English language evaluating and Indian English

Problems
I am in great demand as a language evaluator at Toastmasters clubs in Singapore and other countries and cities where many club members speak English as a second language. Do speakers who have spent hours preparing a speech really want to be told. In front of others, about all their mistakes.

Answers
I follow the Toastmasters rule about starting and ending with a positive, congratulatory message.

Stories
One Indian speaker began her speech by admitting, "I am very nervous about giving my speech in front of Angela."

She mentioned that an American entrepreneur had 'passed out' of a college. For a moment I was both puzzled and distracted. My first thought was that the woman had 'passed away', which is a euphemism for died.

The Americans say simply 'passed' for died.

I was glad that we were able to talk more after the Toastmasters meeting in Singapore. Two Indians who were working in Singapore told me that the term passed, used where the English would say graduated, was widespread in Indian.

They said that another common mistake is to add ed to verbs which do not have ed in the past. For example, she cut-ed the vegetables, instead of she cut the vegetables.

Standard British English
pass an exam (succeed, results reach the pass mark)
take an exam (sit an exam - results not yet known)
Pass away (euphemism for die)
pass out (faint, lose consciousness)
pass off (substitute fake item or qualification)
pass on (euphemism for die, or hand over when used transitively)

My Experience Translating
I was correcting the English for a website when I was asked to find translators for the German and Spanish versions. My friends who were translators were too busy with other work or away on holiday. The professional organisations on websites were charging large sums to translate just one technical word or phrase or sentence. The cosmetics company wanted to translate packaging material in a hurry for a demonstration to a possible investor or business partner.

I went into large branches of W H Smith in Brent Cross Shopping Mall in London and invested about £25-£30 in huge dictionaries. They not only proved useful in providing translation into Spanish and German, and back into English, but also in teaching English, when asked about a verb, I could supply all the variations and teach them to students.

If you are the sort of person or family who argue and debate the correct use of language, or like to research, you might find such a book a source of enlightenment as well as amusement.

Tips
A large English dictionary in a library will give you all the variations. If you don't have a large English dictionary, or need to check a secondary source, a large English- French or English Spanish or English-German dictionary will also give you numerous variations. You will find them in large speciality bookshops, also UK newsagents and some USA drug stores which are like mini department stores.

They also make gifts for birthdays, especially for teenagers who are doing exams.


Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, teacher of English and languages, speaker, author.