English as World Language

[GhostInTheMachine]

Due to the popularity of the discussion about learning second languages under @RisingThumb 's profile post, it has come to my attention that many of us, myself included to some extent, have english as their second language.

In this context, what is your opinion of english having become the world language?

(By that I mean the lingua franca, the language used in international communication, as we do here.)

Are you satisfied, or would you suggest a better alternative? How does the spreading of the english language influence your local culture? Would you prefer french, the previous choice? Or should we rather all be speaking Esperanto? Should we RETVRN to latin? Or learn chinese to welcome our new overlords?

Discuss!

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For me it is very convenient, having migrated from an english speaking country at a young age, that it is the language I already know. I get the benefits, say in employment, for free. In Germany, where I live now, this also makes me the "good sort" of foreigner, however fucked up that may be. When it comes to widespread local adoption of english, In my own case, both languages are so close together, that the mixing them creates some sort of linguistic uncanny valley effect. This coupled with Germany's inferiority complex when it comes to it's own culture leading to people and companies using english to seem "with it.", results in ridiculous effect. "Engrish" is often mentioned online, but "Denglisch" is in my opinion an equal contender.
The amount of terrible english here is simply staggering! Once I went past a factory with a massive floor to roof high advert reading "100 YEARS ICONIC BATHROOM SOLUTIONS" (Zis basthroom vill last a sthousand years! Amirite? Funny how it often ends up in unintentional nazi connotations.) I remember seeing some skincare/massage place whose slogan, in english of course, unintentionally suggested the violent removal of your skin; Inviting! Of course, us calling our phones "Handys" takes the cake. It would be sad if it weren't so hilarious.
The words previously imported from french mesh way better, I find, but I am pedantic.

edit: formatting

 

[power gem]

i can't find it rn but I remember reading an article some years ago by an academic whose first language was not English. the central argument of the piece was that the flexibility of English makes it easy to make oneself understood on a basic level, but simultaneously makes it almost impossible to master. i don't really speak any other languages so i can't comment on whether or not that is true compared to french or chinese or swahili, but I found it interesting. in my experience most young people from western and central europe speak english as well as or better than native speakers, but the germans seem uniquely bad at it. i always assumed this was a performative way to assert national/cultural pride like how some europeans will claim that they will shit their guts out and die if they take 1 bite of a mcdonalds chicken nugget.

 

[Voicedrew]

For the last ~300 years, an English-speaking hegemony has led the world. That is unlikely to change any time soon, and even when it does, I imagine there will be lots of resistance to the change, even among people for whom English is not their native tongue. People from across the globe mix English words into their everyday speech, despite it being completely unnecessary.

Maybe someday, in the far off future, we will view English the same way we view Latin. Of course, I hope that future is very far off.

 

[Sketch Relics]

Due to how loose the language is with it's rules as a result of being composed of several different languages and dialects of itself, its tendency toward picking up new words as it sees fit, and general lack of care about its own historical consistency, English is arguably the only language that can currently serve as a world/trade language.

Maybe someday, in the far off future, we will view English the same way we view Latin. Of course, I hope that future is very far off.

I think it's more likely to splinter off into a true trade language, granted it would probably be more of a back up since auto translators are very likely to be a thing at that point.

 

[雨、Some_porcupine、 逃げ出した後]

no matter the language, symbols gestures or tones, you have to learn it either way.
well, if not telepathy , then; or some wannabe universal pictograms

 

[Adeptus]

On the one hand, a universal language has many advantages - it facilitates intellectual, commercial, tourist contacts.... On the other hand - the displacement of national languages by a single universal one would probably lead to the disappearance of many cultures associated with these languages.