A revised and extended version of the opening address to the first National Plain English Conference held in 1990 in Cambridge, England

A seriously light-hearted look at the exquisite complexities of the Philippine language situation

‘One day last month Linda Hiwot, a Brooklyn junior high school teacher, got a surprise when she phoned her bank for a credit-card balance. Instead of the familiar human teller, she was answered by a computer-generated voice that told all callers with Touch-Tone phones to “press I now”, thus beginning a series of steps that would eventually lead to her balance. When she called the IRS [Internal Revenue Service] about an overdue tax check, another computer voice directed her to “push 9” for refunds. Even a local department store had acquired a robot operator, which like an overeager clerk insisted on taking Hiwot on a guided tour of the entire store (“For furniture, home decorating or major appliances, push 3”). Desperate for human contact, she finally dialed a friend, only to be invited to leave a message at the sound of a tone’ (Philip Elmer-De-Witt, ‘Hello! This is Voice Mail Speaking’, Time 22 May 89).

An up-date on aspects of the campaigns for and against the English language amendment to the US constitution, especially in Arizona and New Mexico

A report on recent trends around the world during the annual peak season for EFL courses

Following Elizabeth Anne Malischewski's report on the English of Newfoundland (ET24, Oct 90), a review of the many kinds of English in mainland Canada

Military historians will probably say the fighting along Saudi Arabia’s northern border last week was only an early skirmish in the great gulf war of 1991 – but it was real enough, and surely frightening enough, to all those who fought in it (‘In the Heat of Battle’, Newsweek, 11 Feb 91).

The Issues raised by Thomas Clayton in his article on ‘Real and Unreal Teachers’ (ET23, 27–31) require thorough discussion and debate. They symptomize a widespread malaise.

‘Last week a new word entered the political lexicon: Majorism. Roll it around in your mouth for a while. Get used to it. For the folks from Conservative Central Office have apparently decided that this is to be the buzz word for the long summer campaign. Majorism. Majorism. Majorism.

Advice by a Plain English campaigner to writers of legalese