Basic English

Author(s):  
James McElvenny

This chapter explores C. K. Ogden’s project Basic English against the background of the contemporary international language movement. An exposition of the international language movement, its political and philosophical commitments, is followed by an examination of the features of Ogden’s Basic and the rhetoric surrounding it. The connections between the theories developed in The Meaning of Meaning and Basic English are looked at in detail. The chapter closes with a discussion of the influence of Jeremy Bentham and his Panopticon on Basic, and of the reaction of George Orwell to the project, as revealed in his published writings and correspondence with Ogden, and in Newspeak, his parody of constructed languages.

Author(s):  
James McElvenny

This book is a historical study of influential currents in the philosophy of language and linguistics of the first half of the twentieth century, explored from the perspective of the English scholar C. K. Ogden (1889–1957). Although no ‘Great Man’ in his own right, Ogden had a personal connection, reflected in his work, to several of the most significant figures of the age. The background to the ideas espoused in Ogden’s book The Meaning of Meaning, co-authored with I.A. Richards (1893–1979), is examined in detail, along with the application of these ideas in his international language project Basic English. A richly interlaced network of connections is revealed between early analytic philosophy, semiotics and linguistics, all inevitably shaped by the contemporary cultural and political environment. In particular, significant interaction is shown between Ogden’s ideas, the varying versions of ‘logical atomism’ of Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) and Ludwig Wittgensten (1889–1951), Victoria Lady Welby’s (1837–1912) ‘significs’, and the philosophy and political activism of Otto Neurath (1882–1945) and Rudolf Carnap (1891–1970) of the Vienna Circle. Amid these interactions emerges a previously little known mutual exchange between the academic philosophy and linguistics of the period and the practically oriented efforts of the international language movement.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Stefan Collini

George Orwell and William Empson worked closely together at the BBC during the Second World War and they remained friends thereafter. In The Structure of Complex Words (1951) Empson paid surprisingly serious attention to the view of language expounded in Nineteen Eighty-Four, seeing in Orwell's presentation of the meaningless slogans of totalitarianism, such as “War Is Peace,” a challenge to his own more rationalistic analysis of how language works. This article first explores the development of Orwell's thinking about language, including his engagement with Basic English (which Empson helped to propagate); a particularly close, and critical, analysis is given of his celebrated essay “Politics and the English Language.” Orwell's views are then contrasted with Empson's unpacking of the interplay of multiple senses within individual words, demonstrating that even the most extreme propaganda statements need to draw upon and respect the mechanics of meaning as embodied in such words if they are to be persuasive. Intellectual historians have much to learn from these exchanges, as do contemporary analysts of “fake news” and authoritarian bombast more generally.


Author(s):  
James McElvenny

This chapter investigates the contact and collaboration between C. K. Ogden and the Vienna Circle philosophers Otto Neurath and Rudolf Carnap, which was chiefly driven by Ogden and centred around his project Basic English. The aspects of philosophy of language and social engagement that united Ogden with Neurath and Carnap are first examined in detail. Attention then turns to Neurath’s picture statistics, which through collaboration with Ogden evolved into Isotype, a contribution to the international language movement aligned with Basic. Finally, the relationship between Ogden, Carnap and Neurath as revealed in their correspondence is discussed, along with their shared fate in the post-World War II intellectual environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Eka Warohma

This Accompaintement began when it was felt the importance of learning English in this eraEnglish is an international language which is used as the world's language of communication. Apart from being in the school environment, learning English is also important to be taught in non-formal education, especially in dormitories / pesantren. This community service activity aims to provide basic English learning assistance to students of PPNH Sukaraja. This training is conducted in several PPNH dormitory units such as the Central Women's Dormitory which lasts 30 minutes with meetings 2 times a week. The obstacles faced in the activity are relatively short time. But in general this activity went well and received a good reception from the students, as well as from the PPNH Sukaraja


Author(s):  
Rebecca Beasley

This chapter explores how literary non-translation might be considered as an instance in a broader reevaluation of translation as a social, political and pedagogical practice in the wake of the First World War and the rise of internationalism during the 1920s. What kind of literature would be produced by ‘the international mind’ of that decade, to use the popular phrase coined by Nicholas Butler? While the increased discussion and popularity of international languages like Interlingua, Esperanto, and Basic English might suggest that translation between languages was replaced by translation into a new or modified international language, writers appear to have been more interested in preserving the diversity of national languages by incorporating non-translated elements into their texts. The chapter explores these issues through analysis of Ezra Pound’s connections with The Future magazine.


2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-204
Author(s):  
James McElvenny

Although a relatively minor project in terms of its impact on the broader international language movement, Basic English is interesting for the elaborate semiotic theory that underlies it. The creator of Basic English, Charles Kay Ogden (1889–1957), is today remembered chiefly as co-author of The Meaning of Meaning, a book widely regarded as a classic of early twentieth-century semiotics. In this article, I will engage in a critical examination of the design of Basic English and demonstrate how it essentially represents an implementation of the key doctrines set out in that book, tempered by the practical exigencies of language construction. I will focus on Ogden’s method of ‘panoptic conjugation’, which he used to select the Basic English core vocabulary of 850 words, as well as his conception of the grammar of Basic English as an outgrowth of its vocabulary. We observe additionally how Ogden’s approach does not result in a self-contained, independent international language, but rather a language that is subservient to Standard English idiom.


2022 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-224
Author(s):  
Robby Satria ◽  
Nurma Dhona Handayani ◽  
Ellbert Hutabri

English is an international language which is very important for smooth bilingual interaction. Along with the times, the ability to speak English is required in all aspects of life to develop. One that is experiencing rapid development is the air transportation industry, which has a similar impact on the development of the airport aspect as a facility for providing aircraft transportation services. One of the important airports in the Riau Archipelago is Batam's Hang Nadim Airport. The airport was officially opened to the public on January 1, 1995 under the name "Hang Nadim International Airport. Since then until today, Hang Nadim airport has grown rapidly and has become one of the largest and busiest airports in Sumatra. With the rapid development of Hang Nadim Airport This, of course requires the use of an international language, namely English as the most commonly used communication medium. It has become a must for airport staff to be able to master English for the smooth operation of the technical process of aircraft and air flight systems. All airport workers are required to have good English language skills. it is appropriate to create conducive working conditions, but in reality on the ground, not all staff who work at airports have basic English skills, especially regarding the basic conversation part in English at the airport. If they are not equipped with basic English skills then they will not be able to speak English. can work optimally. Therefore, it is very important to initiate a dedication to provide a basic introduction to English for staff at Hang Nadim Airport, Batam City, Riau Islands.


2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 216
Author(s):  
José Renato Gaziero Cella ◽  
Luana Aparecida dos Santos Rosa

Há muito se tem tratado a ideia de sociedade disciplinar e sociedade de controle, consagradas, por exemplo, nas obras de Michel Foucault e Gilles Deleuze. A contemporaneidade trouxe inúmeros desdobramentos em relação aos conceitos atribuídos por Foucault e Deleuze, sendo que muitos desses resultados foram previstos pela análise de acontecimentos por esses pensadores; entretanto continua-se em busca do entendimento da evolução das sociedades no que tange ao poder e a sua manutenção, ao direito, à ética e aos possíveis resultados sociais futuros. Faz-se necessário entender a dialeticidade desse tema para compreender o momento atual e pensar o futuro. O escopo deste artigo é entender o controle social e os desdobramentos do poder na denominada Sociedade da Informação, tanto na esfera pública quanto na esfera privada. O avanço da técnica, com o surgimento da internet, é significativo na história das comunicações em termos de agilidade e rapidez. À luz dos marcos teóricos eleitos para o desenvolvimento deste artigo, o controle se estabelece pela ideia de necessidade relativamente ao veículo de informação, em que a sociedade de controle é a sucessora do paradigma disciplinar (a disciplina já está incorporada). Para Deleuze, a vigilância e a monitoração são formas de atuação do controle, ou seja, a reinvenção do panóptico de Jeremy Bentham. As ramificações dessa forma de sociedade se valem da internet e seu acesso facilitado para se propagar ao maior contingente de pessoas possível, seja por meio de redes sociais, programas de reality-shows, inclusão de câmeras de vigilância, exatamente como se referia George Orwell na obra 1984. Pretende-se analisar se a rapidez de informações supera a falta de segurança, haja vista que hoje se vê, por exemplo, casos como o dos Estados Unidos da América, que realizam a espionagem de indivíduos e de governos estrangeiros, o que torna necessário não só pensar o direito, mas também pensar se a legislação que existe é eficaz para a proteção dos dados pessoais. DOI:10.5585/rdb.v6i3.124


2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (9) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
José Renato Gaziero Cella ◽  
Marlus H. Arns de Oliveira

Há muito se tem tratado a ideia de sociedade disciplinar e sociedade de controle, consagradas, por exemplo, nas obras de Michel Foucault e Gilles Deleuze. A contemporaneidade trouxe inúmeros desdobramentos em relação aos conceitos atribuídos por Foucault e Deleuze, sendo que muitos desses resultados foram previstos pela análise de acontecimentos por esses pensadores; entretanto continua-se em busca do entendimento da evolução das sociedades no que tange ao poder e a sua manutenção, ao direito, à ética e aos possíveis resultados sociais futuros. Faz-se necessário entender a dialeticidade desse tema para compreender o momento atual e pensar o futuro. O escopo deste artigo é entender o controle social e os desdobramentos do poder na denominada Sociedade da Informação, tanto na esfera pública quanto na esfera privada. O avanço da técnica, com o surgimento da internet, é significativo na história das comunicações em termos de agilidade e rapidez. À luz dos marcos teóricos eleitos para o desenvolvimento deste artigo, o controle se estabelece pela ideia de necessidade relativamente ao veículo de informação, em que a sociedade de controle é a sucessora do paradigma disciplinar (a disciplina já está incorporada). Para Deleuze, a vigilância e a monitoração são formas de atuação do controle, ou seja, a reinvenção do panóptico de Jeremy Bentham. As ramificações dessa forma de sociedade se valem da internet e seu acesso facilitado para se propagar ao maior contingente de pessoas possível, seja por meio de redes sociais, programas de reality-shows, inclusão de câmeras de vigilância, exatamente como se referia George Orwell na obra 1984. Pretende-se analisar se a rapidez de informações supera a falta de segurança, haja vista que hoje se vê, por exemplo, casos como o do Comitê Gestor do Sistema Nacional do Registro de Identificação Civil - Sirc brasileiro, que acaba de implantar um projeto-piloto de emissão da nova carteira de identidade - RIC, em que se poderá ter a unificação de dados pessoais e a desburocratização de serviços de atendimento ao cidadão. O artigo busca, assim, demonstrar, por meio do método hipotético-dedutivo, a premência da aprovação de uma lei específica sobre a proteção de dados pessoais no Brasil. Para tanto, trata de apontar que a privacidade e as suas formas de proteção costumam estar alinhadas com a tecnologia disponível em cada época e que, com o advento da denominada Sociedade da Informação capitaneada especialmente pela Internet e a circulação instantânea e ubíqua de dados que ela propicia. O artigo demonstra que nem mesmo os órgãos públicos, a exemplo do Sirc, respeitam os ditames constitucionais que visam à proteção da privacidade dos cidadãos, fato que confirma e justifica a hipótese inicial do presente trabalho, que é, conforme dito, a demonstração da urgência da instituição, no Brasil, de uma lei específica sobre a proteção de dados pessoais.


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