Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!RAND.ORG!urban%rcc
From: urban%rcc@RAND.ORG ("Michael Urbanr,")
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: ENGLISH/LINGUA FRANCA - GLOBAL E-MAIL COMMUNICATIONS
Message-ID: <0a1GtPy2aU-MMrIdlz@twain>
Date: 19 Mar 90 19:09:15 GMT
References: <90Mar17.164801est.58582@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
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> *Excerpts from mail: 17-Mar-90 ENGLISH/LINGUA FRANCA - GLO.. M.*
> *Erskine-Richmond@ugw. (2447)*

> But there are 5 going on 6 billion people out there, and if we really
> want to get serious about globalization, then this has to be looked
> at realistically - realism is in sticking with English, not for the
> reasons of history, imperialism, or any other throw away insults.
> The reasons are economics and existing numbers of speakers, and the
> ready availability of teachers to pass on reasonable English to new
> speakers of the language all around the world.  Even Esperanto has no
> such claims to these factors!

Whenever I see this argument, I cannot help wondering how convincing it would
sound if Japanese,  German, or Chinese were the `de facto international
language' and it were *my* language in the economic backwater.

Here is a thought experiment in `cultural sensitivity' (at the risk of sounding
too Californian):  Imagine a future something like Star Trek(tm).  Vast
starships filled with diverse species travel the hyperspatial byways of our
galaxy spreading the Pan-Galactic Culture.  Zoom in to the bridge of one such
starship...90% of the human crew are ethnically Asian, and everyone (humans and
furry critters from Alpha Centauri alike) is speaking a language obviously
related to Chinese.  Be honest...your first reaction: how do you feel about
this picture?

        Mike