International Communication. Why English?

[maryemily]

there are the possibility that in some years Spanish come to be the mundial language, because the international relation that exists aong countries that use that language......It proves that the fact tha alanuage is demanded as the mundial one is a consequence from comercial interests, not a choice at all....not a metalinguistic choice.

[Guest]

so answer me: Why is English the universal language?????

I think you're in denial because the question is already answered. For some reason, you don't seem to accept the fact it's already answered.

[Guest]

When France was the most powerful country, people needed to speak French more than any other language....

sorry, it was a stupidity. but, for example, I will try to explain what happens here in Brazil. Here, students learn English in school, must have know this language to find jobs, etc, here, there are English even in banks, shoppings, but not for tourists, for us. Students usually ask why do they have to know English, of course, teachers tend to answer that the reasons come from international bussiness. But it makes us realize that as EUA is a great economic power, the use of English as the bussiness language is a consequence from it, of course, a consequence from the great technological advance also. But, we, Brazilians are passive related to this language, a person said that language is related to identity, yeah, here Brazilians speak Portuguese with English, people name things with English words.....But, English as the mundial language is not a choice, it is a consequence from the economic development that ocurred in Eua x a low one in many other countries. For example, here, we also make bussiness with our neighbour countries that have Spanish as language. But Spanish is not tha mundial language because the world makes more bussiness with Eua thanwith Spanish language countries. So, it is a consequence. So, not a choice at all......... What do you think?

You don't have a choice anymore based on economy-wide because thing is already set. Your country is way behind in economy. That's why you've losen your choice to choose. You speak Portuguese because you were colonized by Portugal. Now your country starts to associate with English because you need that for business. How do you know people in business field who know how to speak Spanish don't speak it with Spanish people? You can't be sure about that, right?
Before that, English, French and Spanish were used widely but now more people know how to speak English so base on international wide, bigger field, things are set and you hardly choose if you're behind others. But if in a smaller field, like I said, personal things, you can choose.

[maryemily]

[/quote]You don't have a choice anymore based on economy-wide because thing is already set. Your country is way behind in economy. That's why you've losen your choice to choose. You speak Portuguese because you were colonized by Portugal. Now your country starts to associate with English because you need that for business. How do you know people in business field who know how to speak Spanish don't speak it with Spanish people? You can't be sure about that, right?
Before that, English, French and Spanish were used widely but now more people know how to speak English so base on international wide, bigger field, things are set and you hardly choose if you're behind others. But if in a smaller field, like I said, personal things, you can choose.[/quote]


yeah....that is right....now, I understand what you mean.... :D

[mercy]

I guess the best solution is to learn all the languges in the world .. it's amazing . isn't it ?
yes i like to know how diffrent countires talk and comunicate with each other
and i like too much to know more cultures .. and the language reflect the country's cultutre


what do you think?

[birrel]

There is a nice analogy with the international use of the English language. Nobody would claim that English is particularly well suited to be the world's lingua franca by virtue of its intrinsic beauty, simplicity, or utility. Yet it is certainly the language in which citizens of different countries most often converse and do business, and increasingly so. One chooses to use a lingua franca, as one chooses a currency, in the belief that it is the one others are most likely to use, and moreover one can earn more money

[GiddyGad]

History gives the best explanation possible for EL popularity: an aggressor never feels like learning the language of a defeated country. Aggression can be financial, economic, military, cultural... Language popularity only indicates who is the aggressor. The same was with Latin, French, German, Russian and other languages. A local population, a people being under aggression, is either friend or foe: either a puppet in the hands of the aggressor or, as it is interpreted nowadays, a 'terrorist', 'separatist, 'anti-globalist' etc. Both friend and foe need the language of the aggressor for their (so different) purposes. Language popularity is practical. Are you ready to sell yourself (soul and body) and betray your own people and culture? Or are you going to use your knowledge for the benefit of your culture, your people? Its a moment of truth.

[Hardi]

German is not so difficult.. well maybe writing is difficult. In chinese is surely writing the hardest part but... in reality I don't know anything about Chinese.

[Garine Keller]

I think the English is a very important linguage, but it's not there more. In the globalization world, don't have a necessary universal linguage. Always haven a many forms to comunicate.
It's important that any people good learn first your linguage for after learn others linguages. That it's the point.

[Andrefm]

:) I like English as an international language, i'm used to see movies and listening to songs in English. I like to discover what they're saying (I get angry if can't but that's ok ). Learning English's important to me cause I use it in my job and I want to travel abroad someday. The most important is being proud of your native language, because it means your identity.

[gislaine]

I think that english is the best language to learn on a international level because is a easy one to learn,lets face it it is everywhere. For example:the USA has spread its culture around the world with music,movies and of course with politics.Its no surprise that youth today is breading the american way of life.
Bye,gi

[Rodrigo Klassen]

i think it depends on the situation. an example: for business english is already the international language used around the world. and it works out very well.
Although, we have to consider that english is the language spoken in the most rich countries in the world and this is a great reason to have it as an international language.
But economic changes can happen, maybe in the future it'll be necessary to learn languages sponken at asia or south america.
so, in my opinion, actually english is the easier way to comunicate with all the world but i'm sure it can changes across the times.

[Guilherme]

Because English is the language of the "powerful's world" then all want to absorb your culture, and the language is the first step. Also the USA is a "power technological" being necessary to know English for used.

[wilfford]

hi people,
i'm marcio ,from brazil, and in first place i really enjoy the english language.if portuguese was the language most spoken in the world,i'd think that it would be the best language to the world,if i would be a chinese citizen, i could think that the chinese language is the best language and so
there must be a standart of language,and if english is most spoken, why not be the standart language?

[thinhare]

Hey, people,

It's not something about "the best". It's just about "the defacto".

[Anin]

Hi everybody :) ,
Have ypu heard that in the USA they were choosing between English and German to became their official language?
Finally, English had won and I think it was the best result. My mum is a teacher of German, and when I saw the German Grammar and heard the hard pronunciacion I totally gave up the idea of learning German.
I love English I have been learning that beautiful language more than 13 years (since 5) and I have never regretted the choice of it.
And, what about Spanish? It is supposed to have more learners than English by the year 2010. Do you think Spanish could threaten the leadership of English among the world languages?
Last I want to add is that English surely become the world´s number one because of its flexibility. There are millions of ways to express everything you want. Moreover it uses shortened forms which are much easier for remembering. This is the disadvantage of German, that the vocabular contains lots of words that are extremely long.

[Honey]

English is one of the easiest languages (for not saying it's the easiest... yes, believe it: the easiest!) language to learn. Its system is easy to elarn, and one of the only difficulties would be its pronunciation. Nonetheless, one aspect that makes it a bad thing - although it's not in English itself - is the fact that a culture is being transmitted with it, as well. So we must be very careful for that.

What if Chinese were the chosen language? (and it's not so far from today, as I can see )

[authorityquery]

I think english has been used like an international language for along time . And it's Ok I like it very much even my conditions 's poor. But noproblem, importance you want to study English.
English 's stiill accepted in the world and maybe in the future, who knows, international languages next 50 years.
Thanks.

[sky888walker]

Guys, i dont think we have any other choice. If i had any chance to choose any language to be an international language, i would choose my own language.

Whether you like it or not, no matter how good your reasons are, you have to live with it. English (bless all english speaking people) has been luckily chosen as one of international languages.

Simple answers, simple words, from a simple man.. lol

[GiddyGad]

I think english has been used like an international language for along time . And it's Ok I like it very much even my conditions 's poor. But noproblem, importance you want to study English.
English 's stiill accepted in the world and maybe in the future, who knows, international languages next 50 years.
Thanks.

English became international only after 1945, after the WW2, when American soldiers appeared in Europe and Far East. There's no wonder: it's simpler to teach a foreign language to local folk than to soldiers.

The popularity of the English language will fade away like any other international language of the Past: Greek, Latin, Arab, French, Spanish, German, Russian... The list is endless. To cut it short, it's catching but it'll pass.

So far it is popular and more advantageous for non-native speakers than for native speakers: it gives non-natives an opportunity to see the world with the eyes of another culture; and it deprives natives of the necessity to understand other cultures....

[keling]

language is a tool of communication

the more the population , the more popular is their language

english is an ancient language in the world for the long history

of the country .furthermore , the britian has colonized many

countries in middle 19century it's language is inevitable

transport to those countries which been colonized by it

[sunnyni]

There are too many reasons forEnglish to be a global language.

From the history, UK is the first colonial contry , they brought English into others countries around it during the aggression. It was a chance for English to spead abroad.
From the technology, so many high techinal issues ,reports are written in english. If we want to study it , we must master English. For UK and USA are two leader in the scienece and tchnology. And i wondered why they are the leader in the science and tchnology , i believed hisorical aggression is the vital factor.
From the economy, UK and USA accelerate the economy went up. Now the UK and USA will increase their points for the economy increase. So they started to invest in other countries,where they can find more low-cost laboure and material. This is the second chance to spread English , lead english to be a global language. why UK and USA can accelerate the economy development, I believe it is hisorical aggression is vital factor too.

So , in one word , It is historical reason made English into common use.

[Pixie]

English ain't that 'easy' although people keep saying that, they're wrong. When I first started off with learning english, i told myself " damn, t'is rather easy ". When you got basics, it becomes more complicated, because english vocabulary is imo endless.

[Rui]

i agree with all the things that have been said until now, but please don't change the internacional language now, i'm making a big effort to handle with english 8)

[GiddyGad]

hehehe,

Don't worry

Noone's gonna displace English being international, as long as it is INTERNATIONAL English. International English is quite different from any national English. That's why oftentimes native speakers are of no help here.

Smiles,
GiddyHad

[trinity19]

i think the "choice" of the international language in every moment of history depends on the economical power of that moment, not on which one is the easiest one so, as history changes, the international languahe will change.and i hope i don't have to live it cuz i'm not capable of learning another language! lol

[netyugi]

I think English is important to everyone, but Chinese is important equally. In the future, Chinese will be instead of English as the best International Communication. It will be better and better that our economic index and business are developed. It will be exceed the west countries. So more and more people will learn Chinese and come to China to do business.

I agree with you!

[jackiee]

hi,everyone,
I think that English is the best choice for an international
language, because there are many nations use it,so it is a very
convenient tool. we have to accept it.however you like it or not,but we have to realize . basically ,it is only an international
communication tool.

[willzheng]

:( , I would prefer that the french language became the most popular language around the world, because I'm a french guy and it's easier for me to speak french.
But I understand that english speaking is today the most wide-spread for several reasons.
During the last four centuries the UK was the first colonial country, therefore the english language is now known by practically all the big nations. It's why it's a wise solution to approve the english language as the most popular.

(his teacher says)
However it should be remembered that at the time that the british empire was expanding so too was the french. It was perhaps only by the luck of history(France not wanting to push for colonies in india, france pulling out of america, they made perhaps not the best choice by concentrating on Africa, and of course Napoleon losing at Waterloo) that we go to McDanalds and order a Big Mac. It could so nearly have been La Grande Mac.
Donc Voila Quoi

yes,that is Right.it is a fact that most people when they go out to other countries they speak English,and they don't know your native laguage,so ohters want to talk with them,so they speak English.
And we can't choose,so we have to lear english inorde to talke with others