What global language?

[m42]

English isn't managing to sweep all else before it -- and if it ever does become the universal language, many of those who speak it won't understand one another.

BECAUSE I am interested in what happens to the English language, over the past year or so I've been asking people, at dinner parties and professional gatherings and so on, whether they think that English is well on its way to being the global language. Typically, they look puzzled about why I would even bother to ask such an obvious question. They say firmly, Of course. Then they start talking about the Internet. We're just having a conversation, so I refrain from launching into everything I'm about to tell you. It's not that I believe they're actually wrong. But...

http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2000/11/wallraff.htm

The article is a bit dated.

What are your thoughts?

[Will.Spencer]

I think there are two key points in this issue:

Global languages vs. Local languages

People who seldom travel may speak their local language, and only their local language. People who travel, or those whose work with people in other parts of the globe, do speak English.

Economic stratification of languages

Poor people speak their native tongues. Rich people speak English, in addition to their native tongues. By rich, in this context, I am including highly paid professional workers. These people also make sure their children speak English, because English proficiency is a key to economic success in large portions of the world.


People will continue speaking their native tongues, but English is the vehicular language that the world uses to communicate.

[John A Roark]

Yes, but...
Will numbers have anything to do with it?
Might Mandarin Chinese or Hindustani make waves someday?

[Will.Spencer]

Yes, numbers will -- but not numbers of people -- numbers of dollars (or equivalent currency).

[John A Roark]

Look through history, and you will find that all wars are caused by population pressure (yes, they are--I did my research, you do your own).
As the East spreads west, the sheer volume of people may well overwhelm English.

[eternaltraveler]

What are your thoughts?

English is now the language of science and business world wide. However, soon, bothering to learn more than one language will be more or less irrelevant because we'll all have universal translators built into our blackberries. This technology exists on a bare bones level right now. Just combine something like dragon naturally speaking with a text translator program.