On the Proliferation of Languages

It’s getting a little international right now.

  • I’ve just listened to a webcast by the CEO of our business area, who is in Finland, who spoke in English, about the future of our operations and how we’re going to change it.
  • I’m busy reading specifications written by Germans, mostly in English – but sometimes in German – and referring to implementation details which are all in German (or Austrian).
  • Half of all my friends are Americans or other foreigners, so a large part of my emails and SMS’ing are now in English. When they call, I speak American English.
  • We have visitors here today from Latvia. And since a broad American accent may put off some people here in Europe, it is best to use a British accent when I talk to them.
  • I’m blogging in English, but chatting in Swedish.
  • I speak with my colleagues, of course, in Swedish. But everything inside the computer is English.

I just found myself writing an internal email all in English because I couldn’t remember what the word “considerations” is in Swedish.

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