Robert McCrum | Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language

Robert McCrum is the associate editor of The Observer (London) and co-author of the bestseller The Story of English, a history of the English language, that went on to be adapted into an Emmy Award-winning nine-part PBS television series. He is the author of six works of fiction, including In the Secret State and Mainland. Among his nonfiction books are the acclaimed biography Wodehouse: A Life and the memoir My Year Off: Recovering Life after a Stroke. In Globish, McCrum argues, "that a seismic shift in the foundations of our lingua franca has transformed [British and American English] from an expression of Anglo-American cultural sovereignty into a supra-national phenomenon, with its own powerful inner dynamic." (recorded 6/10/2010)

Also huffduffed as…

  1. Robert McCrum | Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language

    —Huffduffed by Wordridden on October 19th, 2010

  2. Robert McCrum | Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language

    —Huffduffed by baarden on June 23rd, 2010

  3. Robert McCrum | Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language

    —Huffduffed by ninthart on June 23rd, 2010

  4. Robert McCrum | Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language

    —Huffduffed by owengot on February 6th, 2011

  5. Robert McCrum | Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language

    —Huffduffed by papei on February 5th, 2011

  6. Robert McCrum | Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language

    —Huffduffed by eflclassroom on January 15th, 2011

  7. Robert McCrum | Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language

    —Huffduffed by Erinacea on January 26th, 2011

  8. Robert McCrum | Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language

    —Huffduffed by briankuhl on July 13th, 2011

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    —Huffduffed by jeffvancampen 4 years ago

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    The discussion of the Pirahã language itself is excellent, but Everett’s discussion of why endangered languages need to be preserved is absolutely fascinating. His recommendations for preserving endangered languages include preserving natives speaker’s land and their heath. He also recommends studying and documenting these languages over a long period of time, as he has done with the Pirahã language.

    From http://www.longnow.org/projects/seminars/

    More information on this seminar is available at http://blog.longnow.org/2009/03/23/daniel-everett-endangered-languages-lost-knowledge-and-the-future/

    —Huffduffed by imp one year ago