Release of the recent film by that name brought to mind a story we came across recently where John Steinbeck's widow gave a reading of some of his works to a hall full of students in China. After she'd finished, she was approached by one of the audience, who told her that her husband's work was held in very high regard thereabouts, "particularly his novel 'Angry Raisins.'"

By chance, this coincided with reports that English was set to decline rapidly over the next few decades in its status as a world language: currently second, after Mandarin Chinese, it would by mid-century be neck and neck with Spanish, Hindi/Urdu, and Arabic. First language to 9% of the world's population in the last century, it would by 2050 have that status among just 5%. So much for its all-conquering march to global domination. 

Interestingly, however, its grip on the scientific community reportedly goes from strength to strength - a trend we suspect is echoed in other fields of human endeavour. Indeed, we reckon its decline as a first language will be offset by a steady growth in its status as a second: it seems almost certain to become the lingua franca of the new millennium. In other words, English will become the new 'French' - expressed in Latin. 

Ain't language great?

Kind regards

Alan Paterson
ampers& limited
t: +44 (0)20 7379 5869
f: +44 (0)20 7379 5875
www.wherewordswork.com
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