If it's a war, it's an invasion

To say the comment printed yesterday, entitled English War of Words, caused bad feelings would be a dramatic understatement.

While the writer was correct in pointing out the media's general choice of style had been broken, it was simplistic and offensive. Remove the three "un-American" words and nothing of substance is left.

If you learn one thing from that article, it is that the author is having a "whinge" ("To complain or protest, especially in an annoying or persistent manner").

An interesting quote:

"Each of these quaint words have been in one such publication recently, although none of them are used in America, the country that sets the standard for English."

Putting aside the archaic feelings that the words "quaint" and "lingua franca" conjure ("outmoded" anyone?), there is something in the phrase "the country that sets the standard for English" that should make every levelheaded reader feel awkward.

There is no ranking system that can determine the quality of English despite the writer's tone. Language is a wonderful form of evolving expression and as such, completely free from biased generalizations.

Do readers have the right to complain when they read the word "crocked" in another media outlet this week, a term used only in America? Instead, they should pick up a dictionary and learn. That is how language develops.

Another quote:

"American English is the type that people who don't speak English want to learn Even worse, it misleads those trying to learn the language."

The writer assumes all students of English want to learn American English. Spend just one hour in an English classroom at any Chinese university and you'll see a mix of academic direction towards American, British, and Australian English.

The exam on the lips of most students looking to study abroad is probably no longer TOEFL, it is IELTS. This is a Cambridge exam and it uses British English. It's also worth noting that American universities are increasingly accepting this qualification.

In essence, it comes down to this. A "War or Words" suggests some foreign copy editors are intentionally trying to corrupt a system to their own advantage, which just isn't true. Pointing out a few small professional mistakes in the public eye is not constructive criticism, it's just criticism.

It does provoke a curious thought however; did the media in China make the right decision by adopting American English? Perhaps Beijing's once blank canvas of international expression has been colored a rather dull mix of red, white and blue.

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Source: China Daily