the future of English

[une etoile]

what do you think will be with English in the future?

[Gast]

I think English will be the only language spoken on Earth. I think there will be different dialects (maybe German English <<< wouldn't that be cool? )
Why do I think so?

See:
English words are spreading all over the world (we say 'Handy' or 'Shoppen gehen'). Even in Japan and China, you can find such words in everyday life. It will take some time but in the future English will become the only language this way and be spoken everywhere.

That's my opinion. What do you think?

[CID]

"Handy" ist "Denglish".

Das englische Wort für Handy ist

mobile (phone)

cellular (phone)

oder nur auch nur

cell (phone)

(die letzten beide insb. AE)

[kleine]

isn't "handy" english? it just doesn't mean the same. It means "handlich" or am I wrong?

[CID]

That's why I said "Denglish". It's an English word used in a wrong context!

("A mobile is handy.")

Just like "bodybag"! That's even worse!

[Gast]

I meant English words in German language. See: in a few hundred years 'handy' could be the 'German ENglish' word for mobile. And the word shopping is an English word as far as I know...

[Froop]

Ja shopping als Nomen oder auch gerund ist richtiges Englisch.

[Instep]

I think English will be the only language spoken on Earth.

I bet that's what the Romans thought about Latin.

What do you think: Will American English and British English be different languages in the future?

[Gast]

Of course the Romans thought that about Latin

I think BE will become more similar to AE, because that's a developement that is already noticable in many ways... (There were many American things becoming 'normal' in Europe too)

[raincat]

I think English will be spread wider and wider in future already because of the globalisation.

But I really don't hope it's going to be the one and only language anytime as it means lots of countries would lose an essential part of their specific culture. I think variety is always better than uniformity. Besides there are nations who don't think it's that easy to speak English as we do.

[Gast]

Of course that would be bad for some cultures...
but imagine the situation: Everyone can talk to people all over the world without worrying wheter they will understand him or not because everyone will when all of them speak English.
That's just part of the globalisation...

[raincat]

Where's the problem? English is business language in most of the countries for ages ...

Let the people keep different - it's makes life more interesting and the world more colorful.

[raincat]

@ une etoile: I'm surprised that you often start threads but never tell us your own point of view and never comment the given answers ... Do you want to pick up our opinions only?

[Gast]

I don't know why he/she always does that and to be honest: I don't even care because I like discussions.

Therefore I want to add something:

I don't have any problems with the 'status quo' and of course a world with only one language would be boring, I just told you my opinion about the noticeable developement (and this began because English is a business language ). There are always advantages and disadvantages...

Why do you think I don't want people to be different from each other?

[raincat]

I
Why do you think I don't want people to be different from each other?

Oh, I don't think like this. Only wrote down my opinion, too. Wasn't meant to be a judgement or something like that.

And yes, I like discussions, too. Nevertheless I'm interested in une etoile's own point of view to the discussed issues...