What Kind of English is Right (For Your Swedish Business)?
November 17, 2008 · Print This Article
Image: Wendy
I spoke with a TEFL teacher fairly recently about helping businesses improve their English in the Stockholm region. What bothered me about the conversation was how much emphasis she kept putting on British English.
I know from firsthand experience that businesses think globally. It’s not just about communicating in English with the British. Swedes communicate with the French, Germans, Danes, Spaniards and the rest of Europe and the world in English.
Now whilst I think it’s an excellent idea to be consistent in the language you use, I’m wary about encouraging Swedes to adopt solely British (or American, for that matter) cultural identities. Actually, I think you’re at a distinct disadvantage if you’re from Stockholm and come across as if you’re an out and out Brit.
Personally, I’m a big advocate of International English. I’d define this as a hybrid of American, British and World English that’s grammatically correct but knows when to put the nuances one way or the other.
For example, why train Swedish business people in how to converse at the pub, when they’re just as likely to use their English in bars and cafés across Europe?
When I translated Pål H. Christiansen’s novel The Scoundrel Days of Hobo Highbrow into English, the copy editor corrected “diapers” to “nappies”. However, as I pointed out this assumed the target audience was British speakers of English, whereas the novel has been marketed at an international audience.
Almost twenty years professional experience with words has taught me that most Europeans say “diaper” rather than “nappy”; hence, my decision to use an Americanism in what I would consider a very internationally-minded translation.
If your English teacher starts pushing you towards British or American English, gently remind them that English is evolving. There are now more non-native speakers of English than native speakers.
Isn’t it about time English teaching woke up to the fact that we’re now inhabiting an era of International English?
Complicated area. Many language learners/writers have been trained to expect one particular dialect of English, and it can be hard to fight against that.
The question is, of course, not what you should train them in, as if you can place the language into their heads (I know you know this, of course, Jon). Instead, it’s important to help them to learn to be able to distinguish - knowledgeably - between different versions of the language, having encouraged them to become autonomous and therefore to be able to help themselves. They should then be able to distinguish between different versions of English.
EIL (English as an International Language), ELF (English as a Lingua Franca) etc are known concepts within academic circles. But, alas, most EFL teachers are trained by people who don’t know anything at all about such things. But don’t get me started on this topic!
I had a very interesting conversation with a friend who teaches English Linguistics at Stockholm University. He told me that they basically have given up on the distinctions between British and American English and tend to work towards training students to communicate internationally.
That said, many of these are ethnic minorities who have English as part of their identity. It seems the Svenson kids have stopped attending the English Dpt in large numbers.
I think when it comes to English in an international context we adapt to suit the audience. I hear Brits modifying their English to incorporate Swenglish so the locals understand them here. Then the Swedes do it back.