As I work more with groups I'm seeing how they revert and perform according to their lowest common denominator (LCD), if you will. I bounced this idea off of the guys who meet at GIG. I saw it working especially in this group. Of the 12 or so members, there are only two 1st-language English speakers who particpate (me being one of them). Without fail, the group would start off in Afrikaans and then revert to English as soon as

a) someone noticed that I spoke English, or
b) I made a point in English.

So, in this context the group decided, unconsciously, that the LCD was English, and without consciously knowing it, reverted to speaking in English. When I reflected this back to the group, they were surprised. My own defesniveness around English being inferior aside, have any of you noticed how this happens?

Well, Dana Snyman, has written a great article in Die Beeld who taken another view on why this happens. Read it here.