Universal Language- A Good Idea?

[Hitman079]

do you think it'd be a good idea if we adopted a universal language (all throughout the world)? of course, other languages would stay, but one would be chosen as, maybe curriculum in schools around the world. do you think this is good idea, and what language would you choose to do so?

[nmhunate]

Speak english! it is the language the bible is written in.

[InkL0sed]

Well, besides that it's not going to happen (see Esperanto as the most famous failed example), English would be the language that would have the best chance in becoming a "universal" language. That is because it is already in widespread use in diplomacy and in business, even between non-English-speaking countries.

[Hitman079]

well, english seems to be a complicated language: although it has many established spelling and grammar rules, there are so many exceptions to each rule.

[Grooveman2007]

My godfather invented one called Ehmay ghee chah, here's a link to some others.

http://www.lib.umt.edu/guide/lang/artifph.htm#uni

[InkL0sed]

well, english seems to be a complicated language: although it has many established spelling and grammar rules, there are so many exceptions to each rule.

Give me a language that isn't complicated.

[Hitman079]

in half an hour, eh? my friends and i have a new secret language now

[Hitman079]

well, english seems to be a complicated language: although it has many established spelling and grammar rules, there are so many exceptions to each rule.

Give me a language that isn't complicated.

ah, well, i think you got me there.

[hecter]

Speak english! it is the language the bible is written in.

Makes me laugh every time...

[browng-08]

Speak english! it is the language the bible is written in.

Sir, I hope you jest. The Bible is clearly writ in Sanskrit.

[InkL0sed]

Speak english! it is the language the bible is written in.

Sir, I hope you jest. The Bible is clearly writ in Sanskrit.

Really?
I thought it was in Swahili!

[muy_thaiguy]

Speak english! it is the language the bible is written in.

Sir, I hope you jest. The Bible is clearly writ in Sanskrit.

Really?
I thought it was in Swahili!

I was thinking Mayan myself.

[browng-08]

Speak english! it is the language the bible is written in.

Sir, I hope you jest. The Bible is clearly writ in Sanskrit.

Really?
I thought it was in Swahili!

Well, I know it's that old one, where people are all like, 'Look at us! We're talking some messed up lanuage that makes no sense 'cause it's not english.' So maybe the Bible's in Latin, I get all those crazy non-enlish languages mixxed up.

[InkL0sed]

No one understood my obscure joke...

The Bible is clearly writ
in Sanskrit.

Really?
I thought it was in Swahili!

[browng-08]

No one understood my obscure joke...

The Bible is clearly writ
in Sanskrit.

Really?
I thought it was in Swahili!

Nope, sorry.

[Hitman079]

you've got to stop with those obscure jokes, "enclosed"
(yes, i get it)

[browng-08]

No one understood my obscure joke...

The Bible is clearly writ
in Sanskrit.

Really?
I thought it was in Swahili!

Ooh I get it. You were continuing my rhyming!

[d.gishman]

well, english seems to be a complicated language: although it has many established spelling and grammar rules, there are so many exceptions to each rule.

english is actually gramatically very simple... when english evolved from old english, they got rid of a lot of complicated structures. english is pretty simple to learn

[Frigidus]

No. I'm many voting from personal needs, as I'm completely inept with any language other than English. If there was a universal language I wouldn't be able to speak it, so I'm opposed.

[InkL0sed]

well, english seems to be a complicated language: although it has many established spelling and grammar rules, there are so many exceptions to each rule.

english is actually gramatically very simple... when english evolved from old english, they got rid of a lot of complicated structures. english is pretty simple to learn

Please explain to me this:

The following sentences are grammatically correct:
"I turn the light off."
"I turn off the light."
"I turn off the road."

But, "I turn the road off" makes absolutely no sense.

Or, explain to me what the f*ck is up with "do" in our language. Why do we suddenly insert this word when we ask questions? Why is it used for emphasis? It makes no sense.

Just a few examples. Good luck in finding an explanation.

[Hologram]

First of all, English has already been adopted as the international language of sorts as it's required to be learned in many non-English speaking countries.

Second, it's impractical because there would be a huge amount of dialects that would emerge, making it nigh impossible to understand each other anyway.

[Hologram]

well, english seems to be a complicated language: although it has many established spelling and grammar rules, there are so many exceptions to each rule.

english is actually gramatically very simple... when english evolved from old english, they got rid of a lot of complicated structures. english is pretty simple to learn

Please explain to me this:

The following sentences are grammatically correct:
"I turn the light off."
"I turn off the light."
"I turn off the road."

But, "I turn the road off" makes absolutely no sense.

Or, explain to me what the f*ck is up with "do" in our language. Why do we suddenly insert this word when we ask questions? Why is it used for emphasis? It makes no sense.

Just a few examples. Good luck in finding an explanation.

Wow. It's a good thing multiple meanings aren't assigned to words in any other language. That would be way too confusing.

In any case, the only reason that English is considered as complicated because of the spelling. Next to French, we have the worst spelling in the world.

[d.gishman]

well, english seems to be a complicated language: although it has many established spelling and grammar rules, there are so many exceptions to each rule.

english is actually gramatically very simple... when english evolved from old english, they got rid of a lot of complicated structures. english is pretty simple to learn

Please explain to me this:

The following sentences are grammatically correct:
"I turn the light off."
"I turn off the light."
"I turn off the road."

But, "I turn the road off" makes absolutely no sense.

Or, explain to me what the f*ck is up with "do" in our language. Why do we suddenly insert this word when we ask questions? Why is it used for emphasis? It makes no sense.

Just a few examples. Good luck in finding an explanation.

This is pretty minor when studying a language in general. most languages have anomalies like this that you have to get used to. actually, if you find "I turn the light off" and "I turn off the light" confusing, then you should try learning other languages.

be thankful that english was simplified. when english evolved, the plural forms were simplified so that all you have to add is an "s". and those anomalies such as foot and feet, those are remnants that were not changed. some languages have complex rules for pluralizing.

old english also had various inflection patterns such as nominative, genitive, etc. some languages have even more complex rules than old english, such as russian.


so yeah, english is pretty simple. you can learn english fluently in 3 years.

[Hitman079]

yes, but you are still very prone to grammatical mistakes.
my father has known English for how long i don't know, at least a decade or more, and he works in an office and composes letters and reports, so it is natural for him to speak/write a lot of English, and he still makes a lot of grammatical mistakes. he often asks me about them, and when i am asked to explain, i am dumbfounded. luckily i have a strong background in grammar/writing/spelling since i read a lot when i was a kid. (it comes to me naturally, i never really thought about the rules or ever had a tussle over such)
other people i keep in contact with (pen pals) across the world who are still learning English have also been learning it for years, but still make a lot of grammar mistakes. and not just minor punctuation or run-ons and whatnot, but very often they are in the form of incorrect tenses.

[muy_thaiguy]

First of all, English has already been adopted as the international language of sorts as it's required to be learned in many non-English speaking countries.

Second, it's impractical because there would be a huge amount of dialects that would emerge, making it nigh impossible to understand each other anyway.

There already ARE a lot of different dialects. Look at the US, the dialects vary from region to region, and state to state at times. Or the British Isles, etc.