The globalisation of English

[assassin_696]

If you're so keen on isolationism, please, disconnect your internet, lock your doors and just don't go out. The irony of you using the internet to promote isolationist policies is unbelievable.

[Lenin64]

If you're so keen on isolationism, please, disconnect your internet, lock your doors and just don't go out. The irony of you using the internet to promote isolationist policies is unbelievable.

 

Don't forget to turn off the lights and kill the dog.

[Spirrus]

:shame: We need to unite the ENTIRE earth under one banner, at least I feel that way. If we can get more people to understand each other, it wont matter about cultures or religions because everyone can understand why people in different parts of the world act differently.

 

 

 

Think about it: If everyone was united, there would be no more war, there would be no more spending money on foreign countries as there is a single money poll to draw from.

 

 

 

 

 

Agreed.

[Satenza]

:shame: We need to unite the ENTIRE earth under one banner, at least I feel that way. If we can get more people to understand each other, it wont matter about cultures or religions because everyone can understand why people in different parts of the world act differently.

 

 

 

Think about it: If everyone was united, there would be no more war, there would be no more spending money on foreign countries as there is a single money poll to draw from.

 

 

 

The prize goes to you for promoting the most boring Earth and existence imaginable.

[Rmstn1580]

The Worldwide English Community (made it up) is not forcing English upon countries. The countries make their own citizens learn English. It's not like America is saying "learn English or we'll nuke you". It just happens to be the world's language. I'm sure within the next 75 years Chinese will be the world language.

 

 

 

For example look at Europe in the time of feudalism. Then look what happened after they standardized the money (Renaissance).

[hicky_mouse]

:shame: We need to unite the ENTIRE earth under one banner, at least I feel that way. If we can get more people to understand each other, it wont matter about cultures or religions because everyone can understand why people in different parts of the world act differently.

 

 

 

Think about it: If everyone was united, there would be no more war, there would be no more spending money on foreign countries as there is a single money poll to draw from.

 

 

 

The prize goes to you for promoting the most boring Earth and existence imaginable.

 

The most boring Earth yes, but not existence. With no war on Earth, we would develop greater programs for space exploration. While in space, we would discover intelligent aliens. We would do battle and win (of course), and begin colonizing their worlds. We would keep going from there, destroying alien species after alien species and spreading the human race.

[Satenza]

What the hell.

[Zonorhc]

The Worldwide English Community (made it up) is not forcing English upon countries. The countries make their own citizens learn English. It's not like America is saying "learn English or we'll nuke you". It just happens to be the world's language. I'm sure within the next 75 years Chinese will be the world language.

 

 

 

For example look at Europe in the time of feudalism. Then look what happened after they standardized the money (Renaissance).

 

 

 

No governments force their populations to learn English. At best, the population puts pressure on their governments to promote education in English because of the business prospects that come with the language.

 

 

 

Care to cite any evidence as to why Chinese (Mandarin, I'm assuming) will become the world's major language in the next 75 years?

 

 

 

I don't see the relevance of your last example. Care to elaborate? I don't seem to recall any mention in academic literature of any standardisation of currencies beyond individual territories, such as the regulatory measures imposed by the Venetian mint in the 13th-14th centuries.

[rushrock]

I agree with the person/people who said that spreading English would diminish the power of culture and the color, if you will, of life and of the world around us.

[LP]

English is "the language of business", without it there would be much hassle between companies and people over-seas.

[Rmstn1580]

Well because China is advancing more rapidly than the US?

[BlueLancer]

Well because China is advancing more rapidly than the US?

 

 

 

As said before numerous times... It frankly doesn't matter "which" language is being used the most. It's just a matter of picking whichever is the most profitable and useful language to know at the time. Currently, English is easily the first foreign language of choice to learn in any country. Spanish, Arabic and Chinese would come close as 2nd in terms of usefulness and profitability.

 

 

 

And now that you mentioned it, Chinese learning is on the rise especially in business colleges and other commerce related industries/universities/etc.

 

 

 

I've been learning chinese/japanese for some 6 years now, not just because it will be massively profitable to know esp. Chinese, but you will also benefit by gaining respect by the native people of those countries if you can speak their own language fluently.

 

 

 

Chinese is being a pain in the ... at the moment though :lol: But at least I'm trying. Seriously considering giving up learning to write though, it's just too darn complicated, I thought understanding the language and being able to speak it (and read some basics) could be useful too.

[Lenin64]

I agree with the person/people who said that spreading English would diminish the power of culture and the color, if you will, of life and of the world around us.

 

So basically (and I'm just quoting you specifically because yours is most recent, but this applies to everyone who posted this) you're saying that, for example, African countries can't have their tribal ceremonies (if any even still exist) because they know English? I fail to see the point you're trying to make.

[Zonorhc]

Well because China is advancing more rapidly than the US?

 

 

 

And their rapid advancement is due in part to people in China who decided that, hey, it might be a good idea to learn English so we can deal with these foreign devils and profit from it.

 

 

 

What's your point?

[rushrock]

I agree with the person/people who said that spreading English would diminish the power of culture and the color, if you will, of life and of the world around us.

 

So basically (and I'm just quoting you specifically because yours is most recent, but this applies to everyone who posted this) you're saying that, for example, African countries can't have their tribal ceremonies (if any even still exist) because they know English? I fail to see the point you're trying to make.

 

No, that's not what I meant. I just don't like the idea of English getting globalized to the extent that foreign languages would be diminished.

[warren211]

It annoys me how some people think that instead of learning a new language, they can take a short cut and only learn how to say "I speak english" in whatever languages and expect an english conversation. The audacity of english speakers scares me. you expect to come to another country that has a different official language and you expect them to be able to speak to you in your language.

[warren211]

Maybe we should just bring back a dead language like Latin. We know english but some people in other countries dont. They know their language but some of us dont. so we use a language foreign to both of us as a common language so there's no rudeness "I expect you to speak to me in my language even if I'm in your country". Course only language scholars will agree.

[Rebdragon]

Good luck pulling that one off warren.

 

 

 

I know Latin, and I still believe that's an amazingly stupid and idealistic idea.

 

 

 

It's always good for everyone to learn a new language [in fact, I believe most would agree that everyone should be at least bilingual, or possibly even trilingual], but trying to pick up some dead language and make it universal, or expecting people to speak the language of every country they visit, it's just not feasible or an intelligient use of time. Picking a universal language that's already commonly used in worldwide commerce, like English [or Mandarin Chinese, etc.], is the most logical and best way to go around making the world universally understand each other.

 

 

 

Of course, the speakers of the chosen universal language should still be expected to learn another language both for academic and global interaction reasons (as BlueLancer pointed out- one can gain much respect from citizens of Asian countries if they're able to fluently speak the language), but having one universal language that everyone speaks is what this world really needs, and it's gotta be one that already exists to pull it off.

[Zonorhc]

It annoys me how some people think that instead of learning a new language, they can take a short cut and only learn how to say "I speak english" in whatever languages and expect an english conversation. The audacity of english speakers scares me. you expect to come to another country that has a different official language and you expect them to be able to speak to you in your language.

 

 

 

Immigrants do it too, and even flat out refuse to learn English when they come here.

 

 

 

Your moral high horse is just a friggin' mule.

[Lenin64]

It annoys me how some people think that instead of learning a new language, they can take a short cut and only learn how to say "I speak english" in whatever languages and expect an english conversation. The audacity of english speakers scares me. you expect to come to another country that has a different official language and you expect them to be able to speak to you in your language.

 

 

 

Immigrants do it too, and even flat out refuse to learn English when they come here.

 

 

 

Your moral high horse is just a friggin' mule.

 

Indeed. Last time I was in an airport, one of the staff at one of the eating establishments spoke to us completely in Spanish. We left, but not before delivering an angry message rife with threats of burning and torture.