美国全球语言监测网（The Global Language Monitor）每年通过全球语言监测调查，排出该年度英语语言十大关键词、十大使用最频繁的短语和十大关键人物。2008年英语被世界三件大事所左右：美国总统大选、金融海啸和北京奥运会。所有的词和短语均在英语国家挑选，使用者达15亿之多。包括不同文化背景的国家如印度、中国、菲律宾及欧元区国家。
2008年十大关键词
变革-2008年美国总统竞选最狂热政治流行词。
救市-金额本会更高，但直至9月中旬才见诸媒体。
奥巴马狂热 -形容世界各地对奥巴马美国总统竞选和随后胜选的反应，。
绿色漂涤 -产品的重新定位，强调其环保属性。
浪涌-军事和政治战略，通常被引用为减少伊拉克的暴力。
衍生工具-外来金融工具用于巧妙包装的垃圾级债券。
次级抵押-抵押贷款被打包为衍生物。
止赎-次贷残局的最终结果。
Phelpsian ：生造的新词用来描述菲尔普斯在北京奥运会赢得8枚金牌。
中式英语-北京在奥运会开始之前试图杜绝的有趣的中文/英文混合体。
2008年十大最受欢迎的词语
金融海啸-全球金融危机最终产生衍生物用于包装次等抵押贷款。
全球变暖-美国总统竞选的第2号时髦词。
是的，我们能够-是的，的确，他可以，他做到了。
跛脚鸭-从当选为总统到就职典礼等待2个半月所发生的事。
工人阶级白人-显然，工人阶级白人被用作白人工人阶级的代码词。
“是的，就是这样” -今年每个人嘴上的短语，意思是“不幸的是，这都是事实”。
唇同步：林妙可的命运，这个小女孩没有唱整个世界在奥运会开幕式上唱的歌。
原油价格-石油最高价现在约每桶200美元。
超级星期二-决定竞选民主党提名候选人的日子。
突然发生的-北京奥运会最牛的中式短语。
2008年十大人物
奥巴马-.当选总统美国。
美国总统布什-跛脚鸭，第43号，决胜盘。
菲尔普斯-北京奥运会期间电视关注率最高的名字。
希拉里.克林顿-她说'他不能获胜，现在她是他的国务卿。
弗拉基米尔.普京-俄罗斯最高领导人，无论他的头衔是什么。
波诺- 英国U2乐队的头面人物，也被称为他的努力，以提醒人们关注非洲艾滋病、第三世界债务和不公平贸易而著称。
艾哈迈迪.内贾德-现在伊朗需要5000核离心机。
萨拉.帕林-阿拉斯加州长及共和党副总统候选人。
麦凯恩-不久将成为琐事问题的回答：蒙代尔，杜尔，杜卡基斯... 。
碧昂斯-在R ＆ B乐队扮演萨莎.菲尔斯的歌手。
顶级名人夫妇：萨科齐和卡拉布鲁尼-他的政策和她的前超级名模的地位大受欢迎（取代贝克汉姆和辣妹）。
原文：
The Top Ten Words of 2008
Change – The top political buzzword of the 2008 US Presidential campaign.
Bailout – Would have been higher but was not in the media until Mid-September.
Obamamania – Describing the worldwide reaction to Barack Obama’s campaign and subsequent victory in the US presidential race.
Greenwashing – Repositioning a product to stress its Earth-friendly attributes.
Surge – Military and political strategy often cited as reducing violence in Iraq.
Derivative – Exotic financial instruments used to cleverly package junk-grade debt.
Subprime – Mortgages that were packaged as derivatives.
Foreclosure – The end-result of the sub-prime mess.
Phelpsian: New word coined to describe the Phelpsian Pheat of winning eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.
Chinglish – The often amusing Chinese/English language hybrid that Beijing tried to stamp out before the Olympics began.
The Top Ten Phrases of 2008
Financial Tsunami – Worldwide financial meltdown ultimately stemming from derivatives used to package subprime mortgages.
Global Warming – The No. 2 buzzword of the US Presidential Campaign.
Yes We Can — Yes, indeed, he could and he did.
Lame Duck – What happens when you wait 2 ½ months from election to inauguration.
Working Class Whites – Apparently, working Class Whites is used as a code word for whites who are working class.
“It is, what it is” – On everyone’s lips this year meaning ‘unfortunately, those are the facts’.
Lip Synching: The fate of Lin Miaoke, the little girl who didn’t sing the song the whole world sings in the Olympics opening ceremony.
Price of oil – Oil was supposed to topping out about now at $200/barrel.
Super Tuesday – When the race for the Democratic nomination was supposed to be decided.
Suddenness Happens – Top Chinglish Phrase from the Beijing Olympics.
The Top Ten Names of 2008
Barack Obama –. President-elect of the United States.
George W. Bush – Lame Duck, No. 43, The Decider.
Michael Phelps — The top name of the top televison spectacle of all time (the Beijing Olympics)
Hilary Clinton – She said ‘he can’t win;’ now she is his Secretary of State.
Vladimir Putin – The supreme leader of Russia, whatever his title.
Bono — U2’s front man also known for his efforts to raise awareness about AIDS in African, Third World debt and Unfair Trade practices.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – Iran now claims 5,000 nuclear centrifuges.
Sarah Palin – Governor of Alaska and vice presidential nominee of the Republican party.
John McCain – Soon to be the answer to a trivia question: Mondale, Dole, Dukakis ….
Beyonce – The R&B singer AKA as Sasha Fierce.
The Top Celeb Couple: Sarkozy and Carla Bruni – Big hit for his policies and her former supermodel status (replacing David Beckham and Posh Spice).
2007: Global Language Monitor
Top Word: Hybrid (representing all things green)
No. 2: Surge
Top Phrase: Climate Change
Top Name: Al Gore
2006: Global Language Monitor
Top Word: Sustainable
Top Phrase: Stay the Course
Top Name: Dafur
2005: Global Language Monitor
Top Word: Refugee
No. 2: Tsunami
No. 3: Katrina
Top Phrase: Outside the Mainstream
Top Name: (acts of ) God
来源：加中翻译