Why can't the whole world speak the same language?

Question

Of course, it would be much easier for everyone if it was English.

Answer 1

Well first of all.....we would be arguing about which language were going to speak lol. I can see it now...Lets speak English, then your french buddy says no speak french. I don't know English. its FRENCH. also, what if the world language that was chosen wasn't yours.....ready to start learning another language?

Answer 2

First, let me be very clear about this.
The idea of a common planetary language, especially if it is arbitrarily chosen or worse, would be next to useless. This is assuming by 'Universal language', you mean the sole language.
If however, you refer to an AUXILIARY language, intended to bridge the gap between cultures by providing an easily learnt method of communication then yes. It would open the world up to far more in the way of understanding.
Let's exam the first example where each linguistic group would resent the fact that any other language was forced on them, and NOBODY would agree on ANY language since they would all want their own.
Esperanto is making headway in becoming an AUXILIARY language, yet people reject it out of hand because they all fear the loss of their tongue and a single language spoken by all, which of course is exactly what Esperanto is trying NOT to do.
As a common SECOND language you and you and you have no need to sink years into study of a language that you will most likely NEVER fully assimilate like a native. The choice would be yours. With Esperanto you can be comfortable talking to your neighbour in your native tongue and just as comfortable talking to Ming Lu across the waves on an equal footing in this easily learnt language. It's like a neutral handshake, because each participant invested an equal amount of effort to learn this easy language. (16 gramatical rules... NO exceptions!)
Believe it or not, Esperanto represents the best chance for the survival of the multitude of dying languages since it's purpose is to forestall the monopoly of any one National tongue to the disadvantage of another.
So will it some day become universal (which by the way doesn't mean that EVERYBODY in the world speaks it, just those that want it / need it)?
Well, the $600 million+ USD spent yearly on translation services at the UN (six official languages) and a similar amount in the EU says, sooner or later something is going to change, and this is the cheapest and most effective, proven alternative.
NOBODY has to give up their mother tongue, nor should they.
So, long answer shortened, NO. I wouldn't accept a single language for the world. Esperanto as an auxiliary language however would be wonderful.

I encourage everybody to research and draw their own conclusions.

Ĝis!

Answer 3

People in the same country don't speak the same language (sometimes in the same city!), and Britain is a good example for that! How do you expect people in the whole world to all do that?
Language diversion is only natural, new generations will bring in new words and the language will evolve.

If you were going for a world referendum, though, I think we will all have to learn Chinese (mandarin), as this is still the most widely spoken language by about 1 billion people.....

I am Italian, but i would still vote for English, as it is a much more practical language for communication (especially for technical and scientific texts).

Answer 4

Actually, buddyboys and girls, english is nowadays the language of commerce, and the language of the empire, just as Latin was in the age of Rome. So english will probably be the basis of several new languages that will be developed after the next Dark Age, more probably that a world common language.

Answer 5

They've tried this with constructed languages like Esperanto, Interlinguia and others.

English is a sort of de facto international language in a lot of ways. Widely spoken.

It's easy for you to say as an English speaker. Hey everyone just give up your native language and convert to my language to simplify things.

Answer 6

There are so many people on this planet, it would be impossible for everyone to speak the same language. Even countries like China, with over a billion people, have the Chinese language broken up into several dialects.

Answer 7

I agree with you 100%, english is very popular, but chinese is too. However over 1 billion are fluent in english, and another billion have basic ability to speak it, with so many speakers it just makes sense to select english as the world language

Answer 8

Why? Because no world body has the authority to impose any language, no matter how popular it may be, on nations. And that's good, well, bad for pendejos like you.

Answer 9

Oh, they will , eventually...languages are evolving and with the rapid progress of communication all the languages will eventually blend into one global language, but not too soon!

Answer 10

Maybe it would be easier if it was English for you, but others think that it would of been easier if it was french, ot Italian, or Arabic or Spanish. :) But yeah, it would of been easier if everybody spoke one language. But nothing is easy nor handy in this word.