Wednesday, May 12, 2010

International English Faux Pas

Just a short note about the fact that English can sometimes be murdered in other countries. I was recently on vacation in India, and I was saddened to see that despite the fact they generally use the British education system and learn British English, they seem to have forgotten the difference between plurals and possessives. I can't tell you how many times I saw the word "thank's" on signs around town. It was really frustrating!

Another funny word I noticed was the word "laning". When widening a road, they call it "laning", which I think sounds hilarious, but it does make sense, speaking conceptually!

I enjoy interpretations of English in other countries. I find it entertaining. From a sociolinguistic perspective, I have to accept the fact that this is part of the way the English language has evolved in that particular context, whether or not I think it's proper English. For any of you who read this, if you have funny words or phrases you've seen, feel free to comment!

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