Globalisation is rapidly taking over society. Technological advancements in the 21st century have made the world more interconnected than ever. Phone calls, video calls, text messaging, and email make communication with people in a different continent so simple. Corporations are expanding internationally, with customers and employees everywhere. What does this imply for communication and language in a professional context?
Everyone must master multiple languages to communicate with colleagues spread across different continents! Of course not. In reality, it highlights the need for a common language - or a Lingua Franca, and conveniently, we already have one: English (generally).
You might think this is an excellent solution for an increasingly globalised world, and you’d be correct, but only in the short term. Here’s why:
Linguistic diversity has many advantages when it comes to facilitating communication, but this is arguably the only positive aspect. Furthermore, this perspective oversimplifies the nature of language.
The essential point is that language goes far beyond words on a page or speech. This is why, in today’s highly technologically advanced world, machines still struggle to replicate human knowledge when it comes to language and translation. Beyond the written and spoken word, language represents culture, a sense of humour, a perception of time, and a uniqueness that distinguishes individuals while uniting speakers of that language.
And what happens when everyone speaks the same language? The world becomes, quite frankly, a very dull place. This is because language represents the richness of culture and identity across the world. For instance, if everyone spoke English, the world would lose all those unique nuances found in other languages, which are “untranslatable” into English.
Japanese speakers have coined a term for ‘the sunlight that filters through the forest trees’ (komorebi 木漏れ日). It’s fascinating that this is such a common occurrence in Japanese culture that people felt the need to create a word for it. Similarly, in Spanish, there’s a noun that means ‘the conversation that takes place at the table after a meal’ (sobremesa). These distinct words in each language are beautiful because they reflect the cultures and realities of their speakers.
Therefore, preserving linguistic diversity holds greater significance than initially meets the eye. While practical in some scenarios, the rise of English as the dominant language in our rapidly globalised world could have severe implications for cultural diversity and diminish awareness of our own history and roots.