U.S. Expert: China Poised to Transform English Language in 5 Years

Back on April Fool’s Day in 2018, I made a satirical prediction that China would launch a One Spelt, One Wrote initiative to reform the English language as early as 2020. Thankfully, it’s now 2025 and no such plan ever came to be. Download the article and listen to the deep dive when you get a chance—let me know what you think! I hope it gives you a good laugh.

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Listen to the Deep Dive:

China’s One Spelt, One Wrote English Initiative

This article (PDF) is an April Fool’s joke from Good Characters. It presents a satirical prediction that China will launch a One Spelt, One Wrote initiative to simplify the English language. The fictional plan aims to make English easier for non-native speakers by formalizing texting abbreviations and simplifying grammar—potentially resulting in a version called Simplified Chinese English (SCE). The piece humorously suggests this could create a linguistic divide, with Complex English spoken in Western countries and SCE gaining ground thanks to China’s economic influence and a new fictional organization called WS Inst. While clearly a humorous exaggeration, the article subtly comments on China’s growing global influence and its past efforts in language reform.