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The most important thing about Globish is that it started with non-native English speakers. Some English professor could have said “I will now create Globish to make English easy for these adults who are really children.” Then Globish would not be global, but just some English professor’s plaything. But the true Globish idea started in international meetings with British, Americans, continental Europeans, and Japanese, and then Koreans. The communication was close to excellent between the British and the Americans. But it was not good between those two and the other people. Then there was a big surprise: the communication between the last three groups, continental Europeans, Japanese, and Koreans, was among the best. There seemed to be one good reason: they were saying things with each other that they would have been afraid to try with the native English speakers – for fear of losing respect. So all of these non-native speakers felt comfortable and safe in what sounded like English, but was far from it.

But those non-native English speakers were all talking to each other. Yes, there were many mistakes. And yes, the pronunciation was strange. The words were used in unusual ways. Many native English speakers think English like this is horrible. However, the non-native speakers were enjoying their communication.

But as soon as one of the English or Americans started speaking, everything changed in one second. The non-native speakers stopped talking; most were afraid of speaking to the native English speakers. None of them wanted to say a word that was incorrect.

It is often that way across the world. Non-native English speakers have many problems with English. Some native English speakers say non-natives speak “broken English.” In truth, non-native English speakers talk to each other effectively because they respect and share the same limitations.

The Frenchman and the Korean know they have similar limitations. They do not use rare, difficult-to-understand English words. They choose words that are “acceptable” because they are the easiest words they both know. Of course, these are not always those of the native speakers, who have so many more words to choose from.

The idea of Globish came from this observation: limitations are not always a problem. In fact, they can be useful, if you understand them. Jean-Paul Nerrière could see that “if we can make the limitations exactly the same, it will be as if there are no limitations at all”. He decided to record a limited set of words and language that he observed in most non-English speakers. He then suggested that people from various mother tongues can communicate better if they use these carefully chosen limitations. Globish is that “common ground.”

> This theory of limitations is not as strange as it might seem at first. Most human activities have some limitations.

The World Cup is one of the most-watched competitions in the world, because its set of “limitations” makes it a great game for everyone. In this game of foot-ball, players must use their feet most of the time to control the ball, so tall people and people with big arms do not always win. Some people say it is dancing with the ball; the limitations make it beautiful.

> Ballet, of course, has limitations too; it is what you say with your body. And people of every language enjoy both of these. The beauty happens when the limitations are the same.Globish is about having the same limitations, so there is no limit to what can be communicated between people speaking or writing or reading Globish.

We hope the dancers will not start singing in ballets. But what happens when you can use your hands in “foot-ball?” Then – mostly in the English-speaking cultures – we see their American football and Rugby football. These do not have the limitations of playing only with their feet. Not as many people in the world can sit together and enjoy watching. It is not something they all can share, all knowing the same limitations.

The limitations of Globish also make it easier to learn, easier to find a word to use. Native English speakers seem to have too many words that say the same thing and too many ways to say it.

So communication between non-native speakers can be much more effective when they are using Globish. And if non-native and native speakers use Globish between themselves, both of them will understand. Most people would think that native English speakers could know how to speak Globish in one second. But that is not true. Native English speakers who use too many words in too many ways are, in fact, missing a huge opportunity to communicate with the world.

The British Council tells us (here in Globish):

“People have wondered for years whether English is so solid in international communication that even the rise of China could not move it from its high position. The answer is that there is already a new language, which was being spoken quietly while native-speakers of English were looking the other way. These native-speakers of English were too happy when they thought their language was the best of all. The new language that is pushing out the language of Shakespeare as the world’s Lingua Franca is English itself – English in its new global form. As this book (English Next) shows, this is not English as we have known it, and have taught it in the past as a foreign language. It is a new happening, and if it represents any kind of winning, it will probably not be the cause of celebration by native English speakers.”

The British Council continues (in our Globish):

“In organizations where English has become the business language, meetings sometimes go more smoothly when no native speakers are present. Globally, the same kind of thing may be happening, on a larger scale. This is not just because non-native speakers fear to talk to a native speaker. The change is that soon the problem may be that few native speakers will be accepted in the community of lingua franca users. The presence of native English speakers gets in the way of communication.”

Strangely, many native English speakers still believe they can do all things better than non-native speakers just because they speak better English. How long will it take for them to understand that they are wrong? They have a problem that they are not able to understand. They do not see that many non-native speakers simply cannot understand them. This does not mean the native speaker’s English is bad. It means that their communication is bad; sometimes they do not even attempt to make their communication useful to everyone. Often they don’t know how.

We want everyone to be able to speak to and understand everyone. There is a middle ground, but the native English speakers are not the ones drawing the borders. And because you may not be able to say this to a native speaker, who might not be able to understand – we will say it here.

To belong to the international community, a native English speaker must:

• understand…. what is explained in this book,
• accept…. that it is the fact of a new world which has many new powers that will be as strong as the English-speaking countries,
• decide to change with this new reality, in order to still be a member.

Whenever a native English speaker acts as if you are the stupid one, please give them this book. If they choose to take no notice of their problem, they will be left out of communication. They will be left out of activities with others – worldwide – if they do not learn to “limit” the way they use their language. English speakers need to limit both spoken and written English for communication with non-native English speakers. In short, they too need to “learn” Globish. It is not an easy exercise, but it can be done. Some of this book will help them.

Globish has a special name

It is very important that the Globish name is not “English for the World” or even “Simple English.” If its name were any kind of English, the native English speakers would say. “OK, we won. Now all you have to do is speak better English.” Without the name Globish, they will not understand it is a special kind of English, and it is no longer “their” English. Most native English speakers who understand this should decide they like it. Hopefully they will say: “Now I understand that I am very lucky. Now my language will be changed a little for the rest of the world. Let me do my best, and they can do their best, and we will meet in the middle.”

So Globish is a word that tells native English speakers – and non-native speakers – that Globish has a different meaning. Globish is the global language, the language people everywhere can speak. Globish is a name to say that there are limits which everyone can learn. There is a clear set of things they need to learn. And when they learn them, they are done.

Language is equal on this Globish middle ground. No one has an edge. No one can be above anyone else because of language. This is the land where everybody can offer the best ideas with all of his or her professional and personal abilities. Globish will be a foreign language to everyone, without exception. It is not “broken English.” It is another version of English to which no native English speaker was born.

We all come together here.

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