to help.
5. assumption / presumption
They raised taxes on the ____________ that it would help control spending.
It's sheer ____________ for the government to suggest things have
improved since they came to power.
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