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The Thread That Ties : A Journey Into the World of English

by Kaiser Zaman
Although it set tn the British Empire tong ago. the sun never sets tn the English-speaking world of today. From Papua New Guinea in the outer fringes of Asia to tiny Belize tucked away in South America, the elite and not so-eMte speak English as their mother tongue, and even if their mothers didn't they at least speak English with their children. Ewen when they think, they think In English.
There are perhaps more people In the Indian Subcontinent who lose their temper in English than there are people In all of Canada of Australia. There must be more than half a billion people (counting Bie American way) who speak, write, fight, think, dream — and do whatever else one does to express ideas and emotions in a linguistic form — in English. Some of the best-known writers in English learned it as a second language Timothy Mo Roald Dahl and Joseph Conrad, to name a few.
Despite the difficulty of writing fiction In a language other than the native language of the characters, there are many others who are creating English language literature in their own countries
It isn't only in England or in the new colonies where the Englishmen settled, but In dozens of other countries where they went to rule. In country after country, the . Union Jack was lowered and taken home but the language was left behind. The English language got away from the seafaring English people. It is no longer theirs atone I exists in countless forms in countless regions all over the world. Add to that creole or pidgin or Franglais (French-English) or Tagfish (Tagalog-English). an it is the whole world ! They speak English in so many dif fcrent ways, who's to say who s right and who's wrong
I had been intrigued the idiosyncracles of the English tongue ever since 1 learned the language as a child. Little did I know how much more bewildering it would get as I travelled and lived In countries where English is widely used.
It has been a fascinating. frustrating journey so far. Over time. I have tost my linguistic centre of gravity. I find myself picking up the syntax and accent of wherever I am. In India, I speak English with the prevalent Indian-English accent.
In Thailand, I subconsciously imitate the tonal accent of the Thais. In North America, they tell me that I have a British accent. A Washington wordsmith once said that I think White. When I
am in London. 1 sometimes wonder if the language I was taught in school and which I heard on the BBC was nt actu ally an el^xirate sham, and real English " what the London taxidriver speaks which, need less to say. I hardly understand.
I overcame the hurdle of understanding American English fairly easily, John Wayne wasn't reduced to speaking in Bangali tn the movies, although he speaks fluent Thai tn neighbouring Thailand. Even so. 1 find that 1 could benefit greatly If I had the services of an English-to-English Interpreter when 1 speak to certain Americans
who have not fully melted In the melting pot. 1 certainly could have used one when 1 went see a play in Kingston. Jamaica. It was a fast-paced political satire tn Jamaican English.
I understood about a quarter of the words and about a tenth of what was said. The rest of the time. I was frustrated but to be a good sport. I mimicked the audience reaction like an idiot. The playhouse English was very differ ent from the Impeccable English of the Jamaican diplomats in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Reminded me of Upstairs and Downstairs.
Mercifully. I found it easier to understand East African English. although some phrases left me off-balance. In arid Somalia where water shortage is a chronic problem, they promised to send the "boozer" to my house which, to my relief, turned out to be a water bowser. In Kenya, swallowing dry coffee did not Irritate my throat since all it meant is that I drank my coffee without milk or sugar.
Kenyan English can be as tasty as its coffee. A world class Kenyan snob will speak with his compatriots in Swahili, but will make tt abundantly clear that he Is equally at ease in EngMsh. But the foreigner who speaks only English, he is the one who pays the premium.
Even a rudimentary knowledge of English enables the locals to separate the tourist from his distinctive as the Singapore Sling which is served In the Raffle'* Hotel. Every sentence ends with a "la" for emphasis, as in Tes-la. can!" or "No-lab. cannot!" If a Malaysian asks if he could follow you and you say yea. don't think he has changed his mind If you drive Off and don't see his car following you. Because you left behind a perplexed individual who had asked you for a lift. The Indonesians in the former Dutch colony are fairly content to forget their Dutch legacy. co-opt English words into their own Bahasa (language) and leave it at that, n-fication'. as 1 call it: take out the ending of a word and add an 'f and voila! "confrontation" In English becomes 'confrontation' in Indonesian.) Perhaps the reason ts that the Indonesians are caught between what the Australians say is English and what they hear from others. The Balinese know better than to ask as Australian when he arrived tn Denpasar, for the chances are that instead of answering that question, the Australian is going to confide that he has come to beautiful Ball to commit suicide. Tve come to die' is what the uninitiated ear would hear when the Australian actually said I've come today."
1 could go on. The point Is. over the years. 1 have picked up words, idioms, syntax eunmar. and colloqualisms
m so many different countries. that I am more confused today than when 1 was seven years old.
Take heart, all you non-na-tive English speakers who feel that you can never speak good English. Even the English can't, according to Professor Henry Higgins.