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Hugo Wagner

Prospective graduate student in Mechanical Engineering,

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Is our destiny to be one world with one language?

Are we heading towards a world with one common language?
If you think so, do you believe that it will happen naturally (because globalization requires it) or because of one country's leading "soft power"?
Would it enhance international cooperation and promote better understanding between countries?

On the other hand, what would it mean for human cultures and civilizations?

Related Talks:
Topics: Languages World Peace globalization international cooperation
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    Malarie Howard

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    Aug 7 2011: I do think that the world is slowly moving towards English becoming the common language because of business and the growth of the global community. I think the idea of a common language could possibly help international cooperation, but at the same time I think it could cause resentment amongst places whose languages are not being used. I think it's very possible for the English language to imperialize the less common languages, which I think is horrible.

    As long as the common language doesn't degrade the beauty of having thousands of languages in the world, then I think it would be a good thing.
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      Petr Frish 100+

      • +1
      TED Translator
      Aug 10 2011: Brian says: As a native English speaker, my vote is for Esperanto :)
      Well - my vote -vote of a non-native speaker of English is :: ENGLISH. Seriously.

      Esperanto would be logical - but people are not logical - and will not became logical in a near future
      (of some few thousand years - even if our descendants will last that long)

      I did listen to the interesting talk called Facing the Reality
      http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=_YHALnLV9XU bu UN translator prof Piron
      speaking in favor of Esperanto, but, I am not persuaded.

      Reality is that learning a language is a hard work - and success depends on motivation.
      In my teens I was aware of Esperanto - but I was motivated to learn English since I wanted to study physics.
      The Feynman Lectures are still not available in Esperanto. (Lectures: http://goo.gl/NJ4Jj )

      The same choice - with different motivation - is facing millions of young people today

      " Should I make choice which is theoretically logical or one which works, which gets me to where I want to go?"

      There is nothing undemocratic about choosing Global English: I do have a strong accent - but so do all
      'native speakers' from american south, from UK (particularly Scotland and Leeds :-) ) etc etc.

      If you want to do something logical AND practical, devise ways how to teach standard pronunciation,
      free, on the web and help to explain to all those speakers. who are so convinced, that their native English
      is 'more correct' then another native English, that 'native' means nothing. Being understood is the goal.

      Today, we only have variety of native dialects of English. (Are some 'more native than other'?)

      We can all agree on one International English (ien) and make it available on the web for free
      (with the Pronunciation SPOKEN - not marked in phonetics alphabet). That would help to create a large number of speakers who are fluent ion Global English - which will become much better - more respected -- then speaking some national dialect.

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