P Bjorn Madsen | About English was: Introducing myself…

• Autor: P Bjorn Madsen (“europidgin”)
• Tema: About English was: Introducing myself…
• Data: 2002-11-26 22:49
• Mesaje: 407 (a supra, presedente, seguente)

Hi Paul

--- Paul O. BARTLETT wrote:
> The language is pronounced quite differently in different
> parts of the world.  Educated native speakers can usually understand
> each other, but non-native speakers who learn one English dialect
> sometimes can scarcely understand speakers of another English dialect
> ...

You are right about differences. I still remember an Australian guy in a Manila bar, that told us: "I came here to die". Later we found out that he was in perfect health and just had told us: "I came here today"

But in my experiences English is very flexible and forgiving. Both in Africa and Asia I have often been surprised to see people get along with a limited vocabulary and almost no grammar. You can have amazingly good conversations with a few English words and a couple of beers;-)

I really hope that some day people can do the same in LFN.

Bjorn