Name: Beyond Babel
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2001-09-01
Cast: Hugh Quarshie, David Crystal

This documentary series is an interesting overview of the position of the English language as a global lingua franca. It focuses on several facets of the language's modern use, and particular focuses on its use in multicultural societies (e.g., India, South Africa) and in societies where English is not an official language (e.g., Japan, China). The historical ethos behind the language's use and the modern political ramifications of its use are also explored.

The series further deals with the question of how the English language is likely to evolve in the future, either through the inclusion of loan words or in creole forms, whether it will retain its position as the major universal tongue or split into myriad regional variations, and how its usage is affecting smaller local languages, many of which are struggling to survive.

This series would make a useful adjunct to the earlier (and slightly superior) "The Story of English" documentary series, made by Robert MacNeil in 1986.

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

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Beyond Babel - English on the World Stage

Beyond Babel

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