Globish

[Paulfromitaly]

Term: Globish

Your definition or explanation:
A simplified version of Anglo-American English used as a global lingua franca.


Example: (An example of the term in use)

A quarter of a century ago, Robert McCrum co-wrote The Story of English, a television series whose book was on a higher level than most such exercises. Ignoring Picasso’s advice to “copy anyone – but never copy yourself”, he now revisits that book to recount the creation of the multiple conditions propitious to the ascent of Globish.


One or more places you have seen the term: (Please give URLs/links to web pages, or a full description of a print publication.)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7844192.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/mar/29/globish-international-language
http://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/Globishterm.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globish

Have you looked for this term or meaning in dictionaries, and not found it? Yes ____ No ___

 

[Teerex51]

I just finished it. A very interesting read, though the prose is often triumphalistic and bloated.

 

[ewie]

I read (and watched) the original a quarter of a century ago.

Never heard of Globish, though.

 

[sound shift]

I've heard of Globish. I remember reading a few years ago that Globish was the brainchild of a Frenchman. Before I started typing this, I could not remember his name, but I have just found a web page that contains a video of a Frenchman saying (in English) that he was the inventor of Globish: http://www.jpn-globish.com/ . I seem to remember also reading that the word accent in Globish always falls on the penultimate syllable. That would make the speaking of Globish a pain for me, as a native speaker of English, though I can see that it might appeal to many people who come from a non-English speaking background.

 

[irinet]

Never heard of globish and I sense it with negative connotation rather than a globally English conquest.

 

[vale_new]

Ciao!

Globish as Global English, different from the English as Foreign Language, different from AE, AusE (giusto Teerex?), BE, CanE, NZE, etc. could that be 'GE' as the language spoken, written and enriched in vocabulary by non native English speakers? It's a language with its own officiality (?), that is to say that is used to produce official texts, treaties, etc.

 

[Teerex51]

Globish is a form of simplified English, a sort of lingua franca naturally used by non-native English speakers worldwide. Nothing official about it.

To date I believe a single book has been (allegedly) written in Globish. There's a Wiki entry on Globish you might find interesting and Sound_shift (above) has posted a link to an interview with the "inventor" of Globish.

This interview is supposed to be in Globish (meaning the vocabulary): speaking with Mr J.P. Nerriere's French accent is not mandatory for the accomplished Globish speaker.

 

[vale_new]

There is no inventor of globish, there might be an inventor of the word who analised that tongue, as globish is the language spoken and written by natives of different nationalities and non natives and used in international environments.....That guy is presenting a new version of esperanto using a word that is widespread, globish, which refers to the particular tongue that somehow 'recreates' English but, being often used for international treaties and to define new concepts and ideas, became a new 'English without borders'.

 

[timpeac]

Term: Globish

Your definition or explanation:
A simplified version of Anglo-American English used as a global lingua franca.


Example: (An example of the term in use)

A quarter of a century ago, Robert McCrum co-wrote The Story of English, a television series whose book was on a higher level than most such exercises. Ignoring Picasso’s advice to “copy anyone – but never copy yourself”, he now revisits that book to recount the creation of the multiple conditions propitious to the ascent of Globish.


One or more places you have seen the term: (Please give URLs/links to web pages, or a full description of a print publication.)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7844192.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/mar/29/globish-international-language
http://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/Globishterm.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globish

Have you looked for this term or meaning in dictionaries, and not found it? Yes ____ No ___

I like this from the bbc link -

In a meeting with colleagues from around the world, including an Englishman, a Korean and a Brazilian, he noticed that he and the other non-native English speakers were communicating in a form of English that was completely comprehensible to them, but which left the Englishman nonplussed.

It's so true - I've been in so many meetings like that! As such, I'm not sure that I'd describe Globish as a simplified version of English - it's more its own animal. "Burning platform" (an urgent issue, apparently) is one highlight I remember all my foreign colleagues nodding along to while all the English speakers looked blank.

I think it might be because foreign speakers often learn specifically business English while native speakers do not, they just pick up terms as they go along.

 

[vale_new]

I like this from the bbc link -

In a meeting with colleagues from around the world, including an Englishman, a Korean and a Brazilian, he noticed that he and the other non-native English speakers were communicating in a form of English that was completely comprehensible to them, but which left the Englishman nonplussed.

It's so true - I've been in so many meetings like that! As such, I'm not sure that I'd describe Globish as a simplified version of English - its more it's own animal. "Burning platform" (an urgent issue, apparently) is one highlight I remember all my foreign colleagues nodding along to while all the English speakers looked blank.

I think it might be because foreign speakers often learn specifically business English while native speakers do not, they just pick up terms as they go along.

Personally, I would not be able to translate neither in Italian nor in British or American English many words that are being used everyday in English speaking international and multicultural working environments (often institutions), a different language spoken and written both by both natives and non natives.

 

[LaVache]

I saw a book about how to speak this in a French bookstore.