What Global Language? Contradiction: as English is supposedly consolidating its position as the world’s lingua franca, the U.S. is becoming more polyglot. The English language is becoming more complex while at the same time most speakers’ experience of the language is being dumbed-down. Despite the self-involved certainty of those who think web-centrically, “…the globalization of English does not mean that if we who speak only English just sit
back and wait, we’ll soon be able to exchange ideas with anyone who has anything to say.
We can’t count on having much more around the world than a very basic ability to
communicate. Outside certain professional fields, if English-speaking Americans hope to
exchange ideas with people in a nuanced way, we may be well advised to do as people
elsewhere are doing: become bilingual.” A fascinating thoughtful article exploring the futures market for the English language from a variety of vantage points.
Eventualities such as “political alliances that have yet to
be formed; the probable rise of regional trading
blocs, in such places as Asia; the Arab world, and
Latin America, in which the United States and other
primarily English-speaking countries will be little
involved; the possibility that world-changing
technological innovations will arise out of nations
where English is little spoken; a backlash against
American values and culture in the Middle East or
Asia” could transform the language picture. Demographically, English will probably lose its second-place standing (after Chinese) to the South Asian linguistic group (Hindi, Urdu, etc.), and will possibly fall behind Arabic and Spanish as well. China could in one fell swoop alter the English dominance pattern by withdrawing state support for efforts to teach English to its populace, for instance if political relations between China and the US deteriorate further.
And even with its spread would come an accentuation of communication difficulties among disparate English-speakers. Witness the need for subtitles for Americans to understand the recent Scottish films My Name is Joe and Trainspotting [both highly recommended, IMHO]. The Atlantic
