What is Specialized English?
'''Specialized English''' is a [[controlled language|controlled]] version of the [[English language]] used for radio [[broadcasting]], easier for non-native speakers of English. It is based on [[Voice of America]] (VoA) [[Special English]]. Specialized English was set up initially by Feba Radio in the UK. Feba now uses Specialized English with US radio companies [http://www.woh.org Words of Hope] and [http://www.btgh.org Back to God Ministries International]. All three are Christian, but Specialized English is not used for religious preaching programs. Its main use is in the features service program 'Spotlight', which is widely broadcast on over sixty outlets globally. Scripts and audio are also available freely on the [http://www.spotlightradio.net Spotlight website]. == Design and usage == Specialized English sounds the same as [[Special English]], and it almost is the same. Both use a 1500 word core vocabulary, short sentences, and slow delivery (about 90 words per minute). [[Special English]] was used from about 1959 by [[Voice of America]]. Specialized was written in the late 1990's, independently of Voice of America. The basic design is identical, but there is a slight difference in the vocabulary, and Specialized is more international. VoA is a federal US government department, so it doesn't make Special English programs for anything other than VoA's own use. Specialized English was designed by the civil society, and the developers try to make programs for several purposes. The developers of Specialized felt they should choose a name to show both the similarity and the difference. The reason that Specialized was based on [[Special English]] is related to their respective usage. They are not primarily teaching tools (even though they are popular as an aid to learning) but communication tools. The choice of words in the [http://www.spotlightradio.net/wordlist.php 1500 word list] depends to a degree on what is to be communicated. Most of the words are the most frequently learned, most commonly used Englis