English - Official Language of the World ?

[Surenas]

On topic: History shows many languages were at a time used as universal mean to communication. Some to specific areas, for instance German among philosophers.

 

That's a known argument made by Ortega y Gasset in the 2nd decade of the 20th c. CE, but the absolute number of philosophers that had to speak German at a certain time due a professional literature written in German has never ever entered into an equation similar or equal to the one we're are dealing with - if you'd like to understand the Holy Bible in a professional way it is even today still necessary to learn Hebrew and Greek first. Both wonderful examples are beside the point, I think.

 

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[AncientSpaceAeon]

The most spoken languages in the world are

Chinese Mandarin 1,1 billion

English 375 million

Spanish 360 million

Oops :wallbash: . But because the population of China itself is over 1.3 billion people, that makes sense. Still, I was wrong with English as the "most used language".

[Trandoshan]

However I would never support an idea of having just one common language. We need to have our local laguages and dialecs in order to preserver our cultures, our diffrenties and what makes us who we are.

What we need, and I think we allready have is a common language or two for making business together, education, research, etc, etc.

 

Ho. You sir, struck gold. More specifically...

 

for making business together

 

Ah... even foreigners want a piece of the pie. This is the truth, no?

 

This is the reason they teach English to Japanese students, and it is a requirement for most business echelons of Europe to learn English. The key word is business, and it will always hold truth. Since America, and formerly Great Britain, were the economic powerhouses of the modern era, it was always a good idea to do business with those nations. A requirement of such is learning the language of the current economic superpower. So many people use English as a secondary or tertiary language, that it's safe to say that these statements are the truth. Don't believe me? Ask your economics teacher.

[Balagor]

However I would never support an idea of having just one common language. We need to have our local laguages and dialecs in order to preserver our cultures, our diffrenties and what makes us who we are.

What we need, and I think we allready have is a common language or two for making business together, education, research, etc, etc.

 

Ho. You sir, struck gold. More specifically...

 

for making business together

 

Ah... even foreigners want a piece of the pie. This is the truth, no?

 

This is the reason they teach English to Japanese students, and it is a requirement for most business echelons of Europe to learn English. The key word is business, and it will always hold truth. Since America, and formerly Great Britain, were the economic powerhouses of the modern era, it was always a good idea to do business with those nations. A requirement of such is learning the language of the current economic superpower. So many people use English as a secondary or tertiary language, that it's safe to say that these statements are the truth. Don't believe me? Ask your economics teacher.

 

I don´t think that I ever disagreed with you, except that besides English, we should not forget our mothertongue. Speak about China, a full speed rising economic power, just bought Volvo yesterday. Presume they will become the absolute centrum of economic power on day. They do speak English in China, but far less than in other countries we normally do business with. Will it be about time then, that we wil see Chineese teaching in US UK EU classrooms? :biggrin:

[Trandoshan]

It already has, Balagor.

 

They started offering Mandarin Chinese at my high-school just as I left to go to college. My college has extensive courses on Mandarin that they almost made a requirement for certain business programs. Mandarin is the 'hip' new Spanish in the U.S. as of current, though most service professions in the United States still smile on knowing Spanish.

 

I wouldn't be against learning Mandarin as a second language if it wasn't so damned difficult. I'm still trying to learn Japanese, and German...ese....

[Balagor]

It already has, Balagor.

 

They started offering Mandarin Chinese at my high-school just as I left to go to college. My college has extensive courses on Mandarin that they almost made a requirement for certain business programs. Mandarin is the 'hip' new Spanish in the U.S. as of current, though most service professions in the United States still smile on knowing Spanish.

 

I wouldn't be against learning Mandarin as a second language if it wasn't so damned difficult. I'm still trying to learn Japanese, and German...ese....

 

But Mandarine is only a offer I guess.?

Many schools low or high levels here in EU have English as a mandatory subject.

[Vagrant0]

Well, the problem with Mandarin as a universal language currently is that the language itself is rather difficult, and although most can speak it, the reading literacy rates are extremely low even in China. Most westerners would outright refuse the language simply because the characters are too foreign to try and read or write. Even Japanese, which has a much more simplified grammar and character structure ends up scaring off most as soon as it comes to the written word. Most of the languages which are not based on Latin-Greek characters seem incomprehensible to westerners.

[Pushkatu]

Will it be about time then, that we wil see Chineese teaching in US UK EU classrooms? :biggrin:

 

My PUC(programming and utilizing computers) teacher said Chineese classes will be available at the college I study very soon. He is "in touch" with the chineese ambassador in Romania and they already developed many programs for students, including chineese arts classes and engeneering classes for the profile I'm at.

Sounds like fun and I'd like to learn the language.

[Trandoshan]

Good luck, Chineese is a very hard language, as stated by everyone it seems.

 

 

Though I have to ask a question push. How does a Chineese ambassador have enough influence to change a learning curriculum? Sounds like a very powerful man. Romania, although economically sound, does not seem like it would benefit much from taking up business with Chinaa. I always thought them to be a Mediterranean trader, and nothing more. Is Romania a globalized economy?

[Balagor]

We are all more or less globalized economies. China will become (is allready) a big one within the next two decades, They allready export worth dollars 1200 trillions of goods to the world. Chineese people are strong, and don´t bend to a small crisis. As far as I know their culture they will work their way out of it. Thus I still think it will be a good idea for the young generations to come, learn Chineese too. And English. Those will be the main spoken languages.