Languages and the future

[DieScum]

In a nutshell, for commercial purposes, is it still ok to only speak English?

Yep, I think it is.

In my experience of multinational work the project language is always English.

I think sales is different in that you need every advantage possible and customers are going to prefer buying from a guy in their home town rather than some foreigner with an accent... of course if you are competing on price this may be different.

As far as chinese goes it may well be very important in the future - but practically how doable is it to learn? I believe, and I may be wrong, that it's easier for a japanese, korean, thai, etc person to learn english than chinese.

Maybe you can hire a chinese nanny for your kids in the future but for average blokes like me being fluent to business level in chinese isn't going to happen unless I put a huge effort in which would be better spent elsewhere.

As far as easy to learn and immediate practical use english is the sweet spot.

[threaded]

Interestingly a Danish academic working in linguistics recently complained that the quality of English learned by Danish students has fallen in the last few years. He blames it on the increase in take up of satellite/cable TV and consequently everyone is learning their English from the box, and so they can appear to talk English to a high level, but the level of comprehension is much lower.

I would say he is correct. I found I had to check if someone is understanding what I'm saying if we're talking in English as many are capable of keeping a conversation flowing using various linguistic tricks, but back-track a little, and they're lost.

I since do the same with Bobs etc.. for much the same reasons so it appears to be a growing problem.

[threaded]

In a nutshell, for commercial purposes, is it still ok to only speak English?

I can speak the local lingo perfect, but I say I don't: some organisations require 'fluent XXXX', but it is just code for 'no foreigners, especially black ones' and hence they're not so nice to work for.

Being called a 'black pig' at work is considered acceptable in the work place. It is commonly mentioned in many of the language courses as a term of endearment...

[VectraMan]

I think being taught a 2nd language has been mandatory here for decades. We just don't get the chance to practice it.

I've been doing French again (and also learning German which I've never done before). At 16 I passed my O-level French (grade C), after I guess 6 years of study, yet still didn't have the ability to use it in any useful way. Obviously I learned quite a bit, but could never have had a conversation in French, even on the day of my O-level, let alone years later.

Perhaps the issue is it being taught as just another subject in order to pass just another exam. If kids come out of school unable to read, write or add up, we consider that a complete failure, because those things are essential. But getting a French O-level or GCSE without being able to speak French to any useful degree is the norm.

I imagine in all these other countries children aren't taught English like it's history, or geography, or chemistry - i.e. just another pointless academic subject to make up an all round education, but taught English as an essential skill, and really taught to speak the language not pass an exam.

[norrahe]

I
Perhaps the issue is it being taught as just another subject in order to pass just another exam. If kids come out of school unable to read, write or add up, we consider that a complete failure, because those things are essential. But getting a French O-level or GCSE without being able to speak French to any useful degree is the norm.

I imagine in all these other countries children aren't taught English like it's history, or geography, or chemistry - i.e. just another pointless academic subject to make up an all round education, but taught English as an essential skill, and really taught to speak the language not pass an exam.

I agree, it could be the way that languages are taught in the the UK. It is a shame that some imperative is noy placed upon learning another European laguage.

Though in fairness, many financial companies, please the emphasis on English as the international language.

Looking at some jobs in The Netherlands for example in the financial districts, there is a requirement for fluent English for the job. But this is only one example. From speaking with a friend based in Hong Kong, her husband works in IB, he does not have any requirements to speak Canton, whereas she works in Forensics and she had to learn the lingo.

[lje]

I think English will continue to be the normal language used in business when people from multiple countries are working together. However, it won't necessarily be 'English' English - or even American English. There are far more English speakers in Asia (albeit as a second language) than in the native English speaking countries. International English is likely to change and move on in a different way to English English.

If you're interested in a second language I think Mandarin is the way to go. It's not the only Chinese language but it is the language which the Chinese use amongst themselves if they natively speak different Chinese languages. It's not an easy language to learn but I find it fun...

[Moscow Mule]

Modern Languages at GCSE haven't been compulsory for about 5-6 years now (IIRC).

Crap idea in my opinion.

[Pogle]

Modern Languages at GCSE haven't been compulsory for about 5-6 years now (IIRC).

Crap idea in my opinion.

Neither are separate sciences - but dont start me on that one ...

[mudskipper]

I think English will continue to be the normal language used in business when people from multiple countries are working together.

At clientco, there's lots of non-English people. In the tea area, the French communicate in French, the Germans in German etc, and in the warehouse Polish is the language of choice (and certainly clientco have put up safety signs in both English and Polish!). But the Indians that have arrived over the last 18 months to replace the IT systems all communicate in English, even amongst themselves. I asked them about this, and they said there is so many different dialects and flavours that they can't understand each other, so English is their common language.

[VectraMan]

This was mentioned on QI a while back, and IIRC Stephen Fry called what will become the dominant language "Panglish". Because there are more people speaking English as a second language than first, the type of English they're speaking is heavily influenced by their first languages. And eventually they will merge and the Asian-English strain is likely to be become more dominant than English or American English, by weight of numbers.

Olde English (pre-1066) is pretty much unintelligible to us now, so it may be that in another 1000 years, the world will speak "English" but it would be nothing like what we would recognise.

Edit: Must be true, it's in the Daily Mail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ar-future.html