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We all know of the many wars and revolts in Southeast Asia that have resulted in millions of innocent victims. The war that I intend to tell you about is ruthless, too, even if it causes no bloodshed.

The war we are now witnessing is between two languages, French and English. The language of Shakespeare and Churchill is the aggressor, needless to say, whereas French, comfortably established in the region for many years, fights to survive against the odds.

Rule Britannia? In the 19th century, Britain was one of the most powerful nations on Earth. This was due to the size of its Empire. With territories on every continent, the colonies comprised 25% of the world's area and population. That is why people used to say: "The sun never sets on the British Empire."

Peter Gentle

"Nobody' s perfect" - the last words of the Marilyn Monroe film Some Like it Hot are all too true when we speak a foreign language. Everybody makes mistakes when they talk to foreigners no matter how good their command of the language. Here are a few amusing mistakes made recently by learners of English. We have also included a couple made by native English speakers desperately trying to learn Polish.

Piotr and Monica

Theft is a word associated with things like bank robberies, burglary, muggings and even fraud, but what would you think if you woke up one day, looked out of the window and found that someone had stolen the entire pavement of your street? That' s what residents of London and other large cities across Britain wake up to with increasing frequency and the reason, believe it or not, is the ever-growing popularity of gardening. See the connection? Or are you completely confused? Let me explain.

"We are the future of Europe. The future shape of our continent depends on us." So said the young people who came to Strasbourg from 43 countries for the 50th anniversary of the Council of Europe.

Benjamin Zephaniah, one of Britain's leading poets, merges politics and reggae with incisive wit. He was born in Birmingham in the industrial heartland of England, a far cry from his Jamaican roots, but his popularity has since spread around the globe, even earning him a no.1 slot in Yugoslavia!

The music's fabulous, the lyrics go from the simple to the surreal. But do they mean anything? And does it really matter?

The origins of Royal Jubilees date back to the days of Ancient Egypt. Pharaohs were obliged to take part in various ceremonies to demonstrate their continuing virility and competence to rule. The word Jubilee is Hebrew and comes from Yobel, which refers to the ram's horn that was used in those days to proclaim that celebrations were about to begin.

The entire staff at The World of English would like to congratulate all those who passed their recent Matura exams. We hope our magazine was helpful, in some small way, to your success in passing the written and/or oral English examinations. We wish you all the very best and look forward to being a part of your continued educational pursuits... And now that Matura is history it' s time to think about your future educational goals.

The summer is here and the travel bug has been biting everyone. Roads and airports will soon be packed with vacationers, and beaches, resorts and theme parks are ready for the tourist season. But for some folks there's no fun in those places. While people might still want the same things - relaxation, adventure or love - nowadays a summer trip's got to be further, faster or just plain freakier. Vacations ain't what they used to be, writes Steve DeBretto.

For the person who has everything