Chinua Achebe and World Englishes

“So my answer to the question 'Can an African

ever learn English well enough to be able to use it

effectively in creative writing?' is certainly yes. If

on the other hand you ask 'Can he ever learn to

use it as a native speaker?', I should say, I hope

not. It is neither necessary nor desirable for him

to be able to do so. The price a world language

must be prepared to pay is submission to many

different kinds of use”  

Chinua Achebe in Transition (Journal), 1965:29-30

The above quote, though dated now,  is interesting for the statement it makes about a world language and what a language opens itself to in terms of diversity of varieties, when it becomes a 'world language'

Mencius  孟子 [Meng-zi]

"Mencius said, 'A gentleman teaches in five ways:

The first is by a transforming influence like that of timely rain
The second is by helping the student to realize his virtue to the full
The third is by helping him to develop his talent.
The forth is by answering his questions.
And the fifth is by setting an example others not in contact with him can emulate.

These five are the ways in which a gentleman teaches"

Paragraph 40, page 155 of  Mencius, Penguin, translated by D.C. Lau (1970) (Revised edition 2003)