English - Official Language of the World ?

[Balagor]

 

you see, we don't have much problem communicating right now without any official language But With an International Language, which is English. I for one don't see any reason in making it official to call for trouble. there is some difference between Official and International per say.

 

 

Very wisely said @Ihoe :thumbsup:

[Trandoshan]

Guess we're the generation on the linguistic edge. The next one knows more and everything much better.

 

Progress is a strong tool, and the next generation will use it much more than we have. This topic may be a reality in a few generations, but for now it seems preposterous that the world could enjoy a single language.

 

In essence, people in the 1800's believed that flying machines were impossible, and 20,000 leagues under the sea (1869) was simply a fairy tale.

 

I have a historical inference if anyone cares... probably not.

 

The spread of a certain language has always risen from the strength of the nation's origin. Greece spread it through the middle east for a time during the reign of the Diadochoi. Rome spread Latin like AIDS when they conquered regions. French was the scholar's language during the middle ages, and all people of any nation who were collegiate class knew it. English was spread by both the British Empire, and the American Empires when they existed. Yes, the American Empire... read some history.

 

point being the next superpower of the world, Whoever it may be, will have greater leverage on what is to be the next most popular language. Chinese? Arabic? German? You could be surprised to find out who owns who when you are fifty years older.

 

edit:

 

I voted 'Impossible', 'No', and 'Bad Thing' not for the fact that it is impossible for all time, but the fact that it probably won't happen for at least another 300 years or so.

[hoshi23]

theres nothing bad about it being international. i suppose it can be very usefull too. so ching chang chong i say it gonna happen. let alone that in every country they have coca cola. smart move america!

 

and who knows maybe in the future polar bears are gonna form a goverment and penguins gonna get shipped world wide from antarticta.

 

it could be the next dominion or not incase

global warming is true.

 

really you never know whats gonna happen next.

[Keanumoreira]

I believe that one day in the future, the entire world will speak one language, this is very, very bad. I mean think about, won't culture be disrupted? Language IS culture, anyone who disagrees either doesn't know what they're saying and or doesn't know the definition of culture. As a refresher I'll evaluate, culture is a way of life, how we live it, what we do with it, and language is one of the many major factors here. I for one don't understand why culture is second to last to human desires, does that make sense? I mean we as a species are very unique, we are as rare in nature as it gets. We are lucky to even have culture in the first place, let alone intelligence, its a very fragile thing. So yes in the future we will all speak the same language, probley through force, but I hope to god its like Mass effect and we have universal translators so that we can understand each other no matter what we are saying.

[Vagrant0]

I believe that one day in the future, the entire world will speak one language, this is very, very bad. I mean think about, won't culture be disrupted? Language IS culture, anyone who disagrees either doesn't know what they're saying and or doesn't know the definition of culture. As a refresher I'll evaluate, culture is a way of life, how we live it, what we do with it, and language is one of the many major factors here. I for one don't understand why culture is second to last to human desires, does that make sense? I mean we as a species are very unique, we are as rare in nature as it gets. We are lucky to even have culture in the first place, let alone intelligence, its a very fragile thing. So yes in the future we will all speak the same language, probley through force, but I hope to god its like Mass effect and we have universal translators so that we can understand each other no matter what we are saying.

If language is culture, then it will be preserved within those cultures, however, the relationship is not absolute. Language impacts culture just as culture impacts language. Meaning that the language will also be changed with the culture. Many English words have been added to the social lexicon simply through exposure to other cultures.

[Maharg67]

I have another view and that we could gain a new, simpler and easier to learn language for diplomatic, commerce and international travel purposes but that this world language will not replace all others. English is not that language for it is difficult for many people to learn and speak. Neither is Mandarin and a few other languages already existing.

 

People will be at least bilingual (speakers of two languages). National and ethnic languages should remain safe and even be deliberately preserved. This would be a good thing as it would not force all people to speak only the one language.

[Surenas]

Guess there is a difference between a lingua franca and a language of wider communication.

So it happens that a language alien to 92% of men is communication language but not lingua franca. The wider communication in English is thus in the hands of just 8% of men, the pool of the intellectual, political and economic elite. And as long as the open Western market is still the Mekka of Asian exports, well of the increase of the Asian gross national product, English will remain the 1st choice for wider communication.