The English Language

Since 1986 I have been a member of the International Quorum of Motion Picture Producers  (IQ), which  is featured in the “Links” section of this website.

Each year, in a different part of the world, we meet as a family and share our experiences.   The “official” language at the conference is English, yet for many attending,  it is a second language.   I continue to be amazed and humbled by my IQ peers on their ability to adapt to this conference requirement and converse in a most understandable and inspiring way.

For us in English speaking parts of the world, we take English for granted as we have grown up with it.   What many of us forget is that the English language is one of most difficult languages to learn and has many inconsistencies, especially when it comes to pronounciation.   To support my claim on how tough it is, consider the following sentence and the six different pronounciations for the letter combination “ough”.

“Though I had been through a rough time in the slough where I developed a cough, I still felt I could swing from the bough of the tree.”

To my IQ friends and others who have been successful in embracing English as a second language, I salute you.