Change of URL, please, friend of the Blog, notice...

Dear Friend,

Please notice that from now on you may follow me in the following URL:

www.englishandspanishonskype.com

This Blog in Blogger will not be washed away, but will not receive feedings, just reminders like this.

The Page is being structured and it will very soon be in good shape. But it is already up and kicking.

You may want to leave your comments, I would be very glad if you did. In any language!

Ever,

JP

English Tutors byJordiPicazo: 7-razones-7 para hacer inglés con English Tutors por Skype

 7-razones-7 para hacer inglés con English Tutors por Skype:
1. optimización del tiempo (30 minutos, mínimo dos veces por semana),
2. no te desplazas para ello, y puedes cambiar día y hora avisando incluso el mismo día, 
3. nunca pierdes una sesión, la cambias de día, 
4. en una academia dejas de ir un 20% del tiempo, 20% del coste tirado a la papelera, 
5. cuando estás de viaje, te conectas con la tablet o teléfono móvil por Skype, o te llamo yo sin coste, 
6. certificación documental de horas tomadas y rendimiento. 
7. Profesor con 25+ años de experiencia, en Londres y España. 
www.englishtutors.es @ENGLISHTUTORSes

Richard Vaughan with Jordi Picazo, EnglishTutors byJordiPicazo

Join me in a get-together tomorrow Sun 22 June, 3 PM GMT for Spanish, and 3:45 PM GMT in English

Dear Blog friend,

tomorrow Sunday 22 June some of us will get together on Skype to chat a bit about general things or maybe even professional matters...

Feel free you too, to join in at the announced times, for one of the languaages or for both.

We may then even establish naturally some other groups and decide to meet at other times.

Just add me to your Skype account, or download Skype for free and open an account for yourself. My ID on Skype is jordi.picazo, I appear as Jordi Picazo, language coach.

See you tomorrow on air.

Jordi

Ana Botella se toma al final su Café con Leche.

Interveción de Ana Botella y l canción promocional

No deja de ser extraño que tras la intervención de la alcaldesa de Madrid Ana Botella utilizando un inglés que algunos calificaban de horroroso, se haya creado poco menos que un mito y se vuelva a recordar esa intervención que para algunos fue penosa.


Sin embargo esto requiere un poco de reflexión pues hay que conocer el contexto. Los que juzgaban la aparición pública de Ana Botella eran en su inmensa mayoría españoles, y por tanto la inmensa mayoría de esa inmensa mayoría, que ya son unos poco menos pero todavía muchos, no hablan bien la lengua de Peter Pan.


Los que la juzgaban lo hacían probablemente por las inserciones en español de las palabras "café con leche" y "Plaza Mayor" en su frase "have a cup of café con leche en la Plaza Mayor". Seguramente querían oir "have a cup of white coffee in the City Square", o "Main Square" o cualquier otra trancreación del término Plaza Mayor.




Parémonos a considerar ahora nuestra posible reacción si escucháramos a alguien hacer el mismo discurso en un país que no fuera España. Los españoles, no todos, siempre han tenido un sentimiento de inferioridad. Por ello históricamente tenemos que hablar el idioma del que nos visita, o hablamos súper despacio a cualquier extranjero. Si escucháramos un programa de la RAI nos sorprendería sin duda oír algo parecido a "have a nice cup of white coffee in Spain's Square". Tal vez no nos chocaría sin embargo oír algo parecido a "have a nice capuccino in Piazza Spagna". 


Pero no, aquí los fariseos del lenguaje, que ni saben ni permiten que otros sepan, critican lo mismo que aprueban en otras latitudes. De igual modo no visitamos la plaza de Oxford sino Oxford Circus, ni el Real Palacio de Alberto sino el Royal Albert Hall. ni el Parque Hyde o la Plaza de los Tiempos, (o de las Horas, qui lo sa) sino Hyde Park y Times Square.


Tal vez lo que a muchos no les gusta es que esta señora, muy madrileña de formas, gesticulase tanto, cosa que tiene más que ver con su manera de ser. A muchos no les gusta por razones políticas o por ser del PP. O tal vez por ser la esposa del ex presidente del gobierno José María Aznar.



Su pronunciación tampoco era mala. Pronunciación era esa tal que seguramente pasaría un nivel de First Certificate, si se juzga solamente en base a las frases que pronunció. Nivel sea dicho de paso, que aunque es el adecuado para un chico o chica de 16 años hoy en día, es el que se pide para acabar con un aprobado una carrera universitaria. Pasar un nivel de First Certificate decía, aunque ya lo del "first certificate" lo vamos abandonando en Europa, porque ya adoptamos el Marco Europeo de Referencia de Lenguas, en este caso un B2. Ya vamos abandonando decía, muy a pesar de los británicos, un marco que era lo que queda del imperialismo inglés a través de su lengua. Lengua que ya no pertenece al antiguo imperio británico ni a su descendiente la Commonwealth of Nations, sino al planeta.



Por tanto concluiría que resulta que Ana Botella hizo bien pronunciando esas frases, como bien harían los italianos, o como nosotros hacemos cuando viajamos fuera. El First en cuanto pronunciación lo pasaría justito pero no sería su performance óbice para un Pass.Yo le daría un Grade 6 del Trinity College de Londres.

If you live in America, should you speak English?

by MALU BRADFORD BEYONCE

Why are people so scared of different languages? Not so long ago I saw a verbal war on an online garage sale blog because two people had a conversation in Spanish. It went back and forth and of course, just like most things that deal with culture, it got nasty. I was born in El Paso, a border town. I spent half of my life there. I am ashamed to say my Spanish is very remedial. When you grow up in a border town, hearing Spanish is a daily event. El Paso was extra special because it also has a military base, Ft. Hood, within its county. I was exposed to so many different cultures and languages. Speaking a different language was an everyday occurrence.
© 2014, MaLu Bradford Beyonce  During the Super Bowl there was a lot of controversy about the song, “America the Beautiful,” being sung in several languages other than English. I didn’t comment on this controversy because I still to this day haven’t seen the commercial. I can’t have an unbiased opinion because I heard of the controversy before I saw the commercial. I am on the fence about whether or not the United States of America should have some sort of standardized language. My brother’s first language is Spanish. I’m jealous of him. He speaks both English and Spanish. However, when he was about 8 or 9, I had to literally force him to speak English. Now, he thanks me for pushing him to speak English. I would tell him, he is in America and you need to speak English. Of course I have nothing against Spanish speakers. My grandma’s first language was Spanish. It just seemed unnatural to live in Texas and not speak English at the time. I have to fight my thoughts of people who are so against Spanish speakers as being racist. They could have different valid reasons, that have nothing to do with race. The main reason I think you should do your best to speak and read English is because of feasibility. It cost so much more to print everything twice in two languages. To me, it just make economical sense. Now to my Spanish speakers, I am not against you. I am myself part Mexican and proud of it. I know there are some Spanish speakers that resist speaking English. Some of my own family belongs to this group. My maternal grandmother didn’t speak English at all. I have cousins that I am close to that do not speak English; however, they live in Juarez, Mexico. They are perfectly happy coming over to El Paso and can manage quite well without speaking English. A couple of them even work in El Paso but yet have not mastered the English language. I constantly debate with them, sometimes in Spanish, as to why it is important to not only know English but to speak English. From multiple debates with friends and family, here are the top reasons I found as to why native Spanish speakers, choose to not speak English: 1. They simply don’t know it and don’t think they can learn it, 2. They are uncomfortable to the point of embarrassment when they try to speak English, 3. It’s a habit; they are so use to speaking Spanish, it is just natural to do so. 4. They don’t want to forget their culture and their language is one of the best ways to hold on to it. 5. It makes them feel good to speak Spanish even when they know English because they know a lot of people only speak one language. Yes, it makes them feel superior to know two languages. Let’s talk about point number five. I know alot of people don’t like it when people speak a different language in front of them because sometimes we immediately think they are doing it to talk about us or to deceive us in some way. I can understand that because it does happen. However, I have this motto. If I don’t say something to your face it is because I respect you. For example, if I tell my husband, man I don’t like her haircut but to your face tell you I think it is nice, it is out of respect. There are a lot of things we all say but would never say it to their face or want them to know we said it. Same goes when something is said in a different language. I think there are more pressing matters in this country to have debates about that have more weight than different languages being used in America. I find it kind of ironic that a Super Bowl commercial sparked so much controversy. I wish I spoke Spanish better. I don’t know why my grandma didn’t teach us better. She was very fluent in both English and Spanish. As her Alzheimer's got worse, she forgot how to speak English. I think that says a lot. When you grow up speaking Spanish or whatever is your first language, that is what you hold on to no matter where you are living. It is who you are and why would anyone want to deny that.

© 2014, MaLu Bradford Beyonce

MOOC will teach English

FutureLearn and the British Council see India as a major market for MOOCs that teach English. Photo: Nic Walker

Tim Dodd

The UK-based FutureLearn will ­partner with the British Council, which already provides English language education, to pioneer MOOCs that teach the English language.

It is the first time that a major MOOC provider has announced plans to offer language courses. The two organisations said there would be a portfolio of English language courses ready in 2014 which would be focused on preparing ­students whose native language is not English for studying higher education courses taught in English.

The announcement was made in India, which FutureLearn and the ­British Council see as a major market for MOOCs that teach English. The two organisations said the MOOCs would also “provide a route for learners to take International English Language ­Testing System (IELTS) assessments at British Council testing centres”.

The British Council is a part-owner of the IELTS test, along with Australian company IDP Education, which ­operates a separate network of IELTS testing centres.

FutureLearn is owned by British education institution, The Open ­University, and has 29 partners which are mainly UK universities but also include the British Council and the ­British Museum.

Monash University is one of FutureLearn’s international ­partners.

The British Council is a non-profit organisation set up by Royal Charter to promote British culture and education internationally.

It is pitching English teaching MOOCs as a way of channelling ­international students to British ­universities.

“It is right that India should be one of the first places where we collectively launch the FutureLearn MOOC ­platform and courses,” said Martin Davidson, chief executive of the British Council. “FutureLearn will provide young Indians with another means of access to the UK’s world-class education ­institutions.”

In other news, the world’s leading MOOC provider, US-based Coursera, has raised $US20 million ($21.8 million) more than expected in its latest capital raising.

According to All Things D , Coursera’s $US43 million capital raising announced in July this year has expanded to $US63 million.

Three unnamed universities are responsible for most of the extra investment. Coursera has now totalled $US85 million in capital from investors.

Emancipating the English Language Learner

As you cooraptoriliate these words, make sure you flimp the scoglottora in proper schimliturn. You will only understand this column if hickitow glisps in baggaduanation. Use your joomering and begin.

Huh? _Look, everyone else reading this column has begun his or her work, why haven't you? Seriously, use your joomering and get started. _What exactly do you want me to do? Hmm.  _Maybe you're not ready for the level of comprehension this magazine requires of its readers. We might have a remedial magazine for you, perhaps something from Highlights for Children? _No, I really want to know. I can do whatever you ask, but I don't know what it is. I'm actually a good reader and thinker, but I don't use your words or have experience with your culture. Do not think of me as unintelligent!  _Maybe I could find something from the basic teacher texts for you if I only had the time. Just sit here a moment while I explain this information to the other readers and let them move ahead. I know this means you'll be further behind than you already are, but it's all I can offer right now.Wow. 

Just a couple of moments of walking in an English language learner's shoes and a few things are abundantly clear:

1. Well-intentioned yet uninformed teachers can offend English language learners (ELLs) if they are not careful.
2. Some ELL students don't receive appropriate instruction for their intellectual level.
3. We feel a lot of anxiety when we don't know the language or culture of the country in which we are living—so much so that some of us stop trying. It takes a tremendous amount of energy and patience every day to remain attentive and engaged when you're learning a language, and some days ELL students are so emotionally drained they can't muster either one.

We need to be mindful of the emotions at play when asking students to do all this thinking aloud in a language and culture foreign to their own. Students are stressed not only about learning a new academic concept, but also about having to adjust to different cultural expectations in which they may not succeed.Debra Coggins and her coauthors explain in English Language Learners in the Mathematics Classroom: "For students from cultures in which students are expected to wait to be asked before speaking, and where students are not expected to ask questions of elders, it is very important for the teacher to explicitly set the expectation for students to ask questions and express their opinions in the…classroom. Otherwise, classroom discourse becomes an exercise in trying to participate in a game where only others know the unwritten rules."Simple StrategiesIf we embrace the promise of America from its earliest roots, we realize that with the noted exception of native peoples, we are a nation of immigrants. What can those of us not trained in working with English language learners do in our regular classrooms to help them succeed?Twenty minutes of empathetic reflection on the needs of ELL students yields some common sense responses that truly help them learn:

1. Speak slowly and clearly.
2. Repeat important words and information several times.
3. Extend time for responding to prompts as necessary.
4. Avoid using idioms and colloquialisms until students are more advanced with our culture; if we use them, we take the time to explain them.
5. Gesture and point to what we are referring.
6. Ask students to read text more than once.
7. Label objects and concepts in the classroom frequently.
8. Provide a lot of specific models, including hands-on experiences.
9. Use visuals during instruction: pictures, illustrations, graphs, pictographs, as well as real objects.
10. Frequently demonstrate what we mean, not just describe it.
11. Make ELL students feel as though they belong and have a role to play in classroom learning. One way to do this is to find something in the student's background that connects to the topic we're studying.
12. Use thinking aloud or self-talk to model the sequence of doing the task.
13. Use cooperative learning groups; let ELL students work with English-proficient partners.
14. Let students draw responses occasionally instead of writing them; use more than one format for assessing students if the general approach won't allow ELL students to accurately portray what they know.
15. Find ways to enable ELL students to demonstrate their intellectual skills and maintain dignity.
16. Give students quick feedback on their word use: An ELL says in halting English, "This correct paper?" and we say in affirmation, "Yes, that is the correct paper. Thank you."
17. Spend time before lessons on important topics to build a personal background in English language learners so they have an equal chance to attach new learning to what's already in their minds. This is good for all students, not just ELLs, of course. If we're about to teach students about magnetic fields, for example, we can let them play with magnets, lightly pouring iron shavings near their poles to watch their pattern of dispersal or gathering.
18. Stay focused on how ELL students are doing toward reaching their learning goals, not how they're doing in relation to other students. This is huge. We remove all hope when we ceaselessly cajole ELL students into proficiency by comparing them to language-proficient students.
19. Recognize the difference between conversational language and academic language and that students need help with both; learning one does not mean you've learned the other.
20. Take the time to learn about English language learners' home countries. This engenders good will and allows you to make connections in the curriculum.

In addition, in English Language Learners in the Mathematics Classroom, the authors remind us to

1. Invite ELL students to learn and explore ideas in their own languages first, then translate them to English
2. Provide ELL students with response stems, such as, "One thing that I learned was … ."
3. Ask students to restate classmates' comments as they begin their own comments
4. Relate concepts in story format before specific instruction.

Stephen Cary, author of Working with English Language Learners: Answers to Teachers' Top Ten Questions favors authentic talk over compliance talk. "Authentic talk" refers to real conversations about real topics to satisfy real needs, even when this includes the incorporation of local colloquialisms, phrasings, and terms. Consider the value of this dialogue:

Where can I buy soccer cleats? Mine are too old. I can't turn fast in them. I'm the sweep this weekend.

1. Wow, I hate playing sweep. I'm a mid-fielder.
2. I can't play mid-field very well. It's too tiring. You have to be everywhere.
3. Yeah, but you can get the other team off sides.
4. Sometimes, but I don't think about that a lot. So, the cleats?
5. Oh yeah. Over at Fair Oaks Mall, there's a sports store near the soft pretzel shop.

Students need plenty of experiences with real conversations. 

Something Else to Consider: Some people—educators included— equate low language proficiency with diminished mental function. Because teachers are so accustomed to using verbal and written responses as students' manifestation of internal thought, they think ELL students are not capable of abstract or sophisticated thinking because their words are not abstract or sophisticated. As a result, they don't ask ELL students to make comparisons, analyze data, connect ideas, synthesize concepts, or evaluate performances. By not pushing their ELL students this way, teachers allow these students to fall further behind.Add to this the reality that our society tends to be insensitive to those who do not speak our language well or who do not have our same cultural references.Many English language learners who are employed in service positions such as custodian, stock clerk, construction worker, and housekeeper have extraordinary depth, complexity, and rich educational backgrounds but are doing these jobs because their lack of language skills prevents them from working in other positions.One year, I taught a student whose family escaped from brutality in former Romania. The student's parents had been math professors at prestigious universities in Romania. Here in the United States, however, the student's father was cleaning offices in the building next to my school and the mother was teaching English at the local library.Even ELL students who are not from such academically advanced families think in wonderfully imaginative ways, often beyond what can be expressed in English.To not include metaphors and analogies in ELL students' learning experiences due to language struggles is like assuming they don't know how to feed themselves because they don't eat the same food we do. It's pompous, and it denies ELL students their basic instruction. We can't save advanced thinking only for advanced language proficiency students.Freeing Learners to LearnNearing the end of our first full decade in the 21st century, it is no longer acceptable to consider ELL students as someone else's problem or beyond our instruction. They are just as much a part of the modern teacher's daily commitment as taking attendance and making sure students have their supplies.We have effective tools for the regular education teacher to help ELL students find every success in our schools. It's time to free them from what lack of language proficiency would impose.

JOIN ME IN A GET-TOGETHER THIS WEEKEND OVER SKYPE - SÁBADO EN ESPAÑOL AND SUN IN ENGLISH

My dear friend, why not join me in an informal Get-together on Skype for about 30 to 40 minutes this Saturday 11/JAN in Spanish at 4 PM (GMT+1 - Madrid Time/ 10 AM NYT - New York Time) and Sunday 12/JAN in English at 10 AM (GMT+1 - Madrid Time/ 01 PM MSK - Moscow Standard Time) ?

You may as well send me an email to jordipicazosalomo@gmail.com and book (optional - Skype takes only 6/7 people in optimum conditions) to join me for a Get-together. Minimum level required B1 European Framework for Languages or Intermediate Level. 

You just go and appear on Skype and contact me at "jordi.picazo". We can create an informal group to share ideas and experiences.

This is the best way to learn a language: speak it. Once you have studied it, it is time to just speak it and give it a boost.

I'd love to get to know some of you that read the Blog from all over the world, regardless of whether your native language is the target language in the get-together or you want to practice it. We may as well start talking about the posts you most liked in here.

Deal? Go for it. I'll be here waiting for you to join.

Greetings from the Cyberspace.

Jordi

HONG KONG STILL THINKS ENGLISH IS BRITISH OR AMERICAN!!! AND... IS AMERICAN THE BEST OPTION FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE, OR RATHER, AN INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH IS MORE FIT?

Hong Kong's English language skills branded 'pathetic' as Chinese has 'negative influence'

The English-language skills of Hong Kong's adult population have slumped to the level of South Korea, Indonesia and Japan, according to new rankings of 60 countries and territories.

Despite rising in the global rankings for English proficiency, over the past six years, the city's actual score has dropped and it now sits fourth in Asia.

Experts put the blame partly on the switch from teaching mainly in English to mainly in Chinese since the handover. They said English skills must be improved if job-seekers were to remain competitive with mainlanders, whose English skills were improving.

Anita Poon Yuk-kang, associate professor in Baptist University's department of education studies, said mother-tongue teaching had had a "very negative influence" on the efficiency of English learning. She said having two standard written languages - English and Chinese - and three standard spoken languages - Putonghua, Cantonese and English - had further lowered the importance of English.

Business consultant Joseph Luc Ngai said the performance of Hong Kong job applicants was "very pathetic", with weaknesses in both English and Putonghua.

"Language ability has become a basic requirement [in job seeking]," Ngai, director of McKinsey and Company's Hong Kong practice, said. "There is no option but to improve Chinese and English at the same time. Too many people are fluent in both."

The annual rankings cover countries and territories in Europe, Asia, North Africa and Latin America where English is not the native language.While mainland China ranked 34th, just above Thailand, the study by language learning company EF Education First showed its English skills have been improving.

Although Hong Kong ranked 22nd among all countries and territories - three places up from last year - its score, at 53.5, has fallen a full point since the first survey in 2011. South Korea, Indonesia and Japan were ranked, respectively, 24th, 25th and 26th. Malaysia, ranked 11th overall, came first in Asia.

Watch: US accent booms in Hong Kong language schools

The rankings are based on tests taken last year by 750,000 people aged 18 and over.

The company also analysed the trends of English proficiency in these countries and territories over the past six years, based on test data from almost five million adults. The minimum sample size in each country or territory was 400 and the tests covered English vocabulary, reading, listening and writing.

Poon said that with the influence of mainland tourists and more frequent business exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland, more parents, job seekers and employees had focused on learning Putonghua.

Ngai said if Hongkongers wanted a language advantage over mainlanders, they needed good English, as their Putonghua would, at best, put them on a par with mainland graduates.

He said many potential employees he interviewed were poor at writing e-mails in English, with many grammatical and spelling errors, while others, although fluent in English, were "very mediocre" in Putonghua.

Smaller European countries proved to be the most proficient in English, occupying the first seven places and led by Sweden. The analysis showed that they believed better English could help them improve their international competitiveness.

France was ranked one lower than mainland China on the list, making it the worst English-learning country in Europe.

Carta abierta del actor Juan Diego sobre la libertad de Catalunya.

“Independentista, como madrileño he llegado a la conclusión de que soy independentista catalán.

No entiendo al Gobierno de España. No entiendo cómo puede tener a una comunidad de siete millones y medio de personas así.

Una comunidad que tiene tres idiomas oficiales. Que es referente en muchos campos y que ha sido motor de España desde antes de la democracia. Que no sólo ha sido puerta de entrada de importaciones, inversiones y turismo, que es puerta de entrada de cultura, modernidad y respeto.

No se le puede decir a un pueblo que no use su idioma para educar a sus hijos.

No pretendas que se queden inmóviles amenazándoles con qué les pasará si nos abandonan. No es dinero lo que perdemos. Perdemos siete millones y medio de habitantes, cultura, gente muy importante y preparada en muchos campos, empresas internacionales y nacionales, industria, prestigio, calidad como país y democracia. 
Al motor de España durante décadas se le cuida y se le mantiene, se invierte para que siga siendo competitivo.

No se le gripa una y otra vez esperando que dé el 300% para que otras comunidades que nunca han funcionado o que tienen un concierto económico especial se permitan dar ayudas y subvenciones que Catalunya ya no puede.

¿Qué solidaridad es esa? Y la respuesta desde hace años es no. No a todo, a sentarse a hablar, a una mejora de financiación, a una redistribución mejor de la solidaridad y ahora a una consulta.

No soy catalán, soy madrileño, y me entristece decir que les entiendo, que para seguir así, es mejor que sigan solos. Yo tampoco quiero estar donde no se me aprecia.”

Is there a plural for English? Oh yes, there is: Englishes!

Is there a plural for the word English? Yes, there is! Professor Dr David Crystal, a reknown world leader on the Learning and Teaching of the English Language explains...

David Crystal - World Englishes

December 12

 From the interview with David Crystal in Belgrade on 9 November 2013 Interviewer: Tony O'Brien, British Council Director Western Balkans

Parlez-vous diplomacy? English won’t serve the UK abroad

A report from the British Academy has warned that a lack of foreign language skills could undermine the UK’s future security and capacity for global influence.

The report warns of an apathy towards language learning in some parts of government. But the “radically different landscape of international engagement and security” that we find ourselves in makes these skills more important than ever.

Because of globalisation, international communication is no longer the preserve of the Foreign Office and diplomats. Our energy policies are international, our business policies are international and our defence activities are certainly international.

The report’s emphasis on the importance of languages will come as little surprise to many analysts of contemporary international affairs.

Language skills have long been recognised as fundamental to successful diplomacy. An important role of diplomats since antiquity has been as messengers. That role can only be properly fulfilled with an understanding of language.

This doesn’t always mean being able simply “speak” a foreign tongue but to be able to communicate with an “other”. Language is determined by time, place and cultural context. To that end, we would do well to remember that language skills are not just about picking up vocabulary and grammar but relate to the more general concept of communication.

Languages and universities

The report emphasises a particular concern about the teaching – or lack thereof – of foreign languages in British universities. Modern languages are in a fragile state and face even greater challenges now the government has removed teaching subsidies and increased tuition fees, which are now supposed to cover the cost of teaching.

Because funding now comes from students, many language departments may struggle to make courses financially self-sufficient if they can’t recruit enough people to pay for them. This is a concern given the importance of these subjects to national security and prosperity.

But UK higher education institutions may well be able to play to a comparative advantage in the short term. They are well practised at teaching rigorous analytical skills across disciplines, particularly those that support communication. When an undergraduate studies for a business degree, they will take in all kinds of skills along the way. When they read law, they are taught theory and practice. When the learn in the arts and humanities they are often as not assessed with an essay; itself a written form of communication.

Now, more than ever, the practicalities of “having” a language are self-evident in looking at future careers and social relationships. What’s more, many universities strongly encourage undergraduates to study a language as a part of a joint honours degree with another subject.

That means universities can support a student’s understanding of communication as they learn the nuts and bolts of a language. The British Academy report notes that universities are taking steps to adapt to the changed world and that some parts of government are too.

But the UK has a tendency towards complacency when it comes to language that really won’t wash in a world in which China and India are emerging as global powers.

Equally, we should be in no doubt that being custodians of the lingua franca of the internet is not a perpetual guarantee of the prevalence of English. Language has undergone significant change in recent times, particularly in its electronic usage, and that is likely to continue.

The English language may well be the last vestige of a bygone imperial age: if it is, it will end as did the notion that the sun never set on the British Empire.