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Languages and the future

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    Languages and the future

    I thought I may share my thoughts on this topic and endure a dozen scathing demolitions of my post as an acceptable price for a few decent replies.

    Most on this forum are native english speakers and if not, speak, read and write in English to a level acceptable for professional employment in an English speaking environment.

    Why is it that most Indian, Chinese,Russian, Arabic and European professionals for the most part can speak English whereas many English (And people from english speaking countries) are essentially monolingual?

    Is it because of a historical predominance of English speaking cultures in commerce (UK, America) or is it that English is easy to learn to communicate in (Albeit difficult to learn to speak well)?

    Owing to geopolitical shifts in power in the world, do you think the english language will die out as an (IMO) lingua franca in most professional work environments where speakers of many different languages work together?

    Does the forum feel that learning new languages is good for career development, or indeed is going to become neccessary for future career prospects?
    There are no evil thoughts except one: the refusal to think

    #2
    Originally posted by sunnysan View Post
    Why is it that most Indian, Chinese,Russian, Arabic and European professionals for the most part can speak English
    If they are middle-aged or old, then they were taught English.

    If they are young, they learned Amerenglish off the telly and speak that.

    Originally posted by sunnysan View Post
    whereas many English (And people from english speaking countries) are essentially monolingual?
    We don't need to speak their language if they can speak ours.

    I think being taught a 2nd language has been mandatory here for decades. We just don't get the chance to practice it. Meanwhile , the rest of the world is listening to British pop music and watching American telly.

    Originally posted by sunnysan View Post
    Is it because of a historical predominance of English speaking cultures in commerce (UK, America)
    It's because we had an Empire, old bean.

    Originally posted by sunnysan View Post
    or is it that English is easy to learn to communicate in (Albeit difficult to learn to speak well)?
    Apparently, it is not easy. The Americans really struggle with it.

    Originally posted by sunnysan View Post
    Owing to geopolitical shifts in power in the world, do you think the English language will die out as an (IMO) lingua franca
    Oh, the irony. Do you know what 'lingua Franca' is, BTW?

    Originally posted by sunnysan View Post
    in most professional work environments where speakers of many different languages work together?
    Dunno.

    Originally posted by sunnysan View Post
    Does the forum feel that learning new languages is good for career development, or indeed is going to become necessary for future career prospects?
    Mandarin may become useful under the New World Order...
    My all-time favourite Dilbert cartoon, this is: BTW, a Dumpster is a brand of skip, I think.

    Comment


      #3
      Learning another language is good for career development and will become more so for the next generation for the historical reasons you mentioned in your post.

      For me it hasn't been essential even though I've worked in Europe because while everyone dislikes 'The English', they hate their nearest neighbours even more and so English is the only 'neutral' language that everyone is prepared to speak.

      I think that historically you are right, because we were powerful we felt we didn't need to learn the native's lingo.

      But that's going to change pretty shortly when China really begins to flex it's muscles - the only nation more arrogant* in this respect of languages are the Chinese.

      The only question I suppose is do you learn Mandarin (Beijing) or Cantonese (Hong Kong).

      *Brits aren't arrogant about language - they're mortally embarrassed about how crap they are at it and that come across as arrogant.

      PS. I do like the Chinese people - that's just my observation...
      Last edited by cojak; 24 January 2010, 10:54.
      "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
      - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

      Comment


        #4
        In 20 or 30 years, real-time language translators will be as common and widely used as satnavs are today.

        Even now, Google can translate a web page (up to a point) at the click of a button, although speech is a bit trickier to interpret and translate than text.
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          #5
          Lingua Franca

          Oh, the irony. Do you know what 'lingua Franca' is, BTW?

          Lingua Franca is Italian or Latin(Admittedly not sure) for the Frankish/French(Again not sure) Language, or at least this is its literal meaning.

          One of its functional usages, as far as I know, is the language used in a specialised environment or de facto method of communication, ergo I used it to describe English as the language used in professional environments.

          I see your point if you take the phrase literally, but that was not my intention.
          There are no evil thoughts except one: the refusal to think

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by sunnysan View Post
            Oh, the irony. Do you know what 'lingua Franca' is, BTW?

            Lingua Franca is Italian or Latin(Admittedly not sure) for the Frankish/French(Again not sure) Language, or at least this is its literal meaning.

            One of its functional usages, as far as I know, is the language used in a specialised environment or de facto method of communication, ergo I used it to describe English as the language used in professional environments.

            I see your point if you take the phrase literally, but that was not my intention.
            That post is ironic in itself.

            The adoption of the phrase ‘lingua franca’ into English shows one of the reasons why the language is so successful: its ability and wiliness to extend itself through assimilation or synthesis of new words or terms. Contrast this with the protectionism shown by other languages.
            How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.

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            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by HairyArsedBloke View Post
              The adoption of the phrase ‘lingua franca’ into English shows one of the reasons why the language is so successful: its ability and wiliness to extend itself through assimilation or synthesis of new words or terms. Contrast this with the protectionism shown by other languages.
              Like lingua franca. Sorry, I meant French.

              Comment


                #8
                OK so if I'm Italian or Greek or Indian or whatever - what one language can I learn and be able to communicate with the majority of people from any other country on the globe - English.
                I'm not saying its right, but we don't HAVE to learn another language to be able to communicate well. I don't believe that there is one language that we could learn that would enable us to communicate with the rest of the world as effectively as English is for the non English speaking nations.
                I'm sorry, but I'll make no apologies for this

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                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by HairyArsedBloke View Post
                  That post is ironic in itself.

                  The adoption of the phrase ‘lingua franca’ into English shows one of the reasons why the language is so successful: its ability and wiliness to extend itself through assimilation or synthesis of new words or terms. Contrast this with the protectionism shown by other languages.
                  Not sure I agree with the uniqueness of English to fulfil that criteria. I would apply that to any living language.

                  In other living languages there are many examples of adaptation owing to present cultural and lexical influences. EG Russian has many anglicisms in colloquial speech and increasing everyday.

                  To continue the Cyrillic theme, there are examples of Russian words making their way into modern political speak to support your statement eg aparachnik

                  So if we can agree that the metamorphosis of languages is bi-directional, what external factors will influence the persistence of English (And its shifting vocablulary), or what will precipatate its decline as a common language in many multi-lingual environments?

                  In a nutshell, for commercial purposes, is it still ok to only speak English?
                  There are no evil thoughts except one: the refusal to think

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by sunnysan View Post
                    In a nutshell, for commercial purposes, is it still ok to only speak English?
                    Oui.
                    How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.

                    Follow me on Twitter - LinkedIn Profile - The HAB blog - New Blog: Mad Cameron
                    Xeno points: +5 - Asperger rating: 36 - Paranoid Schizophrenic rating: 44%

                    "We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to high office" - Aesop

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