400.mi,ion people fl,f,:l,ll-tely speak Englishas their tirsr tunguage. English The second section in this chapter explores English as a global language-one is.rhe.tirst runguage fbr the majority of citizens of the United stntes, the united lhat reflects the multicultural influences in a common tongue. The section begins Kingdom, canada, Australia, stutn arri"u, New zealano, rr"ronJ, ,nd the many with an essay by one of the leading linguistic authorities on the topic of the global- islunds in the caribbeal. throughout tt. *orrJ a, u p.ere*ed izntion of the English language, David crystal. crystal explains the factors that second language, lausht "*t"nriu"iy it is th.e dominant ranguaie for internationut drive a language to become global and why globalization--despite what some crit- entertainment, .o--unications, science, diplomacy, meailcini and business. fnt"r"rtingfy, ics may claim-could be good for the planet. His piece is countered by another countries in some where English i: preferred spoken noted language 1?r_,1" language, it is the official ran- authority, Barbara wallraff, who argues that English is not really guuge, including the Marshail Islands, philippines, cam"roon, the and Zimbabwe. lhe global language, at least not in the way many people think. There are different This chapter takes a croser look at "linglishes" English usage rocally in the United states, and they are not all the same, posing a challenge to true universal un- und globally around the world. Is .arr".i"., there ,ulr, u tt ing a, nrgurt ,,r ena tlcrstanding. carla Power explores how nonnative English speakers are changing what about other "Englishes"? Is one form more correct than another? How is English the language. If English becomes truly global, no one "owns" it-and it is evolving influencing global communication, poritics,ano commerce? Is the dominance of us a global community brings its own ways of using the language. The final piece the English language u g.o:d thing, moving'o, towurd broader and clearer under- in this section questions what globalization of language might mean for American standing, or invasive, pushing othei tanguajes and nations away? students in the future. Globalization, asserts Douglas McGray, means that Ameri- can students should be taking more foreign language classes rather than fewer. The What ls,,American,, English? lcasons why may surprise you. The united States is comprised of people with many different racial origins, eth- nic identities, religions, and ranguager. ou, nuironal motto, e pluribus unum (,,ort of many, one"), bespeaks the pride we feel I wHAT ls,.AMERlGAll'! EIGLISH? in our multicurtural heritage. our I unity is predicated on like-minded moral values, politicar and economic serf_ interest, and, perhaps' a common language. The first section of this cnapter ex- olores this common language and how it unities and divides us. The section opens with a discussion of American Engrish by Robert MacNeil rr;oo vou sp"uk Do You Speak American? A'merican?" MacNeil sets out to understand why the English spoken in one part Robert MacNeil rf the country can differ so much from that spoken in another. Even common vords and expressions can be vastly "Hoagie," "grinder," "bomb," "spukie," "po-boy," ,,hero,,-so different, begging the question, what exactry or many different s 'American English"? Linguist names for pretty much the same thing, depending on where you place your loh, Erting'"rplores the way accents influence rur perceptions of others order for a sub-sandwich. While politicians may argue for or against the idea and ourselves in "dveryone Has an Accent rssay, but Me.,, His of a standard, national language, English-speaking Americans is followed by an engaging discussion ty Bilt across the ,,Good n.yro, o, l,irt ,"f,ut i, country are busy keeping the language vibrant and diverse. Robert MacNeil SoolL' a1d "bad,, English in English and Bad.,, sets out to discover "why is the English spoken by Maine lobstermen so differ- The last two readings in the section-udd."r, Engrish as a national language ent from that spoken by cowboys in Texas?" How are regionalized words cre- he for United States. First, Mauro E. Mujica, ated? MacNeil traveled u chit"un immigrant, exprains why he across the nation to try to find answers to these ques- cels it.is vitalty important that tions and to better understand the uniteo States adopt English as its the evolving and colorful language that is uage official lan_ in "why the U.S. Needs an official Language.,, "American English." Then, writer Julia ortiz pBS's )of'er explores the difficulties nonnative Robert MacNeil is the former co-anchor of Emmy Award-winning rp"ut"., face in a country where Engrish i the language of power. MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. He is the author of several books, including Do You Speak American? (2004) and The Story of English (1986). This article f irst appeared in the January 2005 issue of USA Today Magazine. MacNeil ngllsh as a Global Language wrote this essay as a companion piece to his PBS documentary, co-written by Bill Cran, "Do You Speak American?", which explores the country,s linguis- nglish is often referred to as the "lingua fraflca,,, or worrd ranguage tic diversity. turld' of the modern English is the most often taughl second tunguage around the world. with so nny difTerent people from- diverse r on columbus Avenue backgrounds ,p"ukirg Engrish, the in New York, a young waitress approaches our table and ll' ianguage rt- is changing. It absorbs the influences asks, "How are you guys doin'?" My wife and I are old enough be her grandpar- ir aim"r"r, curtures, ,"ith diff"."nt dialects, to l'lcctions, usage, and meanings. ents, but we are "you guys" to her. Today, in American English, guys can be guys, girls, or grandmothers. Girls call themselves guys, even dudes. For a while, young 144 r 66ap1er3 / AWorldof Language MacNeil / Do You Speak Americ an? . 145 women scorned the word girls, but that is cool American again, probably because African- , The enemies for Simon are the descriptivists, those content to describe women use it and it u" ,"ar cool-even empowering_to whites language as it actually is used. They include the editors of great dictionaries who, borrow black talk, like the worA"u, cool.-ti to ",:XTffi Simon charges, have grown dangerously permissive, abandoning advice on what is setves queer, on"" u hared homopn;;;; Tt ::.r:J correct and what is not. He "a shifting scene of gender ffi1,;: ffl fr"fr calls descriptivist linguists curse on their race." attitudes i, tr," rv rearity ..Queer Straight show, Eye for the rr One such individual is Jesse Sheidlower, American editor of the august Guy." As.society changes, ;; ;;", language, una a-iii"un society Oxford English Dictionary. Does he believe the language is being mined by the changed enormousry in recent has d;;; tutor"or",, when new no,,ns great informality of "No, f"*"_1, language often are resented or American life? it is not being ruined at all," he replies. is the target or resentment. Sheidlower believes that Simon and other language conservatives actually are z How we use the English luiguug""i;#i"* u""u-" a hot topic during complaining remains so today-a the 1960s, and it that linguists and dictionary writers no longer are focused on the lan- charged ing."aiJrr ln th" cutrure disputed as ;r, ;l;,".;sely studied and guage of the elite. They look at the old days and say. "Well, everything used to be anv other pait ;;;i;;v rr,* r, upp.op.iut";;;urr" more central "f ";. norhing is very proper, and now we have all these bad words and people are being careless, to our identity and sense of who ," u* ura'*rr"i""ri" o"tonr. .Aside and so forth." In fact, he insists people always have spoken that way. "It's just from a person's physical upp"urun"l, that irr"'n.rt tning someln"^riiio":raged you howie or she talks,,,maintaLs by is didn't hear them because the media would only report on the language of the firgririO*nis Baron. 3 Many feel that educated upper middle class," Sheidlower points out. "Nowadays . we see the tlre qrowins iniormality of American standards ("the life, the retreat frorn fixed language of other groups, of other social groups, of other income levels, in a way march of casuJizati or," york ii, New ri*"r'r"""ritv cared that we never used to. clothing' manners, sexuar mores-is ."R""t"a it)-in it' They i, ou. tunguug'"-uio i, r "Language change happens and there's nothing you can do about it." To which see schoors.l:i *r.lirg g."mmar "o.rrptrng accepted io.r, and hear nonstandard forms Simon replies, "Maybe change is inevitable-maybe. Maybe dying from cancer is in broadcasring, p"oritics, 1e_yspapers, and adverrising. They berieve also inevitable, but I don't think we should help it along." slogan "winston tastes. good the rirc a is so embeJded psyche that few Americans "iga.itie-shourd,, in the national r Helping it along, to Simon, would mean surrendering to the word "hopefully," one ,"outo ,J* uutt u, ,r," ..as,,) because "rl* use;i:ii"ulJilrr,"uo of of his pet peeves. "To say, 'Hopefully it won't rain tomorrow'-who, or what, is filled that usage is fast becoming ir," ,trnaura. they hate such changes with hope? Nothing. So you have to say, 'I hope it won't rain tomorrow.'But you the language and they despair fo, orrr.rl;;.