We all speak the same language

We simply use differing symbols and formats to represent our expressions.

So since we all speak the same language and express the same things but only in differing symbols and linguistical formats, why don't we just go ahead and create a world language along with keeping all the other languages?

It would be much easier for all of the countries around the world and people around the world to speak to one another through this "world" language.

You are absolutely right.

I just read a great book last month by Steven Pinker called The Language Instinct and it proves (at least to me) some remarkable things:

#1. All human languages are equal. No language is fundamentally better or worse than any other language. Although there may be primitive societies, their languages are not primitive at all. Likewise, advanced civilizations do not have advanced languages. This also goes for “high-class” and “low-class” dialects. One is not better than the other, although most people think otherwise.

#2. Language is instinctive. If two babies are left alone, they will develop a language on their own, and this language will be fundamentally as good as any other language, just as expressive, just as descriptive as any language that as ever existed. (He cites deaf people, who develop in one generation their own unique and totally functional sign language.)

#3. Language does not shape thinking. Rather, language is just a way of communicating our thinking to others, who then think the way we do. This is important, because there is a mistaken idea that certain thoughts require certain words to be expressed. For example, people have often heard the native Alaskan has 100’s of words for “snow”. He proves this is actually a myth.

#

As you can tell (by my above blathering), I think this is a great starter OP. I hope other people jump in. Starred and flagged!

the real language will be spoken telepathically soon my friends.....

Well the entomology of most forms of western languages can be attributed to either Latin or Greek origins. There are theories that even Latin is of Greek origin. Greek is a language that probably has it's Origins in Mesopotamia, or further back.

But fundamentally our brains comprehend language in the same way but the usage and verbiage, dialects are different.

i dont think enough people in this world are on the same page.
nice thought though. but in reality that will only happen in fanticy land,
even if we kept all the same languages we have now. we are still human and the majority of us hate those that are diffrent and dont really care to have a conversation with them. not saying that my view but it speaks for enough people that this wont happen for a good long time

reply to post by LastOutfiniteVoiceEternal


What you seek to do would create a logistical nightmare of the highest order.

The English language is the way forward. There are already thousands maybe hundreds of thousands of people all over the world in TEFL - TESOL - IELTS teaching positions. (choose the acronym you prefer!)

What we should be working towards is every man, woman and child on this planet having access to affordable language training and education. That is far more constructive than pontificating about "what should we learn?"

Everyone should be able to speak AT LEAST two languages. Their mother tongue and English.

Language is a vital part, possibly the most vital part, of everybody's culture and to try and take that away would be up there as form of social genocide.

MonKey

Originally posted by ChiKeyMonKey
reply to post by LastOutfiniteVoiceEternal

 

What you seek to do would create a logistical nightmare of the highest order. The English language is the way forward.

I agree with your post in full, LastOutfinite.

In particular, I have no doubt about the above quote. English is the almost universal language, and will be even more prevalent as time goes by. It is the only language with momentum right now.

Here is the list of English speaking countries, where English either predominates, or is recognized as one or more of the national languages:

Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Barbuda, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Canada (except Quebec), Commonwealth Caribbean, Dominica, Fiji, Ghana, Grand Cayman Islands, Grenada, Guyana, India, Irish Republic, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa , St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tobago, Trinidad, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Virgin Islands, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

This does not include provinces, such as Hong Kong, or various small island nations. (I just clipped the list from Wikipedia.)

If you speak English, that is good for you. But I bet that what we consider to be "proper" English is going to be changing dramatically. By 2100, English will probably not be anything like it is now. Native English speakers will have to adapt to that, and not be too protective of their native language.

I look forward to the day that all sentient beings can communicate with each other, and ability to talk with each other is taken for granted!

[edit on 31-1-2008 by Buck Division]

Unintentional double post. I will use this space anyway, because I have some more thoughts.

Your point about retaining native language is well taken. English will not REPLACE all the other languages. At least not for several hundred years or more. (By that time, it will no longer be English at all. The universal language will have become a blend of all other languages, current and new.)

Of course we don't want to lose all the great poetry and philosophy and literature, which can never be translated perfectly. In particular, think about all the great French and Italian movies! They aren't the same when you dub them.

More English speaking people need to learn new languages. That is a growing trend here in the USA, especially Spanish and French as a second language to English. (Not sure about in other English speaking countries, like the United Kingdom.) I would like to see more study of Chinese in our USA school systems.

Just some passing extra thoughts, to fill up this accidental double post....

[edit on 31-1-2008 by Buck Division]

Originally posted by ChiKeyMonKey

What you seek to do would create a logistical nightmare of the highest order.

It is of my opinion that what you seek to do would create an imperial nightmare. Everyone NEEDS to learn English? I don't understand the logic in that. As stated quite well in a previous post; all languages are equal. What I am saying is that it would be nice for those of us who would like to easily communicate with every other human in the world regardless of location, nationality, or race, to be able to do so in a single language that anyone anywhere on the planet could use. There are too many barriers, barriers are fine, but not to the point that they cause chaos and confusion through division, and this division is utter stupidity. We're all Humans, we all have brains, thoughts and expressions, and we're all of the same thing and on the same circular rock.

The English language is the way forward. There are already thousands maybe hundreds of thousands of people all over the world in TEFL - TESOL - IELTS teaching positions. (choose the acronym you prefer!)

If this is the case then I really hope it works. It only appears to be causing backfiring. It'd be nice to have a new language that we could all use and choose to come together through instead of being seemingly forced into someone elses as is the case with English.

What we should be working towards is every man, woman and child on this planet having access to affordable language training and education. That is far more constructive than pontificating about "what should we learn?"

Well first we've got to stop starting wars, dismantle all offensive government militaries, and allow the people to be in control of the world again, not just a select few, or rather unselected few.

Everyone should be able to speak AT LEAST two languages. Their mother tongue and English.

I think everyone should be able to do whatever they want and speak whatever language they choose, whether it's one or two, it doesn't matter. No one should be forced to do anything that they don't want to do.

Language is a vital part, possibly the most vital part, of everybody's culture and to try and take that away would be up there as a form of social genocide.

MonKey

I guess ? But I don't see where that fits into the presentation. I never proclaimed to take away language, only to ease the communication barriers between Human beings. I'd love to be able to talk to someone in Italy, then France the next day, and then Russia... without having to learn all of their languages, or them having to learn mine.

We all spoke the same language once upon a time.

Well, maybe not spoke/spake but we all did share a common "language" that allowed us all to communicate with one another.

We all had telepathic powers long, long ago but this ability was taken away from us, or rather disabled from our brains, back in the Tower of Babel days.

Don't be surprised if we are able to soon hack and re-enable this ability once again.

Originally posted by Alxandro
We all had telepathic powers long, long ago but this ability was taken away from us, or rather disabled from our brains, back in the Tower of Babel days.

The story of the Tower of Babel comes from the oldest and most mysterious part of the Bible. It always leaves me in a state of wonder. What does this mean? Was it a real event? Or an allegory?

I like your suggestion that perhaps it recalls a period of time where people actually had telepathic abilities, removed due to defiance of the all powerful force. If you are not religious, perhaps you could interpret this as overreaching the forces of nature. So it has universal significance, irrespective of religious viewpoint.

"If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them." --Genesis 11:1-9

In a way, language is like a telepathic ability, of sorts.

reply to post by Buck Division


I know my suggestion/theory may sound a little far fetched but what other explanation could there be since we currently use a small percentage of brain anyway.

Whatever gene(s) may have been disabled may not be 100% gone because they still manages to make rare appearances from time to time.
How else would we be able to explain the extraordinary capabilities of Idiot Savants.

Has the whole commong language angle not been tried before?

Esperanto is probably the most succesful and well known of these

Language is a dynamic entity, constantly changing and evolving to meet our needs whether we like it or not.

We probably will all end up speaking the same language at some point, but it wont be something forced upon us, it will just happen naturaly over the coming millenia.