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If native speakers of English are not to become international corporate pariahs, they will need to learn how to speak global English – in other words, to communicate with non-native speakers. 如果英语母语人士不想被国际商业界所遗弃，他们需要去学习如何讲通用英语——换言之，就是和非母语人士沟通。 Resentment at the complexity of native speakers' English is widespread in international business. During a study carried out at Kone Elevators of Finland, one Finnish manager blurted out: “The British are the worst . . . It is much more difficult to understand their English than that of other nationalities. When we non-native speakers of English talk, it is much easier to understand. We have the same limited vocabulary.” 在国际商界，针对母语人士英语复杂性的不满普遍存在。在芬兰通力电梯进行的一项调查中，一位芬兰经理人脱口而出：“英国人最差劲了……他们讲的英语是所有国家中最难懂的。而我们这些非英语母语人士所说的话，要容易理解得多。我们都拥有同样有限的词汇量。” How can native speakers of English make themselves more comprehensible and more likeable? The most obvious way is to learn someone else's language. The great benefit of learning other languages is that you have some idea of what non-native speakers are up against. However, news this week that fewer than half of English schoolchildren are learning a foreign language suggests that this is not going to be a profitable route for many. | 
