As a communications specialist, writer and English language (ESL) teacher over the past 13 years, I have based many of my blog postings and issues of my newsletter on matters of word usage, grammar and style.
For instance, over that time, I’ve often referred to the “Usage Tip of the Day” from US lexicographer and legal scholar, Bryan Garner; an English counterpart, British Lexicographer Susie Dent (who is active on “X,” has her own video game and novels); and the somewhat lower-brow, usage podcaster, American Mignon Fogarty (“GrammarGirl”). . . .
We’ve had our own various grammarians in Canada, including (back as early as the 90s) University of Saskatchewan’s then-literary faculty, Ron Marken and Terry Matheson, whose CBC radio program, “Watch your Language,” decried political correctness and other linguistic treachery. More recently, the late Rex Murphy (CBC journalist) and Vancouver writer and “publication coach,” Daphne Gray-Grant, have spoken or written reams on how to use English well.
Most of the world’s major English newspapers, such as The New York Times, The Guardian and The Globe and Mail, often address language usage. Last year, on CBC radio’s “Sunday Magazine,” host Piya Chattopadhyay (a U of Saskatchewan grad, herself) interviewed American writer, Ben Yagoda, discussing differences between British and American usage of the English language (on the publication of his book, Gobsmacked! The British Invasion of American English. And on and on the querying, contemplating and (provisional) answering of English language matters go. We could add to this list ad infinitum.
Yet my curiosity was piqued to discover recently a new usage specialist from Britain who works under only his first name—“Thomas”—on a minimalist website, “English Enjoyed”: https://englishenjoyed.com/
Thomas, a self-described actor, writer, ESL/TEFL teacher and communications specialist, provides his brief (almost “pop-up”) grammar pointers over Facebook, YouTube and on his website. He cleverly plays both the roles of offended reader and judiciously responsive teacher, wittily showing how to use English well.
In one of Thomas’ brief episodes, he differentiates the use of “anytime” from “any time”; “affect” from “effect”; “bring” from “take”; “a” from “an” before some consonants; “farther” from “further” . . . and so on.
Thomas also loves British idioms, thoroughly enjoying the expression, “a load of codswallop” (i.e. words or ideas that are foolish or untrue)–also a favourite term of his countrywoman, Susie Dent)!
Thomas writes that “he uses creative storytelling to help you learn the pleasures (and pitfalls!) of British English.” As such, Thomas’ spellings, idioms and pronunciation are all British, distinct from American and (less often) from our Canadian version of English (whose boundaries are well-drawn by the experts at Editors Canada).
Thomas refers to hosting a newsletter on “Substack” with more than 1000 subscribers that I look forward to receiving.
Now it’s your turn: What do you make of the plethora of English language specialists who devote their careers (and lives) to listening, speaking, reading and writing?
Do you have usage favourites not specifically named in this posting?
Do you think we should look to these experts to “enjoy” English, or should they take a more didactic approach?
And are they doing readers and listeners a service in what they share, or are they all (more or less) English majors who couldn’t find gainful employment?
Is it all a “load of codswallop?”
Please write in; I’d be delighted to hear from you.