English has undeniably become the world's dominant language, while many languages fade away each decade. This exploration delves into the remarkable evolution of English and its diverse global vernaculars. For instance, a new Japanese term for visiting Tokyo's Disneyland amusingly translates to "flogging the mouse." Words now traverse languages at a rapid pace, akin to cut-and-paste speed. Mark Abley predicts that by 2015, half of the global population will be engaged in learning or speaking English. He examines how English is spreading worldwide, absorbing words from various sources like a vacuum cleaner. Whether used as a first language in London or a third in Singapore, speakers are influenced by the language's rapid transformations. The author investigates the impact of hip-hop lyrics, text messages, and blogs, as well as the effects of global and Asian English and Spanglish. This journey around the linguistic globe is stimulating, provocative, and intelligent, celebrating the vitality and creativity inherent in languages. Evocative and engaging, this work appeals to anyone who values the words we use.
Mark Abley Orden de los libros (cronológico)
Mark Abley es un autor que se adentra en el fascinante mundo de los idiomas y sus transformaciones. Su obra explora cómo evoluciona el lenguaje hablado y escrito en nuestro tiempo, desde el hip-hop hasta el Singlish, desde los mensajes de texto hasta el Spanglish. La escritura de Abley se caracteriza por su habilidad para revelar los asombrosos cambios en el lenguaje y, al mismo tiempo, inspirar a los lectores a defender su propia lengua y cultura. Su enfoque es accesible y cautivador, lo que lo convierte en una voz literaria destacada.
Half the world's languages are threatened with extinction over the next century, as English and the rest of the world's top twenty languages drive all before them.