Unesco unveils its first comprehensive database of
endangered tongues
Current data from the Ethnologue organisation (www.ethnologue.com) puts the number of languages spoken in the world at 6809. That's right, there is approximately one language for every million people in the world. English is just one.
Yesterday, Unesco announced that 2500 languages are under threat of disappearing worldwide. This means that the number of languages spoken may drop by more than a third.
The reason for this drop is, quite simply, money.
Everywhere around the world, young people leave rural areas and move toward cities in search of employment. In Krakow, where the majority of inhabitants don't come from Krakow, this is very obvious. However, although the rest of Poland may disagree, Polish is spoken in Krakow, too, and so the economic rural immigrants can more easily assimilate. In India or Brazil, where tribal languages are used in day-to-day communication in villages, people are moving to the city and picking up one of the more common languages. They generally stay in the city, and reject their native language in favour of their new language.
The effect on the 'dropped' language is, of course, devestating, but what of the effect on the new 'target' language?
I speak English every day. I speak to my family, my colleagues and friends, and to clients. Depending on the relationship, I alter my language. This is normal, we all do it in every language. However, the English I use when I speak to a group of people who mainly use English in business isa different version. In fact, it is not a regional dialect at all. This 'Offshore English' has developed as a direct result of non-native speakers communicating in a common, foreign, language. Offshore English is not 'bad' English, it is just a simpler form and more rigid structure than sloppy but aesthetic natural English. Why should a native speaker change his or her way of speaking? One of the answers, again, is money. One case study mentioned on www.usingenglish.com is of a contract to provide flight simulators to South Korea, where a French company won the contract because the buyers found it easier to understand the English spoken by the French that the English spoken by the British company.
For me, though, another reason for doctoring my language in a conversation is for the simple efficiency of having everything I say understood! I find people generally polite, and Polish people more polite than most. A result of this is that, if I were to ask a Pole "are you heading down for a one and one after the flicks?". They may answer in the positive, rather than admit they had no idea what a one and one or a flick is (and nor should they. A 'one and one' is Dublin slang for fish and chips, while 'the flicks' is common slang for the cinema). I am also aware of using 'false friends', words which sound similar but have a different meaning. For example, 'actually' in English does not mean 'aktualnie' in Polish. My language is noticably different when I speak exclusively to non-native speakers of English, one might say I am showing deference by speaking their language. Number 6810, perhaps?
piątek, 20 lutego 2009
Firm sorry for 'Mr. Blind' blunder
I came across this news article today. A man in Hull, England, received a letter from Council contractors addressing him as 'Mr. Blindman'. The company apologised saying the error happened when Mr Harris's disability was mistakenly entered on its database.
The 'Blindman' story did remind me of the urban legend of the man who complained about finding insects in the sleeping compartment of his overnight train. He complained, and then some time later, received a gracious letter from the Director of the company himself, apologizing, and ensuring that this was the first such case, and that his comments would be acted upon, and he was, in fact, contributing to improving the Company's standards. This pleased him immensely, until he found a transcribed note in the envelope: "Send this guy the bug letter!"
There is a danger when we perform repetetive tasks of our brain shutting off, and so we don't pay any attention to what we're doing. Data entry is perhaps the most obvious example, but there are others. A relative of mine owns a wholesale cash and carry business, where many business owners come and spend a long time selecting various luxury items to sell in their own businesses. The amount of time they spent there meant they often had phone calls relayed from their own office to the warehouse. I remember one case where a receptionist switched on the P.A. system and called "Mr. Tierney to reception. Telephone call for Mr. Tierney," followed by a pause, when normally the P.A. would be switched off, and then "...the big fat f---er!" I believe that was her last day in the firm.
I can't remember which one of the institutions in Krakow it is (as a foreigner, I had to register at so many), but occasionally I receive letters addressed to Miss Keith Byrne. This is as much due to the clerk not knowing if 'Keith' is a male or female name as it is to the clerk simply not checking.
The overall effect, however, is the same. There is a feeling that the company providing the service just doesn't care. And nobody wants to stay with a company that doesn't care. At the first opportunity, the client goes to a competitor. In the worst case, the client goes onto the news.
A good rule to follow is, when doing anything that is connected with a client or customer, or that may be seen by somebody outside the company, remember this, and always check, double check, and then check again. The next rule is to treat everything you do as belonging to this group of tasks. You just never know who's listening to you telling someone to send this guy the bug letter!
The 'Blindman' story did remind me of the urban legend of the man who complained about finding insects in the sleeping compartment of his overnight train. He complained, and then some time later, received a gracious letter from the Director of the company himself, apologizing, and ensuring that this was the first such case, and that his comments would be acted upon, and he was, in fact, contributing to improving the Company's standards. This pleased him immensely, until he found a transcribed note in the envelope: "Send this guy the bug letter!"
There is a danger when we perform repetetive tasks of our brain shutting off, and so we don't pay any attention to what we're doing. Data entry is perhaps the most obvious example, but there are others. A relative of mine owns a wholesale cash and carry business, where many business owners come and spend a long time selecting various luxury items to sell in their own businesses. The amount of time they spent there meant they often had phone calls relayed from their own office to the warehouse. I remember one case where a receptionist switched on the P.A. system and called "Mr. Tierney to reception. Telephone call for Mr. Tierney," followed by a pause, when normally the P.A. would be switched off, and then "...the big fat f---er!" I believe that was her last day in the firm.
I can't remember which one of the institutions in Krakow it is (as a foreigner, I had to register at so many), but occasionally I receive letters addressed to Miss Keith Byrne. This is as much due to the clerk not knowing if 'Keith' is a male or female name as it is to the clerk simply not checking.
The overall effect, however, is the same. There is a feeling that the company providing the service just doesn't care. And nobody wants to stay with a company that doesn't care. At the first opportunity, the client goes to a competitor. In the worst case, the client goes onto the news.
A good rule to follow is, when doing anything that is connected with a client or customer, or that may be seen by somebody outside the company, remember this, and always check, double check, and then check again. The next rule is to treat everything you do as belonging to this group of tasks. You just never know who's listening to you telling someone to send this guy the bug letter!
This is What I Meant!
For the last few years now, I've looked on as other people formed blogs, and listened as they talked about each other's blog. I'm not the most technologically aware person on this planet, and I just presumed this was the next craze from Japan, after Tamagotchi, Pokemon and dressing like a schoolgirl. More and more often, however, I noticed that the content of the editorials section of the online newspapeps I read were actually blogs. This relaxed me completely. The phenomenon of blogging is truly amazing. It gives us all instantly the power to have articles published which otherwise would never see the light of day. I must confess I am a little afraid that there's a reason why they would otherwise never see the light of day.
Now, whereas the internet used to be 85% pictures of Japanese schoolgirls dressing (or undressing) like schoolgirls, it's now around 60% of this, 15% everything else and 25% lists of The 50 best albums of all-time, The 20 best guitar solos of all time, My Top 10 Tom Cruise Films, My 40 favourite Japanese Schoolgirls, etc.
However, quite often, I find articles or have thoughts, which I feel could enhance and improve peope's lives. Hopefully, you will read this, the least useful post on this blog, and still check one of the others. They are much more interesting, if you find Communication interesting. I do, and I don;t think I'm so strange. Anyway, welcome to my World!
Now, whereas the internet used to be 85% pictures of Japanese schoolgirls dressing (or undressing) like schoolgirls, it's now around 60% of this, 15% everything else and 25% lists of The 50 best albums of all-time, The 20 best guitar solos of all time, My Top 10 Tom Cruise Films, My 40 favourite Japanese Schoolgirls, etc.
However, quite often, I find articles or have thoughts, which I feel could enhance and improve peope's lives. Hopefully, you will read this, the least useful post on this blog, and still check one of the others. They are much more interesting, if you find Communication interesting. I do, and I don;t think I'm so strange. Anyway, welcome to my World!
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