Getting there – in English

 

[moving figure*]

The greatest difficulty in mastering English is not understanding its grammar, as many students believe, but learning and applying its vocabulary. To clarify, most concepts in English have multiple words, often coming from different roots. Each word has its own subtext, with connotations that may or may not be relevant in a given situation. Some years ago, I wrote a post about the various words for eating. Today’s post deals with locomotion, specifically walking, running and driving.

[couple walking]

Walking varies in lengths and purposes. To take a walk is rather vague term, implying neither length or goal. By contrast, to get some fresh air implies a short trip outside to clear one’s head. While taking a stroll may not be specific in length, it does express a sense of pleasure, generally social. The purpose of taking a constitutional is to improve one’s physical condition, a matter of discipline, not necessarily enjoyment. If people choose the option of walking when alternatives exist, they hoof it. In places of natural beauty, taking a hike involves several hours, even a whole day, and involves uneven ground while taking a trek is a multiday experience. There is nothing like moving your legs.

[woman jogging]

Of course, some people prefer more energetic movement, specifically running. Jogging involves a slow pace that can be maintained for a long distance, without any specific destination in mind. Trotting is bit faster, ideal when a certain place has to be reached fairly quickly. The fastest form of running is sprinting, whether in a formal race or emergency situation, when speed is of essence. A quick sprint to a specific destination, such as a store before it closes, is a dash and may involve running. Running seems to involve exhilaration of one kind or another.

[poodle in driver's seat]

Alas, in the modern word, most of us by need or choice drive a car to get anywhere. Traveling to and from work is called commuting, which may involve 4-5 hours a day in some cities. Running errands is more local and involves enriching shops and services. In an emergency and at a track, a person may race, driving as fast as possible. With all the unavoidable time behind the wheel, it is surprising to know that many people enjoy taking a drive for the pleasure of seeing something beautiful. In some places, young people cruise, i.e., drive up and down the street in order to be seen by their peers and have their cars and significant others admired. In the past, Van Nuys Blvd. in Los Angeles used to be the site of weekly cruising. At the end of a visit, you may need to hit the road before the traffic gets too bad, which is to say “leave”. Even after all this driving stress, some people believe that the best way to relax is to take a road trip for extended time and see greener pastures. When it comes to driving, to each his own.

Thus, a native speaker naturally knows which terms will apply in any context and uses the right word. By contrast, people whose English is only through formal learning often struggle to be sure what word to use. Alas, the only truly effective to fully master English vocabulary is to live in an English-speaking country. However, through movies and some explanations, it is possible to attain a better understanding. Getting there can takes some effort.

* Picture captions help the blind access the Internet.

All pictures via Pixabay.

Why (and Z Generation) English

The changes in the geopolitical map since the beginning of the 21^st century have not changed the fact that English is the lingua franca of the world. English continues to serve as the primary international language of communication. What is interesting is that of the 7.5 billion people that speak English in the world, some 20% of the total population, only 360 million speak it as native language. Therefore, the primary learners of English are people living outside the Anglo-Saxon world.

While the need for English has not changed, its purpose has changed radically. Once, the motivation for learning English was to be to travel to England and the United States and order something on the menu or talk with tourists. Only the elite few required better English to conduct business or give lectures in these countries. Today, the economy is global and requires even the smallest business people, such as an E-bay supplier, to work with people all over the world. To do so, they must communicate in English. This requirement is so vital that English is the language of communication within countries and companies whose native language is not English even if that language is a major language. For example, many German multinationals function in English while Israeli high tech-tech companies often write all their first drafts of technical material in English.

On a wider front, consumers in Europe or Asia that do not understand advanced English may find it difficult to understand vital explanations or even realize what they are buying or read the name of the store. Companies assume that buyers can read English. On the more controversial level, an increasing number of ordinary people worldwide find it natural to speak English to each other even though they are native speakers of same non-English language. Chatting in English is often considered more sophisticated. On a linguistic front for some, English words are flooding other languages and “wiping out native species”. For example, Israeli chefs love saying crispy instead of the Hebrew word פריך [parich]. Woe to the television viewer or parent that does not English.

The education systems, as usual, are generations behind.  Nomenclature in teaching English has included English as Foreign Language (EFL), English as a Second Language (ESL) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP), to name just a few. Even the latter is no longer sufficient as non-native speakers also require English for business purposes to be able to integrate into and profit from the global economy. Alas, most programs and books seem to focus on visiting London and New York and enjoying the tourist sites. The new European CEFR, a series of can-do statements for various levels of English, does provide a transitional tool but fails to define the dominant context of the English use. Furthermore, the European love of precision and accuracy ignore the fact that non-native speakers need to be able to express their ideas clearly and concisely above all, i.e., grammar is much less important than fluency and accuracy. The sad fact is that too many learners must invest significant amounts of their own money to attain their required level of English.  Worldwide, the schools are failing in the task of properly preparing them for the 21^st century.

The X, Y and Z of the situation is that all generations worldwide require advanced English to fully function in the global economy and even understand simple conversations in their own country. “The Queen lives in Buckingham Palace” may still be interesting but is no longer sufficient.