6.1680, Qs: Globalization of English, Russian, Lexical Innovations

[The Linguist List]

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-6-1680. Thu Nov 30 1995. ISSN: 1068-4875. Lines:  136
 
Subject: 6.1680, Qs: Globalization of English, Russian, Lexical Innovations
 
Moderators: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar: Texas A&M U. <aristar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
            Helen Dry: Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at emunix.emich.edu>
            T. Daniel Seely: Eastern Michigan U. <dseely at emunix.emich.edu>
 
Associate Editor:  Ljuba Veselinova <lveselin at emunix.emich.edu>
Assistant Editors: Ron Reck <rreck at emunix.emich.edu>
                   Ann Dizdar <dizdar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
                   Annemarie Valdez <avaldez at emunix.emich.edu>
 
Software development: John H. Remmers <remmers at emunix.emich.edu>
 
Editor for this issue: lveselin at emunix.emich.edu (Ljuba Veselinova)
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---------------------------------Directory-----------------------------------
1)
Date:  Tue, 28 Nov 1995 17:32:49 GMT
From:  D.J.Graddol at open.ac.uk (David Graddol)
Subject:  The Globalization of English
 
2)
Date:  Tue, 28 Nov 1995 21:22:11 PST
From:  lindafor at violet.berkeley.edu (Linda Formichelli)
Subject:  Native Russian Speakers Needed
 
3)
Date:  Wed, 29 Nov 1995 08:01:49 +0700
From:  RHLH702 at UVM.HAIFA.AC.IL (MIchal Ephratt)
Subject:       Authorship of lexical innovations - query
 
---------------------------------Messages------------------------------------
1)
Date:  Tue, 28 Nov 1995 17:32:49 GMT
From:  D.J.Graddol at open.ac.uk (David Graddol)
Subject:  The Globalization of English
 
 
I have four queries arising from research I'm doing for a TV programme
on the 'globalization' of English.
 
(1) Does anyone know of the existence of a high level computer programming
    language which is NOT based distantly on English. By 'High Level'
    I guess I mean C or above, and I count C as being based loosely
    on English. Is it the case that programmers whose first language
    is not English find they need to learn English to some level of
    proficiency? Or are there hackers out there in places like Japan
    Russia who program without any knowledge of English or who work
    in special local languages which no-one in the west has heard of?
 
(2) I am examining the increasing tendency of transnational companies
    to disperse their operation across the world, exploiting differences
    in time zones and labour costs. For example, several airlines have
    established 'back offices' (which handle things like frequent flier
    airmiles accounts) in India. Some U.S. companies automatically
    redirect their public telephone enquiries to desks in Ireland
    (apparently the U.S. public are less phazed when they get greeted
    by an Irish accent than by a British one). British Airways reroutes
    enquiries from Europe to their New York office when the British office
    closes for the day. Australian companies seem to be picking up quite a
    bit of teleworking from Singapore and East asia.
 
    Is  English language proficiency needed in order to join this international
    club? Does anyone know of similar transnational operations working
    between francophone countries, for example, or Arabic speaking countries?
 
(3) Does anyone have an email address for any scholar doing research on
    language and education policies in Papua New Guinea?
 
(4) Does anyone have any informed view on the liklihood of Chinese, or
    indeed any other language, challenging the role of English as an
    international lingua franca in the foreseeable future?
 
I would be grateful for any help on these questions or direction to
any relevant work already published by colleagues. The TV programme is
for a distance taught course on the English Language which explores
various aspects of the International role played by English. We
(i.e. the team at the UK Open University) are making a series of eight
TV programmes with the BBC which covers a range of issues such as the
'English Only' movement in the U.S. and English medium education in
India. The materials should become generally available in due course.
 
David
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2)
Date:  Tue, 28 Nov 1995 21:22:11 PST
From:  lindafor at violet.berkeley.edu (Linda Formichelli)
Subject:  Native Russian Speakers Needed
 
 
Dear Linguists,
 
I am writing a paper on a new way of looking at the Russian particles
-to and -nibud', and am looking for native Russian speakers who would
be willing to help me out by completing a short questionnaire.  If you
are a native Russian speaker and are interested in helping me with
this project, please send me a note at lindafor at violet.berkeley.edu
and I will e-mail you the questionnaire.
 
Thank you!
 
Linda Formichelli
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3)
Date:  Wed, 29 Nov 1995 08:01:49 +0700
From:  RHLH702 at UVM.HAIFA.AC.IL (MIchal Ephratt)
Subject:       Authorship of lexical innovations - query
 
 
Dear Netters,
 
 I am looking now into lexical innovations of a Hebrew scholar.
 In order to formulate a grammar of his innovation, I must first be able
 to discriminate among the innovation that he uses in his publications,
 between those coined by him and the rest.
 I am looking for any theoretical or empirical, linguistic or statistical
 attempts to resolve this issue of attributing authorship for "coinage"
 of lexical innovations.
 Any hints are most welcome, Thanks, MIchal.
 ==========================================================
    Dr. Michal Ephratt
    Dept. of Hebrew Linguistics
    University of Haifa, Haifa 31 905 ISRAEL
    Tele/Fax. 972-4-9930784
    E-mail: RHLH702 at UVM.HAIFA.AC.IL
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