Yes, language is backwards compatible and scales up in complexity. That's how we all learned it. But... > What creates a good communication is when the most comfortable person > in the exchange brings his own level down to the level of the least > comfortable person. That works well for one-to-one communication to get things across clearly to the disadvantaged participant. It works less well in groups, where the disadvantaged participant disrupts and holds back discussion. If a four-year-old joined ietf@xxxxxxxx, would we be required to try and explain networking and the IETF to the four year old at a four-year-old's level, or would we try and arrange a playdate for the four year old so that the adults could converse in peace? I have no objection to a hypothetical four-year-old sitting quietly, following along, and trying to learn from the conversation. But if the four year old throws tantrums, well... professional conduct requires a minimum level of operational fluency for useful interaction. Lloyd Wood http://about.me/lloydwood ________________________________________ From: Guillaume Leclanche [guillaume@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: 08 March 2014 16:32 To: Wood L Dr (Electronic Eng) Cc: ietf@xxxxxxxx Subject: Re: IETF working language 2014-03-08 15:15 GMT+01:00 <l.wood@xxxxxxxxxxxx>: > > You'll find it stated in a number of places that the working language of > the IETF is English. Well, yes. > > What is not stated is how good that English has to be to participate > fully in technical discussion to get the most out of IETF participation. > > I would suggest that an IELTS score of 7.0 or higher, or equivalent, > in all categories is a good indicator of being able to participate fully. > If someone is unable to achieve that level, they, and everyone > interacting with them, will find written exchanges very frustrating, > to the detriment of discussion overall. > > If we're going to write RFCs codifying behaviour, we can codify this, too. IELTS 7 is "Good user: has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning." What creates a good communication is when the most comfortable person in the exchange brings his own level down to the level of the least comfortable person. A bit like version negotiation in most protocols. Good English is backward compatible with Bad English ! Guillaume