Comments on: Can Mandarin become a global language?

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By: Ludix

Ludix — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:35:34 +0000

Why is it that when the talk is about energy efficiency, everyone wants machines and methods that require the least amount of input for the greatest amount of output but when we’re dealing with languages, particularly written languages, people are not so adamant about expecting the lingua franca to be the easiest to write and read while yielding ease for all classes of society? A language like Mandarin is certainly not more efficient than say, English in this regard.

By: Richard Sharpe

Richard Sharpe — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 05:00:04 +0000

G says:

However, in this day in age when the world seems to be getting smaller and smaller (globalization, easier communication, etc.), it is my humble opinion that it is to one’s advantage to learn about cultures outside of one’s own.

You and I are on the same wavelength here. However, there are a great many immigrants in the US who only grudgingly speak English (and I am an immigrant to the US who spoke English and some Cantonese before I arrived in the US, and am now engaged in learning Mandarin).

Indeed, had I only put more effort into French during high school I might have gotten further with a certain female who spoke French (but was not from France)
So, motivation is important, as are ability and opportunity.

By: James Theron

James Theron — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 02:22:52 +0000

A long time ago before multiple people posted using the name “James” I posted a joke to this blog.

Imagine my surprise to see it come back to life!

By: G

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 23:31:38 +0000

Richard-my “diatribe” was not meant to be that at all, though I understand how you may have seen it that way (I need to stop logging online and posting late at night when I’m not my sharpest). I see your point that many Americans do not need to know another language for work, etc. in the sense that, say, a European would need a second language. However, in this day in age when the world seems to be getting smaller and smaller (globalization, easier communication, etc.), it is my humble opinion that it is to one’s advantage to learn about cultures outside of one’s own. One way this can be achieved is through language learning (which, at the very least, may motivate people to explore a culture more deeply). This is obviously just from my point of view and as a high school student I see my language class as one of the best ways for my peers (most of which have never been outside of the States and currently live in a (for lack of a better description) not-so-diverse setting) and I to be exposed to another culture. Not to mention, some people believe that studying another language has enhanced their own understanding of their native language as well. All in all, the fundamental point that I am trying to make is that I believe that there are many reasons outside of basic “need” for one to learn a language.

Ron in DC-please note that I was neither the one who thought of the “joke” nor the first to post it (I simply commented on it and included it in my post for reference), but it must have a little truth to it (but it is far from defining all Americans, obviously) or else no one would have thought of it or reposted it. As for my “logic” (which, I admit, was not explained in the clearest of language…), I was simply going on what I have heard from some people I have talked to that have said that knowing a second language has benefited them in countless ways (though, again I’ll stress, this is not everyone’s view).

As a side note, my mother recently had a short conversation with a leader of a large hotel chain who told her that Chinese was the language to be learning, at least for her specific type of business

By: dai

dai — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 14:43:30 +0000

Mandarin could become a world language if it became alphabetized. Pinyin is increasingly being used as a computer input method and I think it could be readily pressed into service as the replacement for hanzi. An added benefit is that China could increase it’s 60 percent literacy rate. Of course, there’s the issue of what alphabet system would be used for all the other Chinese languages. The Wu dialect alone is the tenth largest language in the world although many of those speakers are also somewhat fluent in Mandarin. Would the government simply let the “lesser” Chinese languages founder and die in obscurity?

By: chris(mandarin_student)

chris(mandarin_student) — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 13:28:52 +0000

I thought he meant relegated too. In fact I was so sure it didn’t bother me one jot..

Hope no-one every picks through my blog posts, I tend to operate on the brain-dump approach. I reserve my best grammar and spelling for business English and my most precise syntax for programming (computers are not very forgiving ;))

By: Michael Butler

Michael Butler — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 06:14:16 +0000

I stand corrected. Thank you Richard.

By: Richard Sharpe

Richard Sharpe — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 05:25:06 +0000

Chinese will be regulated,/b. to a 3rd or 4th language.

I think you mean relegated …

By: Michael Butler

Michael Butler — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 04:57:39 +0000

Somehow my last posting was cut off in mid-stream due to technical difficulties.

I wanted to add that I suspect, among all peoples, that English speakers thinking about learning a second language, might slowly decide to consider Chinese first. In other words, native speakers of the only existing global language would be among the first to promote Chinese as a potential competitor. Interesting thought, purely speculation.

My extrapolation therefore is that for English speakers Chinese MIGHT become the dominate 2nd language. For everyone else, Chinese will be regulated to a 3rd or 4th language.

By the way, my thinking is that it is harder to learn a second language than your third or fourth and that the two groups have different needs.