Comment on the way the article depicts the British and their

attitude to language.

The article uses vivid imagery of metaphors to depict how

ignorant the British are in their complacency with their mother
tongue.
o preordained narrowness of life encased in one
languageyour skinyour cage
The cage is a metaphor for English that is the only
language that most British knows. The article is
vividly illustrating it as a scary cage that prevents
British from understanding others with different
tongues and from other associated opportunities.
o "Education is a field hospital.patch upfight in the
great economic war
The field hospital is a metaphor for the British
education system and the war is a metaphor for
work and business competition.
Criticizing the British education system for their
non-comprehensive quick-fix education method
and how they only see education as a means
towards economic gain.
Hence the article shows that the importance of
English is diminished through the graphic
metaphors.
The article uses diction to depict how the British peoples
indifference to other languages actually extends as an
indifference to their own language so that English becomes
deformed and opaque
o Schools and schoolchildren ditch languages like theres
no tomorrow.
In this first sentence, the article shows how badly
deformed English can become with slangs like
ditch meaning abandon, or like theres no
tomorrow meaning indulging or stretching the
present to the maximum. It also has modern
compound words like schoolchildren or
contractions like theres that are not aligned
with formal English.
This shows how English can be deformed,
ironically by an emphasis on English alone.
o dossthats your lot.dont fancy thatschmooze
The articles choice of these dictions that are
uniquely British impose difficult for non-British
English users to understand. As such the article
demonstrates its point that English becomes
opaque to others as British people continue to
allow inbreeding within their own language. This

inbreeding is inconsiderate to whether others

understand British English, and it becomes
opaque.
Comment on the arguments and techniques the writer uses to
convince and entertain his audience.

The writer employs the persuasive technique of pathos to

convince British people to learn foreign languages.
o reciprocatefair exchange and courtesygood
practise
Appeals to the readers sense of justice and
manners
Since foreign people are going to learn English
regardless whether British people learn their
languages, it seems fair and polite to return the
favor
o languages are some of the oldest, deepest, uncanniest,
most thoughtful human inventions.
Appeals to readers sense of heritage and tradition
to learn more languages as a form of respect and
connection to the past, even if it does not serve a
pragmatic economic purpose.
The writer uses irony and logos to challenge and dampen the
British peoples complacency for their language.
o He called English as a world language and that is
indeed how many people around the world call English.
However, it is only the first language spoken by 7% of
global inhabitants. This ironic fact should help to check
the British peoples complacency and sense of security
in knowing their mother tongue only, and according
insecurities should persuade them to learn more foreign
languages to communicate with more people around the
world.
o fight in the great economic war 75% of people speak
no English
At the beginning of the passage, the writer
comments that British people seem to be
neglecting languages so that they can focus on
economic gains. However, this is ironic because if
75% of people do not even speak English, knowing
more languages and spending time and effort to
do so, should increasing economic benefits in our
world of trade and business globalization and not
diminish it.
Hence, British people who used to refuse to learn
other languages to save time and energies to
maximize their economic gain, could perhaps be

persuaded to learn other languages to advance

economic gains for themselves.
The writer uses humor to entertain his readers
o order beer or room in another countryschmooze your
foreign boss
The great effort in acquiring a foreign language for
the trifle purposes of helping during overseas
vacations of sucking up to ones boss, seem
have be disproportionately contrasting, and that
creates humor that would connect readers to the
article and its message.
o Grammar?....Accents?
The writer also uses sarcastic satire so that his
reader can find it funny. It is funny is two ways.
Firstly, grammar, spelling, pronunciations,
accents, etc are the main components of a
language, and if these are rejected, there is
almost nothing left of the language. This is
analogous to a comical situation where a
customer who wishes to buy a hamburger
refuses the bread as it contains gluten, the
patty as it is fatty, the ketcup and the
pickles as they are sour, and gets himself a
leaf of lettuce in the end.
Secondly, it is funny because it playfully
insults the British readers, comparing them
to spoilt and arrogant brats who find
themselves too good for the main elements
of language. This self-insulting invites
reflection among readers to analyze if they
are indeed like this stereotype and laugh
when they are not.
o Twilight subjectsgreat economic war
The writer uses funny puns. Languages are
twilight subjects not only because they are being
neglected and losing importance, but also
because the writer says they should be studied
after school, probably during the night.
British people are involved in an economic war not
only to compete for and maximize economic gain,
it is also to a war and a race to dilute and
simplify the English language or command of
languages in general, and save time and effort
while using languages.
These puns are funny when more observant
readers notice them because of the double
meanings that they hold.