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I don't know man? Having worked with Halliburton a while back it certainly seemed like Arabic was a global language to me. Many nations where you just have to

I don't know man? Having worked with Halliburton a while back it certainly seemed like Arabic was a global language to me. Many nations where you just have to speak it when interacting with people below the C level. There's also a lot of business you have to do in Arabic, and a lot of times when the expertise you may need is really only available from Arabic speakers. Like if you want a half way accurate estimate of how much oil Cuba likely has in the North Cuba Basin for instance. They have tools and techniques that others just haven't developed. (Or hadn't at the time.) But I do think that when we are not so dependent on fossil fuels, Arabic will become a VERY unimportant language. I'm just not sure when that will be? Oh, also, I'd imagine Mandarin is important too. A lot people who dealt with the Chinese on the "gotta get shit done" level used it all the time there. Also a lot of traders downtown were using that all the time when I lived in Houston. You kind of just had to when you were dealing with things in China because for many people in those sorts of positions, a lot of stuff is just moving way too fast to not be able to find the chase and cut to it faster than the next guy. Or it was anyway? I don't know if business with China from the US is slowing because of the Trade War? Been out of that game for a while now.

Apocryphon 7y ago
At some point it just seems like semantics, appropriately enough. There are some significant regional languages like Arabic - or Portuguese, which hasn't been brought up yet - that a lot of people speak and potentially can be relevant depending on the industry or field. It's just that not all of those people are as widely distributed as the other languages.
maximente 7y ago
can sympathize here. not sure where outside of France + former colonies French is used for "business", but we were throwing around $400-$600/hr for two native English + North African Arabic speakers (who also had expertise in other Arabic dialects) for logistics work in MENA years ago. was basically impossible to get anything done without those 2 guys. Arabic also suffers from serious fragmentation: we would need help even between people Morroco, Tunisia, and Algeria even though they're basically neighbors. i think they are the same "language" in name only.
ptaipale 7y ago
I think "language X is needed in country Z" does not indicate that X is a global language. It just means that because of national/cultural pride, overall ignorance, or many other reasons, language X is needed there (because nothing else will be listened or understood).

Apocryphon 7y ago

At some point it just seems like semantics, appropriately enough. There are some significant regional languages like Arabic - or Portuguese, which hasn't been brought up yet - that a lot of people speak and potentially can be relevant depending on the industry or field. It's just that not all of those people are as widely distributed as the other languages.

maximente 7y ago

can sympathize here. not sure where outside of France + former colonies French is used for "business", but we were throwing around $400-$600/hr for two native English + North African Arabic speakers (who also had expertise in other Arabic dialects) for logistics work in MENA years ago. was basically impossible to get anything done without those 2 guys. Arabic also suffers from serious fragmentation: we would need help even between people Morroco, Tunisia, and Algeria even though they're basically neighbors. i think they are the same "language" in name only.

ptaipale 7y ago

I think "language X is needed in country Z" does not indicate that X is a global language. It just means that because of national/cultural pride, overall ignorance, or many other reasons, language X is needed there (because nothing else will be listened or understood).