Is it reasonable and desirable to try and preserve all existing languages?

Question

Is the idea of one language comon to the whole world reasonable and desirable?

Answer 1

people care about their languages, it's not reasonable, it's not defensible from any scientific point of view, it is just the way human culture is, so yes, it is desirable to try to preserve all languages. how would you feel if suddenly no one spoke english anymore and you were forced to express yourself for the rest of your life in another language?

Answer 2

A language is not a static vehicle for communication. Languages never stop changing. We can persevere written texts and perhaps even voice recordings of the way a spoken language sounds, but I propose it is near impossible to preserve any language. That said, I would also say that we shouldn't "euthanize" languages; certain languages are attacked and suffer a cultural genocide.

For example, the French education system actively punished students who spoke Breton (a Celtic language) in the last century. And today the French government refuses to teach Breton in the Public Schools as a second language.

A common language? Yes we should have a common language, but we should also have a second, and perhaps even a third, and forth common language. People should not be restricted to speak one language; in fact it should be widely encouraged to be bi-lingual or multi-lingual.

Speaking more then one language is very liberating, and increases our capacity for intelligent thought. Come to think of it, we don't need "one common language" if we learn more than one language!

I thought the universal language is love? Or is it English?

Answer 3

No, we would never be able to agree as to which language would be used. A language is also heavily based in the culture from which it emerged and there would always be the issue of the people who spoke it 'properly' and the people who struggled to use it as a foreign language and who were therefore at a disadvantage. Even if you did try to set up one language for all to speak, it would rapidly change in use in different parts of the world and we would end up with further linguistic diversity. It is the nature of mankind to develop language in the light of surrounding circumstances and you cannot change human nature, however reasonable and desirable you might find it to do so.

Answer 4

Dead languages and living languages need to be preserved.
But it should not be the reason to prevent the speedy emergence of a common language for the whole world. We need to converse with our ancestors and we also need to converse with many generations of men in the future. How can the isolated tribes and the small countries advance in the same pace with the developed countries in the absence of a world language?

Following is a wise advice:
"The differences in language cause disunion between nations. There must be one universal language. The diversity in Faiths is also a cause of separation. The true foundation of all faiths must be established, the outer differences abolished. There must be a Oneness of Faith. To end all these differences is a very hard task. The whole world is sick, and needs the power of the Great Healer."
(Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 59)

Answer 5

Well, back in the day, the "world" was united through the use of Greek for the purpose of commerce and relations between countries/cultures. However, the individual nations/cultures retained their own languages and used them in their everyday dealings. Why not do that today? One language to put international relations on a level field, but keep languages as a way of maintaining cultural identity...

Answer 6

The only thing preserving all languages does is furthur delay our understanding of each other. Sure, all languages should be documented but life would be so much easier if we all spoke the same language.

Answer 7

As a person who loves all languages I would suggest that all languages be preserved we should try really hard to preserve them

Answer 8

Of course it is important. Not only is it important to one's national identidy, but it also helps linguists. One major mission of linguists are to find commonalities between most, if not all, langauges. THe more langauges we have, the more through a linguist's data can be.

Hopefully if they can ammount enough information, a "perfect" constructed languaes can be made that's easy for most people around the world to speak. Call me naive, but this is ideal.

Answer 9

no - i think different nationalities should preserve their own language cos that makes them who they are.