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English as a Global Language ReviewAs I read this book, I had the impression that the author has never tried to use international versions of English for complex tasks like working with foreign business and technical partners. I work for a multinational corporation myself. We are discouraged from taking time to learn foreign languages because we are told that English is the official language of our company. Then we arrive at our overseas branches and discover that our counterparts can say hello, goodbye, and thank you to us, but little more. I think Crystal is overly optimistic about how much English people are really learning overseas.
He also dismisses the cultural chauvinism wrapped up in the belief that English is the perfect global language. Actually, Spanish grammar is much easier to learn, and is much easier for non-native speakers to pronounce.
English *is* an international language, but it is only an effective one in the most basic communication situations. A few years ago author Barbara Wallraff wrote an excellent article in the Atlantic Monthly entitled "What Global Language?" (Nov, 2001) which made the point that while international English may be useful for very simple purposes, more complex communication tasks will require something other than English.
Author Edward Trimnell (Why You Need a Foreign Language and How to Learn One ISBN: 0974833010) rips the international English argument to shreds by pointing out that a.) cooperation between peoples who don't speak English as a native language is increasing; and in these situations, it makes sense to use a language other than English, and b.) the hubbub about international English has made native English-speakers very complacent in recent years--- such that we are now entirely dependent on the language skills of others.
Crystal's book is not without its merits, but it comes across as a sales pitch for international English. There is another side to this argument, and I would recommend reading Wallraff and Trimnell before making up your mind.
English as a Global Language OverviewDavid Crystal's informative account of the rise of English as a global language explores the history, current status and potential of English as the international language of communication. This new edition of his classic work includes additional sections on the future of English as a world language, English on the Internet, and the possibility of an English "family" of languages. Footnotes, new tables, and a comprehensive bibliography reflect the expanded scope of the revised edition.An internationally renowned scholar in the field of language and linguistics, David Crystal received an Order of the British Empire in 1995 for his services to the English language.He is the author of several books with Cambridge, including Language and the Internet (2001), Language Death (2000), English as a Global Language (1997), Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language (1997), and Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (1995) as well as Words on Words (University of Chicago, 2000).First edition Hb (1997): 0-521-59247-XFirst edition Pb (1998): 0-521-62994-2
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