Australian English

As an Australian and an English language teacher, I strongly object to the article on the front page of Sunday's The Jakarta Post, Sept. 2, 2001 entitled Will British English survive?

Having visited Indonesia over 12 years and lived here for five years, I have had to endure endless people (particularly in Bali) who, on learning that I am Australian, say "G'die, mite". I have, at times, been driven to say, "No one in Australia ever says G'die, mite, nor even, Good day, mate, to me".

The stereotypical Australian is a tough, redneck bushman (or, much less likely, woman) -- probably on a horse or in a pub in a remote rural area. In fact, Australia is the most urbanized country in the world. Such stereotypes are ill-informed and don't begin to reflect the complex reality of a nation.

English has become the international language, at least for a while. It has many variations of accent and vocabulary, even in the small island where it developed, many more in the USA, in Australia and wherever it is used. We have Singlish in Singapore, Indonesian adaptations (e.g. finding a solusi and konflik) and indeed stereotyped Indian English (the source of many English comedies), "I am not knowing".

All languages have rules, particularly when used formally. But a living language constantly changes, adapts to people's needs, to allow for wide variation and inventiveness (The rules, too, change -- who nowadays says, "To whom were you speaking?"). Those who attempt to nail it down to one standard of correct speaking are destroying its vitality and just below the surface (as this article demonstrates) lurk snobbery, racism, a lack of cultural knowledge and those tedious, inaccurate, worn out stereotypes.

SCILLA WOOLLEY

Jakarta