English as a Second Life (I mean... Language)

[Alex]

Yeah, because "Talk Like a Pirate Day" is famed for its use of proper standard English.

If this leads to a uptick in foreign employees saying "arrrgh" and "avast" during conference calls I'm going to be annoyed.

But seriously, it is a cool approach. Just from making fun of gold farmers in WoW I've learned several Mandarin phrases.

[flippyshark]

Originally Posted by Alex

If this leads to a uptick in foreign employees saying "arrrgh" and "avast" during conference calls I'm going to be annoyed.

But is "Arrrgh" really proper standard pirate talk? (Okay, it's a derail.) I've always thought that "Arrr" (without the 'gh') was a variation on "Aye," denoting an affirmation. (Arr, matey, smart as paint ye be.) "Aaaargh" sounds like a scream of pain to me.

Back to topic, I agree that this is a great idea. I'd love to improve my Japanese in a fun environment like this.