Old Weird Ward
Unless otherwise noted, that which is posted here is opinion, which is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. If you don't like my opinions, go somewhere else. Nobody is forcing you to actually read this drivel.
The presumption exists that you can read at all.
That may be a large assumption.
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Wednesday, April 13, 2005
- - - - - English As The World's Language? - - - - -
My first experience with "English as the Universal Language" actually came when I was in the US Navy. My ship's first port in the Orient was at Subic Bay, in the PI. All of the locals spoke pretty good English in addition to Tagalog, which is the local language of choice.
In fact, I could walk down the street in Olongapo and buy copies of the Wall Street Journal, the NY Times, and Time magazine. In a really sleazy bar. And many of the locals were there, drinking really awful coffee, reading the Journal, Times, and Time, and commenting to each other, in English (!) about the articles and editorials.
Now, over on Bob Thompson's site, we see THIS.
...the best engineers and technicians speak flawless English, and use it quite a bit in their work--either in dealing with reference information or to communicate across borders, even if the communication is strictly between European countries. And, just so, developers from around the world, speaking different languages, use English as the common language for communication. Even in China, with its dozens of different dialects which make many millions unable to communicate with each other, English is becoming the common language to bridge that gap.
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In addition, I would commend to your attention Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamond. A well-written treatise of a theory of how Western culture and ideas came to be the dominant force in the world.
I'm very much in favor of making English the official language of the US, and doing away with official documents in fourteen different languages. If you want to participate in US national life, learn and speak English!
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