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Dear Language Educator:
As you certainly know by now, VISIT CANADA FOLLIES is a series of not-always-serious emails, some having to do with topics of interest to language teachers, and some not, (from North America's leading operator of domestic educational tours for students of foreign languages). We are happy to tell you that this week's newsletter is undeniably language-related, and nothing but language-related, though not entirely serious. You may recall that last week's email alluded to the new Eurozone language (that we had alerted you to a few weeks earlier), and we promised then to send you a video example (see the youtube link below) of an almost certain tragedy that this new language could have prevented. First, for anyone who missed it, the following is a summary of the European Commission's recently announced language agreement, under which English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility (if you have already mastered the language, skip to the web-link near the bottom of this page): As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5-year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English". In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter. In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away. By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v". During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi TU understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru. Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas. If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl. Unfortunately, the new language had not been adopted in time to prevent the probable tragedy depicted in the youtube video below: The German Coast Guard trainee. Thanks to Debbi Cassidy for contributing this video to the cause of language learning (and to Berlitz if course). And don't forget, before we run out of material, that we would be happy to credit you with any videos or other stuff that that you pass on to us that demonstrates, as the foregoing video does, the imperative learning a second language. � bient�t,  J. Michael DonovanPresident
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