Introduction

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Notes

1 Margie Berns (2007) cites Hofstede's model of cross-cultural differences in opposing the notion that the diffusion of the English language around the world could lead to a loss of cultural identity and the adoption of US world views, values and cultural traditions (or, in shorthand, worldwide cultural ‘McDonaldization’). A more likely outcome is that contact with and use of English will lead to an additional or hybrid identity.

2 Wierzbicka and Cliff Goddard have been working on this list of primes for many years; the most recent version can be found in Wierzbicka (2006: 18).

3 This short example contains almost a quarter of the list of universal semantic primes: I, someone/person, people, something, good, think, feel, say, hear, know, before, a short time, not.

4 There is a good chance that the ethnographer they have in mind is Anna Wierzbicka!

5 Kramsch (2008) contrasted Pratt's account of ‘doubling’ with Judith Butler's (2003) account of translation. Just as much as Steiner, Butler sees translation as a ‘common predicament’, and a word that inevitably collocates with ‘limits’ and ‘failure’.

6 I would be interested in receiving the views (by email) of each and every bi-, pluri- and multilingual European teacher of English on this matter!