Do you agree that English as an international language? what do you think?

Answer 1

First, let me be very clear about this.
The idea of a common language, especially if it is arbitrarily chosen or worse (and English would be just one of many bad choices) would be next to useless. This is assuming by 'Common', 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 EU and indeed, 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.

Further, if you don't think Esperanto is making headway, check this.
In a recent reprint of the Unua Libro (first book), editor Gene Keyes said that when he first started the project in 2000, he did a search for Esperanto on Google and it yielded over 1 million hits. At the completion of his task in February of 2007, the same search yielded over 34 million hits. Out of curiosity, after I had read that I did the same search and it yielded over 39.2 million hits. That's up over 5 million in two months. So it's growing. Slowly (or maybe not so slowly!)
Obviously not everyone will find a use for it, and that's fine. However for those that take the time and bother to search out the other users, it's worth it. Of course searching out other uses gets easier with each passing day.
Personally I have friends all over the world. Friends I wouldn't have had with out Esperanto.

Let's answer some specific concerns that many people have raised but not bothered to research.
The language is Impractical and awkward?
The two million plus (as of 1995) people that use it says it's not Impractical. Two million was considered the functionally fluent level (IE: able to get by in the necessary elements when travelling) in 1995. Since 1995 the Internet has grown by leaps and bounds, and Esperanto right along with it.
Wikipedia hosts around 250 different languages. Esperanto ranks 17th in the most numerous articles category.
More than these languages to name a few.
18 Slovak
19 Romanian
21 Czech
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/List_of_Wikipedias

NOBODY has to give up their mother tongue, nor should they.
Esperanto as an auxiliary language however would be wonderful.

I encourage everybody to research and draw their own conclusions.

Ĝis!

Answer 2

I wouldn't really agree that English is an International language, because Mandarin Chinese is known by more people than English is. Not to mention that English is a fairly hard language to learn. It just seems as though it would be the most dominant language because a lot of business is done in English and American Television and cinema are all over the world. But like I said before chinese is spoken by more people and Spanish is spoken in more countries than English as well.

Answer 3

It is not only AN international language, it is THE international language. It doesn't make any difference what I think, that is a fact.

Although there are more Chinese, it can never be the predominate international language, it isn't flexible enough. French was at one time, but no longer. French has pretty much stopped growing as a language through legislation.

Most of the world's languages are actually "growing closer" to English which is very apparent in the technical terms taken directly from English, as well as the slang terms which have found their way into most other languages. In Malaysia, an English speaking person can pretty well follow what is being said in the mix of Malay/Chinese which is spoken there, it was amazing.

Answer 4

English would not seem to be your first language and a misspelled or 0.5-learnt language is an factor of the subject while it is composed of world communique. English is an extremely broadly spoken language, yet there are a number of adjustments in the way it is spoken international. American English and British English are very distinctive from one yet another and there may well be confusion between individuals and Britons while they communicate the comparable language! If each u . s . a . interior the international had English as their considerable language, there may well be maximum of sorts of English it would no longer be an helpful "lingua franca". Latin replaced into the undemanding language around the Roman empire, yet that still had nearby adjustments and finally gave upward push to French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian and Italian! in spite of if English unfold international, it does no longer stay recognisably English for long. there is likewise the difficulty of forcing different individuals to check your language to speak with you. All languages are significant and that's a tragic loss while a language dies out. English is already an significant language interior the international of corporation and technologies, it would not would desire to be the language of the international as nicely.

Answer 5

Nope... Mandarin is the most spoken language in the world. In terms of spread, English is a widespread language. This, however, does not make it an international language because there are other widely spread languages such as Spanish, French or Arabic. English just so happens to be the language of USA and USA just happens to be very good at making movies and movies just happens to be widely spread.

Answer 6

If you make people speak english who are not english in nature, they lose a massive part of their culture. A language is how people make relationships together. This may be different in a different language. If you think this should be imposed on others, you are just ignorant. And for the chick that said she was too lazy to learn a new language, typical Obese, ignorant American who thinks they are better than the rest of the world. Idiot. I live in America FYI.

Answer 7

Colonisation makes English as an International Language but I prefer Arabic language although I'm not the native user for Arabic.

Answer 8

NO!! actually the most spoken language in the whole wotld is not English but Mandarin. Spoken by about 24% people of the world.

Answer 9

English is, pretty much, the international language already. It's derived from so many languages. and is the common business language, along with Spanish.

Answer 10

I'd much prefer a neutral language for international communication.

English is linked to the modern, developed world, it's pushed and shoved its way to the top via colonisation.


I'd prefer Esperanto or Ida.

Also, I'd be interested in learning Bahasa Indonesia/Malaya -
More for fostering dialouge between the south-east asian area and oceania ;]