What is Globish?

Do you really know?

What is Globish? Thanks for asking!

Globish is a simplified version of English. In theory, it enables non-native English speakers to communicate with others anywhere across the planet, but it’s also perceived as a danger to other languages, including English. The Lingua Franca was a similar concept which mixed several Latin languages. Between the 13th and 19th centuries, it was used to do business in ports around the Mediterranean Sea. There’s no doubt that English is the equivalent in this day and age. It allows people all around the world to communicate. Well, at least a form of English. Some have referred to this as simplified English, others talk of “English as a lingua franca”. Another alternative name is Globish, a term which was invented in the 2000s by French businessman Jean-Paul Nerrière. He came up with a method for learning and speaking this form of English, which uses simplified grammar structures and only requires a vocabulary of 1,500 common English words.

Do you have any concrete examples and tips?

Here's an example. In globish you don’t say “I went to my niece and nephew's party the other weekend and I played the piano”. Rather you say “At the party of my children's brother the other day, I played an instrument with black and white keys”. Depending on the business sector you work on, it may be wise to learn the related industry jargon. There’s no specific accent but you definitely need to work on your pronunciation. The aim isn’t to sound English in particular, but just to be understood. Nerrière says that globish should be spoken slowly; it’s also important to articulate, use short sentences and avoid idioms or jokes.

Is there an academy for Globish? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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