So, English is American?

Dear Sir,

There was an article in the paper on February 12 headed “Do you speak English?” written by a person who signs his or her name “Monitor.” In this article there was one sentence which I found offensive, I quote “More generally, it is argued that English (or, more correctly, American) is now so widely spoken in the world that it is unnecessary to learn any foreign language.” So now, English is not English, it is American? What a load of nonsense! Americans do not have a language of their own, except in isolated places where Red Indians have managed to survive. When the first settlers invaded the shores of what is now known as America, they consisted of fortune hunters, cut throats, thieves and drop-outs from countries in Europe and the rest of the world. The country belonged to the various Indian tribes, a proud and fearless race, who had lived alone for generations. Of course, we know what happened to them in a very short space of time. They were murdered over the years without the rest of the world knowing about it at the time. Also, their land was stolen and their food chain, the bison, were slaughtered. So ended the lives of the proud, real Americans, along with their language! So, let us get back to what has upset me.

“English is not American.” English is now, and has been since the last war, the diplomatic language of this planet. Also, English is one of the most beautiful langauges in the world, consisting of over 800'000 words which the poets love and play with. The Americans, I am sorry to say, use about 300 of these words, mostly, in a corrupt fashion. The Americans, in their way, probably want people to think they invented the English language as they invented the Enigma machine in the Second World War. I would like to end this letter by thanking the people who love English and speak it near perfect. That includes Scandinavia, China and Japan.

Yours sincerely

John Watts, Palma.

“Well done Mr Antich you have really shot yourself in the foot”

Dear Sir,

So Señor Antich wants a better class of tourist to the island, one who will stay in the top hotels, go to classical concerts, eat in expensive restaurants, drink in exclusive bars and generally spend more euros. He was not alone in that dream, Richard Branson also had the same idea, he already had one upmarket hotel to which the glitterati and royalty flocked, he also wanted an even bigger, better, more luxurious hotel nearby which would have meant more of the same type if visitor.

Shame he was thwarted by the very same government headed by the same Mr Antich. Now Mr Branson has sold his Residencia Hotel and the other unfinished one is on the market as he has had enough of the power crazy petty bureaucrats in local government. Well done Mr Antich, you have really shot yourself in the foot. To an outsider who unlike myself does not have a long lasting connection with or knowledge of the island it is a complete mystery. You couldn't make it up, you really couldn't!!!!

Carole Giffen, Cambridge






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