The magic of ignorance - English a false prophet?

[Roland Breton]

le 26/01/05 0:13, R. A. Stegemann à moogoonghwa at mac.com a écrit :

> In 2001 Business Week wrote: "While English is fast becoming a
> prerequisite for landing a good job in Europe, only 41% of the people
> on the Continent speak it -- and only 29% speak it well enough to carry
> on a conversation". (Gill 2001, 117). I wonder how Europe's 29% match
> up against Malaysia's basolectal and mesolectal varieties of Malaysia's
> so-called Malaysian English?
>
> Hamo

 The difference is that for most Europeans who are not English
native-speakers, English is not in position to become acrolect or mesolect,
but a simple business subsidiary language. As their their national language
is staying for ever their acrolect and culture language.

Best regards

Roland Breton

‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹
Roland J.-L. Breton
Professor Emeritus of Geography
University of Paris 8
(Vincennes-St Denis)
<breton-roland at wanadoo.fr>