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Well, if everyone in the world spoke the same language (whatever it happens to be) then more or less everyone would be able to understand one another. It'd be e
by archangel_one 14y ago
Well, if everyone in the world spoke the same language (whatever it happens to be) then more or less everyone would be able to understand one another. It'd be easier to develop speech software with only one language's worth of idiosyncrasies. So yeah, I think the world might well be better off as a whole.
- wting 14y agoIf the world standardized on English, it would help improve global efficiency and communication. As it is, English is the lingua franca of business and software. However a large part of culture is language, and countries are always trying to maintain their own. We're also all pretty biased since this discussion occurs in an English-based community. If Chinese were to become the dominant world language, I bet there would be more resistance. The imperial system is a prime example where Americans are a stubborn cultural holdout. Another concern is that language helps shape one's beliefs. Multilinguals understand that there are certain cultural concepts in native languages that are difficult to translate. Likewise, being a single language developer--whether it's Javascript or Lisp--influences how a developer approaches problems.
- reycharles 14y ago> However a large part of culture is language I think the reverse also holds. A large part of language is culture. The meaning of a sentence depends on the context and culture is a part of the context. I believe if all the world started speaking the same language it would quickly diverge into different dialects and (sub)languages.