3 ms·
> the bigger problem of language still remains > the true power of the US is that it operates in the global lingua franca It is true that language is a problem
by nyokodo 2y ago
> the bigger problem of language still remains
> the true power of the US is that it operates in the global lingua franca
It is true that language is a problem but I suspect not as much as you say. ~51% of the EU population speaks english as a 1st or 2nd language, but a larger percentage in the wealthier western nations (e.g. ~57% in France) and an even larger percentage in the major metros (e.g. ~60% in Paris). [1] I couldn't find figures but I suspect an even larger percentage of university graduates in the wealthier EU nations speak english. Tech Giants disproportionately emerge from and draw from the University Graduate population. If they had the capital availability and culture/regulatory regime (as acknowledged elsewhere in the thread) amenable to the emergence of Tech Giants then they wouldn't need a big boost to English proficiency to get by language-wise.
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_English-speaking_population https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_English-s...
- eldaisfish 2y agoThis argument is often brought bu but has a critical flaw - English is not not the working language in most EU countries. The ability to speak english is moot, what matter is the language of business and law which is not english. The point about university graduates is also moot because they are not the majority, even in a country like france that had the most number of university degrees awarded in 2022. Only about 35% of the french working age population has a university degree. Language, is, in fact, a much bigger problem than many want to admit.