Save Native Tongues

            The fact that the world is becoming more and more global means that communication is becoming much more important.  In most cases, the English language is becoming the dominant form.  Languages are being lost at an alarming rate and English seems to be taking their place as the new universal language.  While it is impossible to deny the benefits of everyone speaking English in a business and convenience sense, diversity in language is a necessity.  While there is nothing wrong with people being able to understand and communicate in English, people simply cannot disregard their native tongue.  Many Americans argue that if everyone came about to speak English, it would be a better world.  However, what if we all had to learn a different language like Chinese and that became the universal language?  Many people would no longer be on board.

            First of all, making people give up their language or advocating English as the dominant language in the world is wrong.  Who are we to promote our ways of life on other people?  Don’t get me wrong, I believe if you live in the United States you have to be able to speak and understand English.  I simply don’t think it’s necessary for everyone in the world to do so.  We would be asking people to throw away their customs, culture, and ways of life simply so we can understand them when we travel or do business.  That is a big price to pay for such a small benefit.  Moreover, native languages do not transcend one hundred percent into English.  Some types of words or meanings could be forever lost in the translation and we all lose as a whole at that point.  Simply put:  the negatives vastly outweigh the positives.

            In addition, my main fear of having a dominant, global language is what would be lost while traveling.  I can just dread being in France looking at the Eiffel Tour and hearing everyone speaking in a rough Bronx accent or some other American slang.  When I travel into foreign countries I want to truly feel as if I have traveled somewhere.  I want to feel the culture and history that comes with a foreign language.  While the sights will be the same, it would just lessen the whole experience and really put a damper on traveling to other places.  Trying to figure out where you are going and trying to make sense of the language people are speaking is half the fun when you are on vacation.  The experience of foreign travel would be greatly diminished on most people as culture, history, and heritage would all be lost at the expense of a global language.

            English being a “lingua franca” has made everything more and more the same.  In a world and society that begs us to be different, why is the advocacy of the same language for all being pushed for?  I get that the world is driven by money and the idea of everyone communication with everyone at any given time is appealing, but at some point we have to look in the mirror and not sacrifice different cultures just for a few extra bucks.  All in all, having knowledge of other languages is a good thing and people should be able to speak an extra language or two.  However, a universal language is just not the answer for today’s world.