BBC English Dictionary [antikvár]

Foreword In the second half of the twentieth century English has emerged as the lingua franca of trade, commerce and communications. Five of the leading world broadcasters on radio, TV and satellite reach hundreds of millions of people every day through English. The BBC World Service alone has upwards of a hundred and twenty million listeners as well as the yet uncounted millions watching BBC World Service Television on satellite. English today is a spoken language and radio and television are speaking media. That is why I welcome this co-venture between BBC English and the COBUILD unit to produce a dictionary of spoken English which reflects the way the language is used in broadcasting. In the sixty years of its existence the BBC World Service has prided itself on the accuracy and impartiality of its reporting and on the standard of English of its presenters and newsreaders. Our aim, and that of our English Language teaching section, BBC English, is to reflect the quality of standard educated spoken English used in Britain today. Our colleagues in National Public Radio in Washington reflect the same standards. English is the international language of broadcasting and the BBC English Dictionary is the essential companion. Listeners and viewers will welcome this dictionary, as I do. John Tusa Managing Director BBC World Service