English: The Primary Language

Only a DRAFT!

May change/be updated - still in progress - may still contain inaccuracies

Original Feature

English should be the primary language of the world. That does not mean it has to replace all other languages, but it could be a common second language. English has such a large installed base, most, if not all of the international business deals and technical specifications are conducted in English. Wherever you go, English is the always the second language, if not the first. That is why English is a good choice as a wold language. In addition, a common language would benefit the world by easing the spread of knowledge, reducing cultural barriers, and saving millions in translation costs. Having to reproduce works in other languages is expensive for companies, and impossible for the new generation of self-published web 2.0 content (like this site). Thus English as a common language for the world would benefit everyone by reducing the cost of spreading knowledge.

Connection

The internet is bringing the world together like never before. For hundreds of years, it took weeks to send a physical letter on a ship. Until about 500 years ago, humans didn't even have a complete picture of our globe. About 100 years ago, we got a primitive message/voice transmission system. Even with a telephone gathering information was hard. But now we are able to see a world of information almost instantly over the internet.

A large push is currently going on to give 3rd world children free laptops, so they too can access the information. This is a great way to expand their horizons and teach them whatever they feel like learning.

However there is a problem, content must be in a certain language. Obviously the less speakers of a language, the less content which need to be produced. This makes it hard to access the information if you only know a language with few speakers. Thus you need to know a second language.

Business

In addition, if you ever wanted to conduct a business transaction, you would need to know English. (stat)

need to communicate
outsoucring

Computers

In addition, all of the popular computer languages have their base in English. Around the world, every computer has English on it. Basic words like "if" and "then" govern the behavior of every computer. It does not look like this on the surface because the UI is customized with the local language. For example, this website is running on MediaWiki. It is primarily developed in English and all of its developers use English to communicate. However it runs in multiple languages by changing a language "skin". Budding software developers wanting to develop for the internet must learn English first, not only to write code but to communicate with other users.