An easier approach? - Basic English revisited
Ian Paul (English Language Centre, York)
Earlier last century, attempts were made to simplify English and produce a basic vocabulary. The most famous of these attempts were 'Basic English' and the closely allied 'General Service List'.
This poster argues the rationale for devising a modern, 21st Century replacement for the list. The many sound reasons, pedagogical and commercial, for adopting such a move will be illustrated.
1 comment:
A very interesting idea, and one doesn't ften say that in the EFL world.
English light, eh? Well, I for one could live without teaching question tags and the difference between will and going to, and I'm sure my students could live without this and much else too. Also, since students are far more likely to speak to other studnents than to a native speaker, the eliminiation of redundancies would probably not even be noticed.
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