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English as the universal language | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| Satupeka Diglot Newbie Czech Republic Joined 5500 days ago 13 posts - 13 votes Speaks: Czech*, EnglishC1 Studies: German Studies: Turkish | Message 153 of 206 16 November 2009 at 10:32pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Language of truth?
Interesting idea. Considering more complex cultural or scientific truth (or rather theory), I came to conclusion that there is no one language that is the most precise. It depends on the field of study. For example, there is no better language for teachings of buddhism than original pali - Czech and English are rather horrible here, mostly because of vocabulary. For metaphysics of substance ancient greek or latin are good options. In aesthetics it seems that ther are some japanese terms (wabi, sabi, yugen) which are simply impossible to translate. In my mind they are connected more with specific images than with English or Czech equivalents. So If I knew Japanese, I would certainly use it in a discussion about aesthetic qualities of viewing stones or bonsais. Edited by Satupeka on 16 November 2009 at 10:33pm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Levi Pentaglot Senior Member United States Joined 5567 days ago 2268 posts - 3328 votes  Speaks: English*, French, Esperanto, German, Spanish Studies: Russian, Dutch, Portuguese, Mandarin, Japanese, Italian | Message 154 of 206 18 November 2009 at 5:51am | IP Logged | |||||
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President Obama recently gave a speech in Shanghai detailing his Sino-American policy (video here). I'm surprised at how few people in the audience are not listening to the translation through headphones. Though it may be a self-selected sample, with people who speak English more likely to attend the speech than those who don't. Edited by Levi on 18 November 2009 at 5:51am 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Alvinho Triglot Senior Member Brazil Joined 6234 days ago 828 posts - 832 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, English, Spanish | Message 155 of 206 18 November 2009 at 3:22pm | IP Logged | |||||
He was talking at a slow pace...that's why most of audience didn't need any headphones......add this to the fact that he's good at giving speeches.... Edited by Alvinho on 18 November 2009 at 3:23pm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| GoingGoingGone Newbie United States Joined 5668 days ago 28 posts - 39 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Italian, French, Swedish, Mandarin | Message 156 of 206 18 November 2009 at 4:20pm | IP Logged | |||||
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As my favorite travel writer Rick Steeves says, when a Norwegian meets a Greek in the Swiss Alps, they use English to communicate. There needs to be some kind of secondary universal language, since it's impossible for everyone (and probably anyone - although someone on these forums might correct me on this!) to learn EVERY language and frankly those people need to communicate. It's important to call this not the "universal" language but the universal "secondary" language because it is by no means meant to take the place of any culture's own first language. And for better or worse, for all intents and purposes, English has already started to take on that role more than any other. It is the "de facto" universal second language (first of course in English speaking countries).
It is important, and even more important given English's status in the world, for people in English speaking countries to learn at least one other language and preferably more than one. It shows respect for others and our acceptance that English is not "superior" just coincidentally happened to fill the roll of "universal". 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Rikyu-san Diglot Senior Member Denmark Joined 5528 days ago 213 posts - 413 votes Speaks: Danish*, English Studies: German, French | Message 157 of 206 18 November 2009 at 4:58pm | IP Logged | |||||
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I agree. And perhaps we should have more than one secondary universal language...? Isn't it implied in what you write?
By learning English I have my feet planted solidly in the modern West. But in fact only partially - the French speaking and (to some extent) German speaking parts of it are still unaccessible. It doesn't help to communicate in English if we want to know the soul of other non-English speaking cultures. By learning Mandarin and Japanese, I will have the chance to get my feet planted in a large part of the East. Of course, again, only part of it, but if I do a Steve Kaufman then why stop at only six languages? Multi lingualism may only be achievable for the fewer of us but it will definitely be well worth trying. I think multi lingualism is an upcoming trend, and that is good. If we believe that English will be enough for us Westerners to communicate in the world we may be up for an unpleasant awakening. Just as Danes can no longer walk around with our flag on suitcases because of our diplomatic stupidity in some parts of the world, and Ruasian is not welcome in large parts of the former East-bloc countries, we may find ourselves in a situation where we have to distance ourselves from English. Economic meltdown, unwinnable and incredibly destructive wars, environmental disasters, exploitation of large parts of the world... apart from our own sense of self-aggrandizement, what can we be proud of at the end of the day? Edited by Rikyu-san on 18 November 2009 at 5:00pm 4 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Sennin Senior Member Bulgaria Joined 6034 days ago 1457 posts - 1759 votes 5 sounds | Message 158 of 206 18 November 2009 at 5:41pm | IP Logged | |||||
Few people in the audience were *not* listening to the translation, or rather few people were listening to it? I think there's an extra not here ;p. Anyway, I agree that he articulates very clearly so following him is not the greatest linguistic challenge. The audience actually looks kind of brainwashed and the girls are suspiciously pretty. Probably they were hand-picked for beauty, like that "singer" girl on the Olympics. 3 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Hoopskidoodle Senior Member United States Joined 5500 days ago 55 posts - 68 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 159 of 206 18 November 2009 at 6:09pm | IP Logged | |||||
IMO, that might well be somewhat "important" for Brits and Aussies, given their proximity to and ties with continental Europe and China respectively. However, don't believe that it is, or will be in the foreseeable future, at all important for the average American to speak any language other than English. That opinion doesn't hinge upon a belief in an inherent superiority of English, or even its ostensible linguistic hegemony. It owes more to the size of the United States, both in terms of population and landmass (particularly arable land,) and its relative geographical isolation from most of the world. It is certainly a laudable goal to, for instance, be able to read Proust in French or early Nabokov in Russian, but I don't believe that it is of any real necessity for the vast majority of Americans. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Gusutafu Senior Member Sweden Joined 5521 days ago 655 posts - 1039 votes Speaks: Swedish* | Message 160 of 206 18 November 2009 at 9:33pm | IP Logged | |||||
I wouldn't give Nabokov as a prime reason to learn Russian, but in any case, aren't you forgetting Mexico? Or the sizable Spanish speaking minority, in some communities even a majority. Re Nabokov, I once read that there may be different reasons for authors to write in languages that are their native tongues, necessity was one, but the one implied as a Nabokov's was "жгущее славолюбие", "burning vainglory"... 1 person has voted this message useful |
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