Overview

Politically correct pundits have been attempting to relegate Standard English to the status of a dialect, since they have succumbed to the idea that it is connected to “class”. This book tears up this falsehood, pointing out that it is a question of education far more than of class. And, even then, why attack class?This linguistic disease has now infected the British Civil Service, and, in turn, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, once regarded as the bastion of good, clear English. The book demonstrates, through original texts, how FCO English has deteriorated in the last thirty years, owing to a combination of the attack on Standard English, (American) globalisation, the unfettered electronification of communications, Twitter, Blairism, and even attitudes towards sex. The upshot is that, in tandem with the US-influenced invasion of clear, traditional English, has come a serious loss in Britain’s independence.

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9781443888080

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Reviews

Mallinson, a former diplomat and now a distinguished international historian who lectures in Greece on British culture and society, has written an excellent account of the decline of English usage within the Foreign Office. This may well be part of the reason why we so often fail to get our message across clearly. On the other hand, the increasing obfuscation may be deliberate if we don't know what that message ought to be. Certainly, there can be little doubt that the decline of English within the FCO and the decline of Britain and British influence have gone hand in hand. Mallinson's book has something quite unique to say about all this. Alan Sked, Professor of International History, LSE In his book Behind the Words, Mallinson looks into his home country, Britain, and its future from a linguistic point of view, claiming that the decline of Standard English in favour of more simple versions of the language, mainly due to globalisation, will eventually result in loss of independence not only to Brussels but also to Washington. [...] Mallinson's proof for the dramatic decline of Standard English lies in the documents of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which is the heart of British Diplomacy and the elite of the Civil Service. Mallinson is witnessing an attack on Standard English, a result of a combination of the over-simplification occasioned by global English, the general fall in educational standards, electronic communication and the associated obsession with speed, political correctness, and an attack on class. Anastasia Spyropoulou Editor-in-Chief, ELT NEWS (September 2015)

Mallinson, a former diplomat and now a distinguished international historian who lectures in Greece on British culture and society, has written an excellent account of the decline of English usage within the Foreign Office. This may well be part of the reason why we so often fail to get our message across clearly. On the other hand, the increasing obfuscation may be deliberate if we don't know what that message ought to be. Certainly, there can be little doubt that the decline of English within the FCO and the decline of Britain and British influence have gone hand in hand. Mallinson's book has something quite unique to say about all this. Alan Sked Professor of International History, LSE

Author Information

William Mallinson, Professor of Political Ideas and Institutions at Università Guglielmo Marconi, is a former Member of Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service who left to study for, and was awarded, his PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science’s Department of International History. Following a period in business as European Public Affairs Manager at ITT’s European Headquarters in Brussels, he turned his attention to the academic world, playing a pivotal role in introducing Britain’s first Honours degree in Public Relations. Since 1994, when he was awarded a Greek Government scholarship, he has been perusing British Foreign Office, Ministry of Defence, Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet archives, under the general rubric of Anglo-Greek relations during the Cold War. He has also published several articles in the press, and spoken at numerous conferences. He is an occasional lecturer at the Greek National Defence School, particularly on Britain and Russia/ USSR. He speaks, reads and writes French, German, Italian, Dutch, and Greek. His publications include Public Lies and Private Truths (1996; 2000); Portrait of an Ambassador (1998); Cyprus: A Modern History (2005); From Neutrality to Commitment: Dutch Foreign Policy, NATO and European Integration (2010); Britain and Cyprus: Key Themes and Documents since World War Two (2011); and The FCO, Hegemonolingualism, and the End of Britain’s Freedom (2014).

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