The (possible) future simplification of the English language

[drlovelife8]

As 80% of English speakers are non-natives, I was wondering about future simplification.

For example, the Present Perfect Tense is all but extinct in some parts of America. Countable and uncountable nouns could all be qualified by using 'much' and we drop 'many'.

Spelling could go American as most PCs use American spell checks (colour to color).

What do people think about it.

Maybe nobody but me thinks about it.

[English_Bob]

English is changing all the time... all 'live' languages are.

New words, pronunciations, accents are introduced all the time... who says, "Want to.." any more? It's "Wanna..." it's virtually a word now.

And other things become obsolete - colon, semi colon.

And mistakes become SO common they become acceptable...

"I got this shirt for free.".... Everyone uses 'for free' even advertisers.

But it's wrong. It should read 'free' or 'for nothing'...

It's language evolution.

[drlovelife8]

English is changing all the time... all 'live' languages are.

New words, pronunciations, accents are introduced all the time... who says, "Want to.." any more? It's "Wanna..." it's virtually a word now.

And other things become obsolete - colon, semi colon.

And mistakes become SO common they become acceptable...

"I got this shirt for free.".... Everyone uses 'for free' even advertisers.

But it's wrong. It should read 'free' or 'for nothing'...

It's language evolution.

I mean could it be officially recognized in the future.

'Wanna' is from assimilation and elision as is saying' loadsa money' instead of 'loads of money', but we will never (likely) use that spelling.

I am talking about official recognition. not just slang and sound omission.

[LakeGeneve]

English is changing all the time... all 'live' languages are.

I dont' tnk SMS S killN d en lang, rthR it's openng ^ an altrntve 2 std en - WE dat means.

The teen langauge of love via SMS in the classrooom (polite version);

U'll alwys b mine 4 now n 4ever.

U'll alwys b mine 4 ur my treasure.

U'll always b mine pls tel me its true.

Pls b mine 4everi'll always luv u...!

(BTW I plagerised this 4 u!)

[drlovelife8]

English is changing all the time... all 'live' languages are.

I dont' tnk SMS S killN d en lang, rthR it's openng ^ an altrntve 2 std en - WE dat means.

The teen langauge of love via SMS in the classrooom (polite version);

U'll alwys b mine 4 now n 4ever.

U'll alwys b mine 4 ur my treasure.

U'll always b mine pls tel me its true.

Pls b mine 4everi'll always luv u...!

(BTW I plagerised this 4 u!)

b.utifly dun

[zeusbheld]

English is changing all the time... all 'live' languages are.

I dont' tnk SMS S killN d en lang, rthR it's openng ^ an altrntve 2 std en - WE dat means.

The teen langauge of love via SMS in the classrooom (polite version);

U'll alwys b mine 4 now n 4ever.

U'll alwys b mine 4 ur my treasure.

U'll always b mine pls tel me its true.

Pls b mine 4everi'll always luv u...!

(BTW I plagerised this 4 u!)

gr8.

[English_Bob]

I mean could it be officially recognized in the future.

'Wanna' is from assimilation and elision as is saying' loadsa money' instead of 'loads of money', but we will never (likely) use that spelling.

I am talking about official recognition. not just slang and sound omission.

'Won't', 'can't' and 'I'm' all came from assimilation and elision... why not 'wanna'?

'Baby' and 'honey' have changed their meanings - it means 'darling'.

And how about 'gay' or 'queer'? These are all officially recognised and within the previous hundred years or so.

'The' used to be spelt 'Ye'. Its pronunciation was the same as today's word (ie not 'yee' but 'the') but sometime in the last 300 years someone decided to change it.

And how about techno words?

I'll ring you.

Google it.

Sms me.

And young people change words and structures all the time... remember 'bad' is 'good'?

Bling bling?

Dissing?

Boning?

Wha's up?

[zeusbheld]

I mean could it be officially recognized in the future.

'Wanna' is from assimilation and elision as is saying' loadsa money' instead of 'loads of money', but we will never (likely) use that spelling.

I am talking about official recognition. not just slang and sound omission.

'Won't', 'can't' and 'I'm' all came from assimilation and elision... why not 'wanna'?

'Baby' and 'honey' have changed their meanings - it means 'darling'.

And how about 'gay' or 'queer'? These are all officially recognised and within the previous hundred years or so.

'The' used to be spelt 'Ye'. Its pronunciation was the same as today's word (ie not 'yee' but 'the') but sometime in the last 300 years someone decided to change it.

And how about techno words?

I'll ring you.

Google it.

Sms me.

And young people change words and structures all the time... remember 'bad' is 'good'?

Bling bling?

Dissing?

Boning?

Wha's up?

good point. in 50 years a lotta dat **** will be in da OED.

[eagle]

It will be changed into a thousand dialects or more. IN the US you get different accents and slangs every hundred miles. IN the south you can go over a mountain and the next town will be hard to understand anyone the accent is so thick and the slang is whatever strikes them at the time. Colleges spread slang such as cool became chill and something being bad became sick which actually means really good. evolving or disolving I don't know

[English_Bob]

It will be changed into a thousand dialects or more. IN the US you get different accents and slangs every hundred miles. IN the south you can go over a mountain and the next town will be hard to understand anyone the accent is so thick and the slang is whatever strikes them at the time. Colleges spread slang such as cool became chill and something being bad became sick which actually means really good. evolving or disolving I don't know

I disagree... I think English will become MORE standardised... I think with the influence of instant media, TV, movies and internet people will gradually talk more and more like each other.

Those vastly different accents within small geographical areas are a throwback to when people never met anyone from other towns, let alone countries.

My accent sounds nothing like my original Northern English accent... it's a blend of many different accents, but most people identify it as American or Canadian...

(Americans and Canadians never think that. They always think I'm Australian, Kiwi or South African)

The point is, I picked up that accent from people around me, movies and TV. Black youths in England are sounding more and more like black youths in America. It's inevitable that watching 4 hours or more of Americanised TV every day during the formative years will have an impact.

[eagle]

It will be changed into a thousand dialects or more. IN the US you get different accents and slangs every hundred miles. IN the south you can go over a mountain and the next town will be hard to understand anyone the accent is so thick and the slang is whatever strikes them at the time. Colleges spread slang such as cool became chill and something being bad became sick which actually means really good. evolving or disolving I don't know

I disagree... I think English will become MORE standardised... I think with the influence of instant media, TV, movies and internet people will gradually talk more and more like each other.

Those vastly different accents within small geographical areas are a throwback to when people never met anyone from other towns, let alone countries.

My accent sounds nothing like my original Northern English accent... it's a blend of many different accents, but most people identify it as American or Canadian...

(Americans and Canadians never think that. They always think I'm Australian, Kiwi or South African)

The point is, I picked up that accent from people around me, movies and TV. Black youths in England are sounding more and more like black youths in America. It's inevitable that watching 4 hours or more of Americanised TV every day during the formative years will have an impact.

We are all like monkeys and pick up the accents and slangs of those around us. You move to australia and you will begin to sound like an australian. English is spoken all over the world but the accents and slangs will always vary as in the US and in England.

[drlovelife8]

What I am thinking guys is ..... Imagine in 50 years, will ESL schools NOT teach much and many... just many + countable/uncountable ??

Or perhaps all verbs become regular.... and taught as such.