English As The "universal Language"

[Guest GodfallenPromos]

Honestly...I understand it's applications....but I see it as something of a downslide (ohh...good name for a band....downslide...sorry...music mind)...in world culture.

I've had a love affair with world culture since I was real little....btw...Ancient Rome...how you doing....I love it all...from the Russian Religious Mosaics to the intricate Asian art *coughhunheecountsasonecough*....it's a fucking AMAZING world out there!!! And it hurts to know that it's being "Westernized"...I mean...why can't we all learn to speak and write Mandrin Chinese?...or true Spanish? English isn't a verbal art....it's a verbal accident.

I think the real problem is that, as American's, we have very little love for anything outside of our actual culture, and we're a stubborn ppl, without a doubt...that we don't bother to REALLY take in the world and it's variety.

[phee]

I would not mind a language to be called universal at some point... English though is really fucked up as far as languages go. English seems to be making itself universal recently as business communications, but Chinease might make more sense these days.

[Hellion]

Honestly...I understand it's applications....but I see it as something of a downslide (ohh...good name for a band....downslide...sorry...music mind)...in world culture.

I've had a love affair with world culture since I was real little....btw...Ancient Rome...how you doing....I love it all...from the Russian Religious Mosaics to the intricate Asian art *coughhunheecountsasonecough*....it's a fucking AMAZING world out there!!! And it hurts to know that it's being "Westernized"...I mean...why can't we all learn to speak and write Mandrin Chinese?...or true Spanish? English isn't a verbal art....it's a verbal accident.

I think the real problem is that, as American's, we have very little love for anything outside of our actual culture, and we're a stubborn ppl, without a doubt...that we don't bother to REALLY take in the world and it's variety.

The majority of people here are very apathetic.

[hunhee]

I think it's sad.. although for communication sake, it's probably a good thing, but as for the different cultural identities.. I don't like it. I love diversity, and we're quickly and rapidly becoming "planet earth" (not that this is a bad thing).. but I just absolutely love hearing someone talk to me in French.. and Italian.. and German.. and all the other very beautiful languages.. *sighs* It's sexy..what can I say..

Maybe if it were English like the "Queen's English" I would be happier with it, but unfortunately it will be "Hollywood" english, and PLAH!!!

[Rev.Reverence]

I as a lover of all things old and dusty, will now shock and amaze as I respond in an utterly unpredictable flip-flop...

..I will go with it...I think English to be the most versatile of all languages.. English takes whole words and phrases from other languages. Also there are rules for making new words. We will have to not get lazy, or we will lose our culture...

..That would suck...

[Guest GodfallenPromos]

Also there are rules for making new words.

tell that to Beyonce & Snoop Dogg.....cuz "bootylicious" and "forshizzle" are in the damn dictionary...

[ttogreh]

... Which begs the question, which dictionary, and what are the standards for that dictionary?

[sass_in_the_pants]

Well, you're asking two different, though closely related, questions.

One is about the westernization of the world and one is about the unversality of English.

It's funny, Guy is one of the few Americans at his lab. His boss is dutch african and one of his co-workers is also dutch. So, those two will chit-chat in dutch but when they talk science they switch back to english. For both, dutch is their native tongue, but when they learned science they learned it in english, so, that's just what they continue to use.

A universal language is more efficient, and unfortunately, efficiency trumps all of the little charming bits of society. And I'm all about efficiency. It's simply convenient that the universal language is my native tongue. Woot!

Then there's the question of Westernization.

And that's a whole other ball of wax...

[Rev.Reverence]

... Which begs the question, which dictionary, and what are the standards for that dictionary?

I don't know...I have not the time to cross reference dictionarys...

I'll chair on the decisions committee, but I don't want any responsibility, ok?

[Rev.Reverence]

tell that to Beyonce & Snoop Dogg.....cuz "bootylicious" and "forshizzle" are in the damn dictionary...

That's EBONICS..which if I understand correctly, is a dialect of the English language; is not a dialect of the English language; AND is a different way to say "African American Vernacular English"...

THEY said some other things about EBONICS in thet article...but I get the distinct impression that THEY ("the experts"), are still in debate on the MEANING of the word EBONICS.....

[Rev.Reverence]

A universal language is more efficient, and unfortunately, efficiency trumps all of the little charming bits of society. And I'm all about efficiency. It's simply convenient that the universal language is my native tongue. Woot!

That is a very valid point...

I am all for convenient efficiency..

[Guest GodfallenPromos]

... Which begs the question, which dictionary, and what are the standards for that dictionary?

Websters....I know..I wanted to puke too....