It was more referring to the rise in significance of China which is predicted to become the world's largest economy. They're investing in a lot of things in a lot of the world too. Particularly African resources. Though London is due to start being one of the first trading hubs for Chinese currency which is a big sign of China's intentions to start really playing their cards in the international field as a major trading economy.

Personally I prefer English English, but I also find my fiance's vocabulary really cute and we are both constantly still saying "what?" to a lot of slang terms etc. I'm also northern (Yorkshire to be precise) and when I'm in the US, I get asked if I'm from Scotland at times. (really doesn't bother me, especially as half my family is Scottish).

It's funny how people in the US struggle with northern accents, because over here most of our call centres (that aren't in India) are in the north of the country because our accents are considered to sound friendlier.

Most people would argue yes actually.

Though ironically there is a habit of american actors using a british accent when reading shakespeare.

I'm told this book gives a pretty good description of it

http://www.amazon.com/The-Mother-Tongue-English-That/dp/0380715430

According to the arguement in the book i mentioned above

http://www.amazon.com/The-Mother-Tongue-English-That/dp/0380715430

Apparently, such pronounciations only became popular in the 1800's for fasionable stylistic reasons.

We (England) could use the USA as another Australia and send our criminals there!

ironically, the USA would probably do this to get more working prisoners in their prisons :D

Have you been to a big city in your country?  Because the homeless rates really aren't that different... and that's using data that is the UK BEFORE the financil crisis, and the US AFTER It.

The US has so many unseheltered homeless people, pretty much largely because people refuse to use the shelters and tools avaliable to them... because many homeless people are mentally ill.

The US has something called the "US Pateints Bill of Rights".  Which essentially means if a patient wants to leave, they can, and you can't stop them or force medication on them.

As such, said mental patients usually end up homeless on the streets refusing to use shelters.

Cool, I'll have to give it a look. (I'm actually interested in this sort of thing) but Mother Tongue English is quite obviously the Yorkshire accent! :D

I do wonder how many people mean every accent in the UK when saying about the way British people talk, or if they're referring to the more refined "Queens Tongue" which actually... I've heard about 3 people speak in my entire life if you don't include movies and the Queen herself. There's a huge variety in pronounciation and Yorkshire accents (and other northern dialects) definitely share similarities with Irish and Scottish accents and I understand for the most part, many American accents descend from these and a lot of the dialect has gone from being a dialect, to being the normal way of pronounciation.

For example "I haven't got a clue" in my dialect is "I a'nt got a clue" or in American "I ain't got a clue" :)

I mean, I know the arguement... but it's still a silly one.

If/when China becomes the biggest economy, the people in charge of said economy will still mostly speak english, as will most big buisness people across the world.

Chances are India will be right up there economically too by then... and they no doubt would throw their hat behind English.  (something like a third of their population speaks it.)

And when India do get there... I sincerely hope they don't decide it's payback for the British Empire >_<

Very wise opinion there Sal.

Why thank you. I was trying to remain neutral.