English in Progress is a monthly newsletter with curated articles about world Englishes and how the English language is evolving.
When does the newsletter get sent out?
I aim to send it out every first Friday of the month. I have a job and two little children, so sometimes I don’t make that deadline.
Who are you, and why did you start this newsletter?
I’m Heddwen, half Dutch half British. I’m a translator from Dutch into English, and a teacher. I also have a degree in, you’d never have guessed, English.
I noticed that the Anglosphere is lacking something which the “Dutchosphere” has: a newsletter that collects news about its language. (The Dutch one is called “Taalpost”.)
First I thought this was probably because English is so very vast, and gathering all that news would be an impossible task. But when I looked into it, I decided that actually it should be doable for one person to make a newsletter.
Once I got started, I quickly decided that for one person to make a newsletter about everything English was not doable at all, and what was I thinking. But the solution was easy: focus on the elements that I find really interesting. World Englishes and English language change.
Who is your target audience?
English-language professionals. English teachers, translators, journalists, copy-writers etc. But everyone is welcome, of course!
Why is it called “English in Progress”?
Because, after very much deliberation, that is the name I came up with that 1) wasn’t already taken, 2) didn’t sound too much like a language school and 3) didn’t sound like a political statement about people from England.
I also like the way it outs me immediately and without a doubt as a descriptivist.
Still, I would have preferred a good pun.
But there already is a website/ newsletter/ magazine that does what you do
Is there really? I haven’t been able to find it, so I’d love the link, please let me know in the comments below!
There are mistakes in your English, and they are making me angry, grrr!
I do my best, but writing this newsletter is not my main job, so I’m often working against the clock. Also, it’s just me, I don’t have any fancy editors correcting my work, like what proper publications do.
Plus, though I do consider myself a native speaker, sometimes my Dutch will creep in and infect my English. My punctuation, especially, suffers from bilingualism.
If you see any mistakes, do shoot me an email, and I will pretty promise to try to do better next time.
Will you start charging money if the newsletter is successful?
No.
The monthly newsletter as it exists now will never cost money.
One day I might (might!) offer extra content for subscribers, but that’s probably years away.
Then what do you get out of it?
Joy? (*thinks*) Yes, joy.
Networking, also. I wrote my master’s thesis on Dutch English and can see myself one day doing a PHD. (How world Englishes are viewed by the Dutch education system is a subject I sometimes think about.) I guess it can’t hurt having a website and newsletter on the subject if I ever find myself applying for a PHD position.
Can I recommend something for the newsletter?
Absolutely! I trawl the internet every week to find the most interesting news on English, but I miss things all the time. Please let me know of anything interesting in the comments below, or email me by replying to my newsletter. Thank you!
I’ve written an essay/ paper / academic article. Will you feature it?
If it is about world Englishes and/ or English language change, then very likely yes. Just shoot me a message.
I’ve written a book, will you feature it?
Yes. I’m happy to be kept informed of new books and will gladly feature them in my newsletter.
Can I place an ad or a sponsored post?
Gosh, I don’t know, I’m not there yet. But I do like being able to pay my rent. Email me and let’s talk.
heddwen at englishinprogress.net