Full Circle & David Crystal: The Future of Englishes

Linguist expert David Crystal has extensively and splendidly written about the English language in all its forms. From spelling, orthography, and Shakespeare’s words, to texting and the latest apps for grammar! A language of global spread that continues to transform, or as David would say, “at any one time language is a kaleidoscope of styles, genres and dialects”.
ABOUT
David Crystal is the foremost writer and lecturer on the English language, with a worldwide reputation and over 100 books to his name. He is honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor, and in 1995 was awarded the OBE for services to the English language. David has been a consultant, contributor, or presenter on several radio and television programmes and series on the English language.
KEY LINKS
www.davidcrystal.com
www.fullcircle.eu
Recorded on 5 May 2015
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[@robertowiliamo2809]

Well, let me announce publicly that Professor David Crystal might be the best linguist of his time and I am really his devotee, I accept

[@alainakhan8389]

Though I never got the chance to meet David crystal in person, he is my favorite linguist and a teacher. He explains thing simply.

[@readegossage2468]

You may still get the chance some day.

[@sasivatana8029]

ื

[@andreachaile7169]

it's always so educating, and entertaining at the same time, listening to David Crystal!!

[@sattarabus]

David is not only a scholar but a practitioner of the language he has so extensively researched. He is fun to read and listen because his gravitas as a formidable linguist is always tinctured with humour and bonhomie. Expertise suffused with exuberance--- a cachet of the true blue Welsh !

[@tomthekhmerbreed9166]

He also has a good voice!

[@haidernajim8175]

What a mazing lecture!

[@cyrillyarovoy4230]

Топовый дядя as we say it here. It's been like a stand up show to me.

[@jailtonalves6237]

He is amazing

[@Richterpeter1]

Anyhow this lecture as the other ones of professor Crystal is marvelous. Thanks a lot.

[@ivoescobar6560]

So good!!!

[@suzannedenhoedt6609]

We have one of those cultural differences here in Australia which , again, came from an ad campaign - NOT HAPPY JAN!I I think the advert first ran in the 90's or early 2000's but it's crept into everyday language now and I haven't come across anyone who hasn't understood it yet but I suspect anyone younger than myself by 20 years or so won't get it the same if they never saw the advert.

[@KinleyWangchuk608]

The Daffodils..wandering as lonely as a cloud..lol

[@Yash-wm1nj]

Yeah right

[@micheleheddane3804]

My mother was in Australia and her nephew was looking for something in a cupboard and she asked him why he rooting around. Rooting does. Not have the same meaning in Australia as in Ireland it’s very rude

[@adawiajabar3499]

How we write Their right Is this true ?

[@SergioSanchez-og7ms]

I want to know more about this,

[@azeemsarfarazlexicon101]

You say potato is his book on accents. Get an audiobook and enjoy. I’ve read it a hundred times.

[@pablosmoglives]

Why does it mute at 7:50?

[@karanthakur4002]

Probably because it was considered politically incorrect

[@Richterpeter1]

Sorry but explanation of the Czec situation was either explained wrong way or it was wrong understood. Street numbering system is very similar to the English one

[@MishuleZ]

Actually, it's more complicated than that. It depends on where you live. So for example, I live in a tiny village and the system of building numbering works exactly like Mr. Crystal explained. On the other hand, the street numbering in towns and cities work similarly to the rest of the world. Considering Uherske Hradiste is a town I find it a bit strange too, but we don't know if the folks were living at the same place the event took place. I guess we would need more information to crack it :)

[@joshuapray]

@@MishuleZ Not to revive a dead thread, but I'll throw into this mix that it's possible Crystal may have simply misunderstood the conversation. It sounds to me like the people he was with were describing parts of the town or city in question, not street numbers, with Prague being the most likely. The areas of Prague are numbered (Prague 1, Prague 2, Prague 3, etc), and these numbers are/were indeed assigned when the area was annexed by the city and not by geographical location. For newcomers (as I was myself once), it can be very confusing as, say, Prague 3 and Prague 4 are not near each other at all, despite how unintuitive that may sound. Otherwise, if street numbers were regularly assigned according to when each house was built (and this is not the case in any part of the Czech Republic I've seen in the past several years), it would be next to impossible for postal workers or delivery drivers to find anything without an encyclopaedic knowledge of each individual street's history.

[@LiamPorterFilms]

Great point about syllable timed vs stress timed variations - what’s so offensive, to me at least, about strong foreign accents is that they have none of the “heartbeat” of my language. Of course I speak French just as poorly on exactly this account. I have more experience in Spanish but it still always feels unnaturally staccato to me - like there’s no room to think.

[@markanon5581]

But it's not just 'your' language... that's the point. Your language is one variety among many (and in terms of numbers of speakers in the global context a minority one at that :) )

[@robinmorton9162]

You find strong foreign accents "offensive"? That's a strong statement. The point about syllable timing is indeed interesting but I'd hope no one reads value judgments into this variation. Language changes, and this fact should threaten nobody...

[@wirag4680]

Whose language are you talking about? You don't own English. No one does according to Widdowson, a famous linguist too. Each country adopts and adapts English however it suits them and it is not your place to find it removing the 'heartbeat' from your supposed language. Maybe you should take a listen again lol

[@LiamPorterFilms]

People try very hard to politicize language and its study. I myself try to understand them, by learning foreign languages and observing how they differ from my own. I am not an academic, I am a polyglot.

[@nurlatifahmohdnor8939]

Rain. I can not hear you. Put aside slangs and advertising caption such as highlighted in page 115. What legacy means? I am younger. The Chinese are more numerous than the Welsh. Unnecessary information. Page 114 My book is worst. No illustration. Page 177. I am Fred, a proper noun but you are the king a common noun. 1 page after. The king with 1 eye bigger than the other eye. Whatever. Please do not illustrate the 25 prophets. Thank you.

[@eslsupport2347]

very interesting, but why are "lady drivers" being laughed at?

[@laurencefraser]

ESL Support it's a "used car salesman" joke, or at least, a reference to one. The arch typical line of the dodgy used car salesman, who is trying to push a (carefully disguised) wreck of a car on the customer is to claim that it's had "...only one owner, a little old lady who only drove it once a week on Sundays", or words to that effect. (The implication being that she'd be very careful to have it looked after properly, and it hasn't been used much, so of Course the car's in good condition!... Yeah. Right.)

[@johnb.johnson1490]

What the hell??What's up with all the rhetoric?Christ