I love the English language. It is strong and powerful, the language of kings and conquerors. It is soft and gentle, the language of mothers and lovers. It is stately, the language of diplomats. It is fast paced, the language of trade. It is a river flowing around the world. It is old, old, old, and new every day. In its spelling, it bears the marks of its history: Jutes, Angles, Saxons, Picts, Norsemen, Romans, Normans, Indians, Australians, Chinese, Japanese, Native Americans, ancient and modern peoples; all have added to this marvelous language. I love reading English literature, both old and new. Each writer writes English in his own way, with his own cadence. I love great speeches. Each speaker speaks in his own voice. And, I love to write. I love choosing each word for its particular meaning. I love to organize my thoughts in a way that makes them understandable to someone else. I love to connect with other people through words, mind to mind, heart to heart. English is my native language, but I do not take it for granted. I study, I ponder, I read, write and talk. I notice it. I learn new words, new phrases, new constructions, new intonations. English is a living language. I love it.