English as the new world language.

[azim]

Asalaamu alaykum.

English is quickly becoming the most spoken language and will quite soon, be the most spoken language in the world.

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4080401.stm)

Personally, I think English is perhaps the worst language to become a 'world language'. It is by far one of the most difficult commonly spoken languages to learn as a non-native speaker.

If English is to become a world language, to make it fair on everyone else, it should be standardised and simplified more so than it is today. Something along the lines of Basic English (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_English) but more advanced.

If anyone has ever had to learn English, or teach it to someone who knows very little English - they'll know what I'm on about. So many crazy grammatical rules and constructions, weird aspects and tenses and inflections. Every rule has an exception (which is usually a rule in itself) and every exception has an exception.

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[amirah_87]

ASS SALAAMU ALAYKUM

So many crazy grammatical rules and constructions, weird aspects and tenses and inflections. Every rule has an exception (which is usually a rule in itself) and every exception has an exception.

Hmmmmm....true say but i think arabic is much more harder to learn....and lets not forget chinese/mandarin!! :happy:

wa alaykum ass salaam

 

[Panatella]

I think the new world language should be klingonese based on the klingon dictionary. For example, I could say "nuqneH azim" which is "hello azim" roughly translated (closer to "What do you want azim?"). Or one could say "Hab SoSlI' Quch!", which means "Your mother has a smooth forehead!", but be careful with saying that unless you like to fight!

 

[Woodrow]

The main advantage I can see for English being so widespread, is because of it's diversity and impurity. It is a hybrid language with many roots. A person can be understood in it by using only the words with roots from their native language and adhering to their own grammatical rules. True it will not be pure English, but it will be understood.

English has to be viewed as being many languages and not just a single language. Some exmples of the various forms we have:

Medical terminology
Legal code (often called legaleese)
slang
informal
classical
Commercial/trade

A person does not need to master all the areas, for most of the world it need only be the terms of trade and commerce. True as contact increases, the language skills increase. The English words become familiar to the non-English speaker and some of the non-English words work themselves into the English language.

Another good part is most English speakers do not view the language as being sacred or free from error, no matter how long we been speaking it, it seems we are still capable of common errors. Yet, somehow we manage to maintain a reasonable level of comprehension. Errors are accepted, even when laughed at.

 

[Dahir]

I think the new world language should be klingonese based on the klingon dictionary. For example, I could say "nuqneH azim" which is "hello azim" roughly translated (closer to "What do you want azim?"). Or one could say "Hab SoSlI' Quch!", which means "Your mother has a smooth forehead!", but be careful with saying that unless you like to fight!

Uh, no! Getting my teeth punched out because of grammatical errors is not what I intend on when attending language courses

 

[Muezzin]

The new world language should be Huttese.

'Han mah boogie'

Translation: Han, my boy.

 

[azim]

ASS SALAAMU ALAYKUM
Hmmmmm....true say but i think arabic is much more harder to learn....and lets not forget chinese/mandarin!! :happy:

wa alaykum ass salaam

Asalaamu alaykum.

I don't agree at all that Arabic is harder to learn. Arabic is much more organised. Grammatical rules are sometimes difficult to master but theres a pattern, and I find its easy to pick up after the initial 'omg this is so hard!' stage.

The main advantage I can see for English being so widespread, is because of it's diversity and impurity. It is a hybrid language with many roots. A person can be understood in it by using only the words with roots from their native language and adhering to their own grammatical rules. True it will not be pure English, but it will be understood.

I agree it's diversity and versatility are strengths, but it's roots are mainly germanic, latin, some old saxon words and french with a very limited influence from other languages. As far as using roots from native languages and their own grammatical rules go, I've never actually seen this done so I wouldn't know if its possible.

English has to be viewed as being many languages and not just a single language. Some exmples of the various forms we have:

True. English definately has some really interesting dialects, although many of these are dying out. Even estuary english is losing its griphold on the language.

Another good part is most English speakers do not view the language as being sacred or free from error, no matter how long we been speaking it, it seems we are still capable of common errors. Yet, somehow we manage to maintain a reasonable level of comprehension. Errors are accepted, even when laughed at.

I don't think any language is deemed as free from error. Quranic Arabic is considered something along these lines but this is because the rules have already been standardised in the Quran - Arabic itself has many dialects each with their own quirks and non-standard forms. Infact it's probably impossible to call use of language 'wrong' unless you're comparing it to some sort of yardstick. With Quranic Arabic, the yardstick is the Quran. Other languages haven't got said yardstick so forms of incorrect and correct are usually up to debate (spliting the infinitive being an example of such).

Salamu alaykum.

 

[azim]

The new world language should be Huttese.

'Han mah boogie'

Translation: Han, my boy.

I second that motion.

http://huttese.fw.hu/

 

[Woodrow]

Asalaamu alaykum.

Salamu alaykum.

I agree it's diversity and versatility are strengths, but it's roots are mainly germanic, latin, some old saxon words and french with a very limited influence from other languages. As far as using roots from native languages and their own grammatical rules go, I've never actually seen this done so I wouldn't know if its possible

I can only speak for areas I have lived in. Here in Texas it is very evident with the common usage of Tex-Mex Which is reasonably understood by both the Spanish and the English speaking Texans.

In the past the same was done in Malaysia with Malayan Pidgin English, which is neither pure English nor pure Malaysian, but was redily understood by both. The same has occured in parts of Africa were some of the the common trade Languages were English adapted to Native language rules.

 

[azim]

I can only speak for areas I have lived in. Here in Texas it is very evident with the common usage of Tex-Mex Which is reasonably understood by both the Spanish and the English speaking Texans.

In the past the same was done in Malaysia with Malayan Pidgin English, which is neither pure English nor pure Malaysian, but was redily understood by both. The same has occured in parts of Africa were some of the the common trade Languages were English adapted to Native language rules.

Aah, I think I see what you mean now. Spanglish being another example.

I would still argue that English needs some more standardisation and simplification for the sake of non-English speakers who have to learn in order to keep in an ever increasing English speaking world.

I think American English has gone closer to that with spelling at least. Night = nite etc... I feel so ridiculous trying to explain what we still spell night with the 'gh' to foreigners.

 

[Woodrow]

Aah, I think I see what you mean now. Spanglish being another example.

I would still argue that English needs some more standardisation and simplification for the sake of non-English speakers who have to learn in order to keep in an ever increasing English speaking world.

I think American English has gone closer to that with spelling at least. Night = nite etc... I feel so ridiculous trying to explain what we still spell night with the 'gh' to foreigners.

I'm still trying to figure out why the plural of goose is geese but the plural of moose is still moose.

 

[Muezzin]

I'm still trying to figure out why the plural of goose is geese but the plural of moose is still moose.

I think it's because meese just sounds silly.

Or else we sound like Kryten from Red Dwarf struggling to say 'Smeg head' (Smeeeeeeeg heeeeeed)