CONTENTS

PREFACE		3
GENERAL DISCUSSION
Richards, Ivor Armstrong. Basic English and Its Applications	Royal Society of Arts. Journal	7
Ogden, Charles Kay. The Basic Framework		25
Kamman, William F. The Problem of a Universal Language	Modern Language Journal	27
Mencken, Henry L. The Future of the Language		33
Breckinridge, J. C. The Gift of One Common Tongue	Survey	38
Stoakes, James Paul. Teaching English as a Foreign Language	English Journal	45
Tyler, Charlotte. A Short Cut to English (In Basic English)	Journal of Adult Education	49
Smith, Herbert H. The Basis of Basic English	Printer's Ink	50
Head, Walter D. Needed: a Spare-Tire Language	Rotarian	52
( various) : Excerpts		58
DISCUSSION FAVORABLE TO BASIC ENGLISH
A General View of the System of Basic English	National Commission	69
Le Roi, David. Our Language Reduced to 850 Basic Words	Journal of Education	83
Richards, Ivor Armstrong. A World Language	New York Herald Tribune	93
Churchill, Winston. Common Tongue Basis for Common Citizenship	New York Times	97
Bennetton, J. H. English as a World Language	Journal of Education	99
Robbins, L. H. Eight Hundred and Fifty Words to Unite a World	New York Times Magazine	103
Ogden, Charles Kay. Basic English	Saturday Review of Literature	104
Tilley, Winthrop. Composition by Critical Analysis	College English	106
Erbes, P. H., Jr. How Current Ads Would Read in Basic English	Printer’s Ink	113
( various ) : Excerpts		115
DISCUSSION CRITICAL OF BASIC ENGLISH
Guérard, Albert. International Language and National Cultures	American Scholar	129
Aiken, Janet Rankin. Little English	Adult Education Bulletin	142
West, Michael. Vocabulary Limitation	Journal of Education	148
Spendiaroff, Eugene. Basic English, or     Modern Language Methodology from an Easy Chair	High School Journal	153
Walsh, Chad. The Verb System of Basic English	American Speech	157
Talmey, Max. The Auxiliary Language Question	Modern Language Journal	163
Reynolds, Perry, pseud Rotary Waits for a Universal Tongue	Rotarian	172
Dodge, Ernest. Esperanto, Instrument of Mental Training	Education	177
Morris, Alice V. A. Language Cut to Fit the World	Rotarian	188
Swadesh, Morris. Scientific Linguistics and Basic English		194
( various ) Excerpts		207
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bibliographies		215
General References		215
References Favorable to Basic English		220
References Critical of Basic English		222
Basic English by Example (In Basic)		223
References on an International Auxiliary Language		226

---

PREFACE


    The favorable comments on Basic English by the British Prime Minister in his Harvard University address of September 6th, 1943, aroused considerable public interest and discussion. Basic English, or the English language restricted to a specific limited vocabulary and a minimum of rules for its use, had its beginnings in semantic studies carried on in the years following the last World War by two professors of Magdalene College, England. Since its origination it has acquired a growing literature of its own, and under the sponsorship of Orthological Institutes here and in England is becoming known widely throughout the world.
    Evolved fundamentally as a system of teaching the English language with the greatest economy of time and effort, Basic English has come to imply far more than its initial mission of teaching, and of facilitating communication with persons having little or no knowledge of English. It has been carried into higher institutions of learning as a means of imparting increased clarity and control in the understanding and use of full English. Among aliens it is tending to bridge cultures and provide a gateway to a wider knowledge of English and English literature. It has entered advertising, moving pictures, radio and training camps. And to scholars, scientists, technicians, diplomats and men of far-reaching affairs it offers a proposed common channel for the dissemination of knowledge and developments in their special fields of interest on an international scale.
    It is in its international aspect that Basic English becomes of widest interest. An international auxiliary language has long been sought for the world, and proposals have been made to establish as such various existing or artificial tongues. Today with its widespread stress on internationalism, postwar reconstruction, world organization and the like, it has become of even greater importance to discover some basic means of overcoming language barriers among the peoples of the nations, and of facilitating communication in line with other growing world consciousness and intensified world activities. Such a measure has been visualized also as vital to the preservation of peace and as of far-reaching importance to the future of civilization of itself. Basic English stands as one of the foremost candidates for the international role.
    The system of Basic English has not lacked detractors, ranging from those who have questioned the adequacy and fitness of Basic or have offered alternative wordlists and systems of teaching, to those who take exception to the choice of the English language itself as an international medium, who advance preferred claims for some other language, or who propose the initiating of a new, scientifically constructed one to be developed by scholars and international learned bodies acting cooperatively. It is of note also that the armed services are imparting intensively a practical working knowledge of almost any language needed in regions to which service men are to be assigned.
    The precedent of the Reference Shelf in presenting materials without prejudice or bias has been held to in this number, and articles are offered from a variety of viewpoints. The arrangement of materials has been made for the convenience of debaters and others wishing a balanced view pro and con. The bibliography includes, in addition to the usual divisions, a section on works written in Basic English and, for additional background, one on the broader discussions of proposals for an international language.
    The compiler gratefully acknowledges various courtesies extended by authors, publishers and organizations in making available materials not otherwise readily obtained and in the granting of copyright permissions.

JULIA E. JOHNSEN    
January 10, 1944    

< Texts     | Ogden |     | Institute |     Next >

Provided and Thanks to ZbEnglish.net