. . . and narrow

Suggestions that Americans might be a touch parochial have received support from an impeccably American source. That distinctly lively journal, Lingua Franca, points with horror to a Carnegie Foundation survey of academics in 14 countries which asked if respondents agreed with the statement that "in order to keep up with developments in my discipline, a scholar must read books and journals published abroad". Average response 95 per cent agreement, US 62 per cent. As LF's R. J. Lambrose noted: "If a tree falls in the forest, it better be an English-language forest."