Name: 2014 ELTForum sk David Crystal全體會議--為什麼英語是一種全球語言？ (2014 ELTForum sk David Crystal plenary - Why English is a global language?)
Uploaded: 2021-01-14T05:27:29.000Z
Duration: 3 min 57 s
Description: 【看影片學英語】數萬部 YouTube 影片，搭配英漢字典即點即查，輕鬆掌握單字發音與用法，長久累積看電影不必再看字幕。

反身代名詞

why had English become a global langauage - is it the language itself, is that it?

轉承詞

something to do with the language - I used to spend a lot of time once in the 1980s doing a

called "English now" and each week we would

have a different topic and I would go out onto the street with my roving

on the BBC vox populi the voice of the public

and one day we were doing global English so I'm out on the street now

and I'm asking people - do you know that English is a global language

why - why do you think sir / madame English has become a global language in

be surprised - i don't know - the commonest answer

is because - it's obvious! - English is the most beautiful language in the world

and so people want to learn it isn't that obvious?

because I know that Welsh is the most beautiful language in the world

did I tell you I came from Wales? I did, didn't I- you know it's Slovak

but people do believe it - the second answer

second commonest answer - you'll love this one large

gentleman florid face big moustache came towards me

Sir, do you know why English is a global language? yes yes young man

love him already I'll tell you why English is a global language

I told you you'd like that one- I nearly fell off

my microphone I I I said you know what what you what you mean?

and he says I'll tell you I'll tell you because when I was at school

I had to learn these foreign languages I learnt French with all that

stupid masculine and feminine stuff and then

German with that stupid neuter stuff and all these

endings, this nominative and accusative and

oh, ridiculous! English hasn't got any of that -

doing of course is he's identifying grammar

English hasn't got many of - I mean there are a few

you know - a dozen or so as  you know but English is not big on word endings

but of course what it hasn't got on word endings

it makes up for in word order - so syntax

is the big problem for any language learner for English

go to the big comprehensive grammar of the English language by Randolph Quirk

and his colleagues which is that thick, isn't it - eighteen hundred pages

2.4 kilograms - that's how much syntax there is in English