Inside Joke: "Are you straightforward?"
Wow, awesome book! The Mother Tongue has taken me on quite a journey through English, my native language. The second half explores Old and Middle English, the origin of names of countries, and yes, even swears!
I originally thought the book would take me longer to read than it did, but the last fifteen pages of the book are comprised of a select bibliography and an index (characteristics of a non-fiction book). I'm very glad that I was able to finish it in time to finish this last blog post, and although I rushed a bit, I truly enjoyed the book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in knowing more about the English language, however, it is heavily evidence-based and Bryson incorporates a lot of historical events that complement the evolution of our language. So, if you're not keen on reading a somewhat hard-core non-fiction book, and learning more history and knowledge than your mind has the capacity for, then don't ever consider picking The Mother Tongue up. Trust me, you won't like it.
I found the end quote very interesting, and I'd like to share it with you:
"If we should be worrying about anything to do with the future of English, it should be not that the various strands will drift apart but that they will grow indistinguishable. And what a sad, sad loss that would be." (Bryson 245)
Even though many people strive to speak the "same English" as everyone else, Bryson's message is that the different accents, the different dialects, the different vocabulary, and the different methods of speaking English are what make this language so unique and universal. After all, varieties of English are what makes us us, what distinguishes you from me. Each and every one of our own unique version of English represents our culture and most importantly, ourselves.
Who knows what English will be like in the future? One day, the English I am writing and speaking to you in, may become what generations in the future refer to as "old English" or "middle English". Will English still be the global language since many have predicted that Chinese will take English's current title? The future of our language, as well as every language in the world, is critical and it will define our society for centuries to come.
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Alycia. I am happy that you found some interesting info about your book. I am happy that you were able to learn so much about the English language. Good job on getting this blog in too.
ReplyDeleteDanngggg, 400+ views? Wow. And you're welcome. Your usage of GIFS is approved. I definitely enjoyed reading your blogs. Although oftentimes they were long (thanks for keeping this one short!), they were definitely entertaining and you never forgot to insert your own voice into your posts. I thought you definitely did well in entertaining your audience and that is most important in the writing of blogs. One question: what do you think will happen to the future of the English language? Do you think it will still dominate in the global market, or do you agree with the prediction of Chinese becoming the dominant language? Thanks for keeping your blog posts good and stuff. Great job!
ReplyDeleteWow Alycia! I am glad to see you have come so far in your reading endeavors! I was compelled by the "what" argument you proposed in the last entry, and reading this entry ties some loose ends about your book. You have written your blog well and now I really want to read Mother Tongue. I wish you best of luck on your future reading adventures!
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