Know your 'chuddies' from your 'badmash'...how to get an A-level in Hinglish?
Over hundreds of years, French, Latin and Greek gently shaped the way the English language developed.
But now there is a call for the English taught in schools to take on a much more global flavour.
A report says hybrid languages such as Hinglish - a mixture of English and Hindi - and Chinglish - a fusion of Chinese and English -should be part of the curriculum.
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How to tell your Bacha from your badmash
Instead of naughty, pupils could be told to stop being a 'badmash' and canteens might advertise 'machi-chips' beside the conventional description of fish and chips.
The call comes from the leftwing think tank Demos, which says Britain is in danger of being marginalised due to an 'outdated' attitude to the language.
Sam Jones, co-author of the report, said international influences need to be recognised as well as the growing use of hybrid English by immigrant groups.
"English can no longer be seen as a single language, but more as a family of languages," he said.
"Each of these reflect the different ways people experience the world.
"We all encounter this every day, from the sketch show Goodness Gracious Me to comments on the BBC website.
"Such variation is now as much part of the English language as grammar and word order. The problem is that it is rarely seen as such."
The think tank says the Oxford English Dictionary should be replaced as the leading authority on English by a website listing words suggested by the public.
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The site would let people across the globe contribute their own new words and definitions, creating a growing database in the same way as online encyclopaedia Wikipedia.
But some language experts say the proposals would worsen matters. The Queen's English Society said: "It is important there is a standard set of English we all understand, whatever children might use in the playground or new words appear on the Internet.
"Schools are already having difficulty teaching standard English because of a growing international influence, and they don't need to be further sidetracked."
In South Asia, Hinglish has already moved into the mainstream and is used on music channels and in advertising.
In the UK, Hinglish has appeared in TV programmes such as The Kumars at Number 42, where actress Meera Syal is credited with fast-tracking the word "chuddies", for underpants, into everyday use.
The report also says new immigrants to the UK should be allowed to go to school to learn English in lessons alongside British pupils.
• French youngsters are adopting 'cool' English words at a rapidlyincreasing rate. Established phrases like 'Le Weekend' and 'Le Fast Food' have been joined by 'le hoodie', 'le rapper', 'le hands-free' and 'le reality TV'. The government is fighting back and 'terminology commissions' are working on French alternatives.
