James Kuyper
3/30/2011 10:33:00 AM
On 03/30/2011 04:38 AM, Chris H wrote:
> In message<17q968-le4.ln1@wilbur.25thandClement.com>, William Ahern
> <william@wilbur.25thandClement.com> writes
>> Chris H<chris@phaedsys.org> wrote:
>>> Apparently English is the easiest language to get a basic grasp and be
>>> understood.
>>
>> Citations? No anecdotes, please.
>
> Apparently it was in WW2 the British needed to teach pilots from many
> nationalities (ie from all over the empire as was and other occupied
> countries in Europe) to fly and it was found that Basic English could be
> taught faster than anything else.
>
> Not idea where you would find the citation on the Internet. When I read
> about it the information was in a book. Remember those?
Yes, and I also remember when providing a citation didn't mean giving a
URL, it meant identifying the book, and preferably the specific location
within the book, where something was discussed. Can you provide such an
old-fashioned citation?
I would expect English researchers to have a bias toward English, and
would be suspicious of the possibility that the research was conducted
without adequate protection against such bias (particularly given the
wartime context of the research). Only a careful examination of the
research report could provide sufficient evidence to counter that
suspicion. I personally do not have sufficient interest to bother
finding and reading such a report, but the William Ahern might.
--
James Kuyper