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affections be esteemed; and such as thine affections, will be thy deeds; and such as thy deeds will be thy life."

What kind of 'English' is that? Did you understand it? Would you speak that way today?

The study of language is a fairly modern science, but must we become philologists, studying the history of language in order to learn how to speak good English or can we learn from common usage how to speak correctly?

Essentially, there are two main causes of perversion of the English language. They are the introduction of vulgarisms and slang by unsophisticated and uneducated people who do not have a great command of language and thus invent words to suit their purposes. These 'inventions' are transmitted to their children, to their friends and associates, and soon, are quoted by members of the media on radio and television and in newspapers and magazines. In a relatively short period of time, they become colloquialisms and are eventually accepted into the language officially and eventually found in the dictionary. Strangely, the wealthy are just as guilty as the poor of this degeneration.

Conversation is an art form. It is unrestrained talk as opposed to formal conference. The English language itself is a living, evolving form of communication and the standards of people of culture and judgment change constantly. 'Computer speak' is a new form of English that will add much confusion just as encounters with different languages, cultures and nationalities will. Certainly we do not speak English as our fathers, grandfathers or great-grandfathers did.

So how do you really know when you are speaking good English? It has been said that within only a few years, China will become the largest English' speaking' country in the world.

I wonder?

I would love to teach English in China, but I hesitate because I learned recently, during a brief visit, that very soon, no one will be able to teach in China without some sort of university degree plus additional training in teaching 'English as a Second Language'.

As I understand it, the Chinese educational system now accepts 'teachers' from all over the globe provided they can 'speak' English fluently.

That means the stiff brogue, the strange dialect, and speech inconsistencies of every 'English speaker' of all different countries will be taught to language students in China.

Maybe it will be the Chinese, with their expert linguistic ability who will make some sense of it all. They now have more than 48 different ethnic groups and many

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