Do people from English-speaking countries around the world sense some attachment to London?
Do people from English-speaking countries around the world ?
As an American, I can say the answer is no. I feel no sense of attachment to a city more than 3,000 miles away on another continent.
<Clark Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:07 am GMT
I see London as the later day center of my English Language. >
Then which place was your early day center of yr English?
I see London as the later day center of my English Language. >
Then which place was your early day center of yr English?
<< As an American, I can say the answer is no. I feel no sense of attachment to a city more than 3,000 miles away on another continent. >>
London is in Canada !
London is in Canada !
What prompted the OP to open this particular thread I ask myself? Why should London be thought of as the possible hub of the English Speaking World?
Because the organisation known as the English Speaking Union first saw the light of day in London? That's the only reason I can think of to suggest that London could be so regarded.
The ESU was founded in London in June 1918 by Sir Evelyn Wrench as a charity whose over-riding objective was to promote international friendship and understanding through the use and promotion of the English Language. One of its first Chairmen was Winston Churchill.
The United States began to participate in 1920, and now the ESU operates throughout the English speaking world. It's HQ is currently at Dartmouth House, Charles Street, Westminster, London W1.
Aside from that the only other reason I can think of for the OP's question is that London is the capital city of the country which gave birth to the English Language in the first place.
Brits themselves have an attachment to London anyway because that's where the seat of our UK national Government is located, naturally, and that's where all our 650 odd (some are very odd indeed) MPs go to thrash matters out in Parliament, usually ending up raising our taxes.....again.
London is where our Queen has her main residence.......she has a fair selection of others across the country, including one here in Edinburgh.
London is where many of our major cross country roads lead to, ultimately, where many of our long distance trains and long distance buses end up at, where all Eurostar trains take off from and arrive back at, where the world's busiest international airport is (well, fairly nearly) located........and to where, in the 14th century, Dick Whittington ended up after walking all the way to London from Shropshire at the age of 13 (he told his mum and dad that he was pissed off and was leaving home) along with his cat and all his worldly goods carried in an old sack hanging from a stick carried over his shoulder......he went to find streets paved with gold and he must have found them because he eventually became a very rich merchant and then thrice became Lord Mayor of London.
Apart from those attachments most of us who are Brits don't feel that much else, if anything at all, attaches us to London, although there's a very strong possibility I personally may well end up working down there in the near future, hopefully for a short(ish) assignment. I don't expect to find any streets paved with gold - I never have before (well, except the King's Road, Chelsea, but you don't want to know about that) - you need a bloody huge King's ransom to live there anyway, it's so (BLEEPING) expensive!
As for people outside of the UK - I would reckon they couldn't give a rat's arse about any attachment to London anyway, whether they speak English or not - why should they?
Because the organisation known as the English Speaking Union first saw the light of day in London? That's the only reason I can think of to suggest that London could be so regarded.
The ESU was founded in London in June 1918 by Sir Evelyn Wrench as a charity whose over-riding objective was to promote international friendship and understanding through the use and promotion of the English Language. One of its first Chairmen was Winston Churchill.
The United States began to participate in 1920, and now the ESU operates throughout the English speaking world. It's HQ is currently at Dartmouth House, Charles Street, Westminster, London W1.
Aside from that the only other reason I can think of for the OP's question is that London is the capital city of the country which gave birth to the English Language in the first place.
Brits themselves have an attachment to London anyway because that's where the seat of our UK national Government is located, naturally, and that's where all our 650 odd (some are very odd indeed) MPs go to thrash matters out in Parliament, usually ending up raising our taxes.....again.
London is where our Queen has her main residence.......she has a fair selection of others across the country, including one here in Edinburgh.
London is where many of our major cross country roads lead to, ultimately, where many of our long distance trains and long distance buses end up at, where all Eurostar trains take off from and arrive back at, where the world's busiest international airport is (well, fairly nearly) located........and to where, in the 14th century, Dick Whittington ended up after walking all the way to London from Shropshire at the age of 13 (he told his mum and dad that he was pissed off and was leaving home) along with his cat and all his worldly goods carried in an old sack hanging from a stick carried over his shoulder......he went to find streets paved with gold and he must have found them because he eventually became a very rich merchant and then thrice became Lord Mayor of London.
Apart from those attachments most of us who are Brits don't feel that much else, if anything at all, attaches us to London, although there's a very strong possibility I personally may well end up working down there in the near future, hopefully for a short(ish) assignment. I don't expect to find any streets paved with gold - I never have before (well, except the King's Road, Chelsea, but you don't want to know about that) - you need a bloody huge King's ransom to live there anyway, it's so (BLEEPING) expensive!
As for people outside of the UK - I would reckon they couldn't give a rat's arse about any attachment to London anyway, whether they speak English or not - why should they?
<<The ESU was founded in London in June 1918 by Sir Evelyn Wrench as a charity whose over-riding objective was to promote international friendship and understanding through the use and promotion of the English Language. One of its first Chairmen was Winston Churchill.
The United States began to participate in 1920, and now the ESU operates throughout the English speaking world. It's HQ is currently at Dartmouth House, Charles Street, Westminster, London W1.>>
However, shortly thereafter, the American ESU chapter, whose headquarters are currently located at Samuel Johnson Hall at 3102 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC, (directly adjacent to the British Embassy), ran afoul of ESU bylaws after chapter president Beverley Lytton-Whitt motioned for the endorsement of Noah Webster’s "An American Dictionary of the English Language" for public school instruction over the officially sanctioned OED. This rancorous schism nearly brought an end to the ESU's presence in the U.S. until both British and American contingents hammered out an agreement to divide the Anglophone world equally in terms of influence.
Thus, those countries in the Commonwealth English camp do feel some sort of affinity towards London, while those in the American English camp look towards BosWash for inspiration.
The United States began to participate in 1920, and now the ESU operates throughout the English speaking world. It's HQ is currently at Dartmouth House, Charles Street, Westminster, London W1.>>
However, shortly thereafter, the American ESU chapter, whose headquarters are currently located at Samuel Johnson Hall at 3102 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC, (directly adjacent to the British Embassy), ran afoul of ESU bylaws after chapter president Beverley Lytton-Whitt motioned for the endorsement of Noah Webster’s "An American Dictionary of the English Language" for public school instruction over the officially sanctioned OED. This rancorous schism nearly brought an end to the ESU's presence in the U.S. until both British and American contingents hammered out an agreement to divide the Anglophone world equally in terms of influence.
Thus, those countries in the Commonwealth English camp do feel some sort of affinity towards London, while those in the American English camp look towards BosWash for inspiration.
<<Aside from that the only other reason I can think of for the OP's question is that London is the capital city of the country which gave birth to the English Language in the first place. >>
I cannot agree with you more!
I cannot agree with you more!
The English language is under constant attack from slang, and laziness, and is wilting through dumbed down education. Now we have the corruptions from messaging with u and 4 and c littering the sentence like broken glass on the pathway, jarring badly. Institutions like the ESU can contribute to preserving the purity and effectiveness of the greatest language to have evolved so far.