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Re: EXTINCTION OF GALLIC
Dumdum. Orion P. (910267@admu.edu.ph)
25 Jul 1995 10:20:48 GMT
English is not the "World Lingua Franca" based on it's
"make-upability" and "plyability." English is there because it
was brought to different corners of the world by the British
and in the case of the Philippines and some Pacific island-nations,
by the United States. The fact that World Economy is based on the
Dollar is a major point, too. Because of the overwhelming contributions
to modern living by English-speakers, English is in its position
today. The sheer amount of literature floating around in English, the
movies, and the popular music around the world which are basically
in English further enhance its position.
As to the level of simplicity --> English has a relatively
simple grammar. One does not need to learn many forms of a word to
conjugate it properly, although there are some exceptions. But
if one would talk about achieving a reading proficiency in it, where
one could easily relate reading to speaking and hearing, English is
a disaster. With all its inconsistencies, English spelling is a
stumbling block for non-native speaker learners. English and Russian
share this problem, although Russian has a greater degree of con-
sistency.
Actually, if simplicity was the key, then Spanish would certainly
get there. Spanish, aside from being spoken by a large number of
mother-tongue speakers, has a very consistent grammar and spelling-system.
The grammar may be a little "different" at first, but the consistency, and
the spelling ease make up for it. Aside from that, pronunciation is
relatively simple. And if this (pronunciation) was the key, then French
is out. (A propos, je peux parler le francais.)
Just sharing . . .
Orion Perez Dumdum (doom-doom)
IV-BS Computer Science
Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines)
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