Friday, March 7, 2008

Indian English going global?!

After giving "Curry" and "Chicken Tikka" to the rest of the world, the latest addition it seems is going to be "Indian English"! Yes! the Indian English is all set to conquer the rest of the world.

Professor David Crystal, one of world's foremost English language Expert says, if the growing ranks of English speakers around the world are to understand each other a new Standard English would be necessary to be understood globally. In language numbers count and there are more people speaking English in India than in the rest of the native English speaking world! Therefore it is but obvious, it would have Indian characteristics and this would end the primacy of the American English! Moreover as the Indian economy grows, the influence of Indian English is bound to grow!

Though this didn't occur to me but yes, having pointed out it's quite true when Crystal says that Indians tend to use the present continuous where a British would use the present simple. Indian English would be, "I am thinking it's going to rain" rather than the British "I think it's going to rain." So, I believe "I am thinking, I am feeling, I am seeing" rather than "I think, I feel, I see" that could easily become sexy and part of global Standard English!

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