ForumsThe TavernMost important language/ universal language

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ellock
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ellock
385 posts
Blacksmith

What language do you think is the most important to learn and why? What are the top three languages you think are most important? I have been thinking about this for a while and cannot get a good, solid answer. From anyone! You would have thought people would be more unified as to what they think the most important language is, but no, I can't fins a good middle ground. So I turn to you, internet (or the small sliver of the internet that is Armor Games) and ask you for your opinion.

I think this depends on how you view it. By population of speakers, Chinese (Mandarin)
By importance: English

By job or governmental use: Spanish or Mandarin

What do you think?
Of course the UN languages are important as well... so any of those six and maybe if you live in Europe German or Russian would be more useful.

  • 52 Replies
wflag10
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wflag10
1,269 posts
Nomad

i think American is the most important language...


I don't think there is a language called "American"......
pangtongshu
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pangtongshu
9,815 posts
Jester

I don't think there is a language called "American"......


Den you best be gettin out of 'ere boy!
Ferret
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Ferret
9,323 posts
Bard

Dook dook dook!

pangtongshu
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pangtongshu
9,815 posts
Jester

My gosh Ferret XD

Is this you? =p

yourawesomeness
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yourawesomeness
103 posts
Peasant

Looking at some of the earlier posts, I see lots of people saying that a universal language should be developed.
I think that diversity is beautiful and what makes us human and reminds us of who we are individually and as a country. In addition, developing a universal language is impossible. First of all, what committee would devise this language? no one would agree on the experts. Also, which language would be the base language? Each language wants to be the base (BTW if a universal language ever becomes more plausible, I think Latin should be the base). Only a very minor problem but what would this be called? I think this is the biggest problem: how do we start using this system? the committee members would have to teach others, there would be endless memorization, grammar issues, flaws in the language, convincing obstinate countries to adopt the system, and the education of future generations. Teachers would have to learn the language then teach it, taking years, and everyone who was speaking when the new language was released would be confused to say the least. When new language speakers and old speakers mingle, confusion would be rampant because they would not know the other's language.
My closing argument is that it's not a bad idea, just entirely impossible.

yourawesomeness
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yourawesomeness
103 posts
Peasant

If anyone has any more food for thought in response to the universal language, please post it on my profile page also because I want to see it and there is no assurance that I will check this. Or if I made any mistakes.
In response to "What is the Most Important Language?"
I think there is no most important language, only important languages like Latin. as a Latin student it is helpful and helps in the learning of other languages like English and Spanish. Learning Latin is a sound investment if someone also wants to learn Romance languages like Spanish and French.
English is important because of the (opinion) two world superpowers that use it and the billions there and around the world.

Pazx
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Pazx
5,845 posts
Peasant

Latin is useless unless you want to study some form of history that has a great emphasis on it.

HahiHa
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HahiHa
8,254 posts
Regent

Thanks, yourawesomeness, finally someone agreeing that diversity isn't all that bad!

But yeah, Latin is useful for some professions only, and even then only limited use of it. I'm sorry to say but Latin students seem to me to be the only people using it as is, correctly and entirely.
Besides, it would be a rather hard language to learn compared to others that are much easier. If you want a universal language, you want it to be accessible to as many persons as possible.

If English would be the choice, which to me sounds like the most reasonable (Mandarin is spoken by a lot of people, just relatively localized), let me just say that I would rather have British English than American English.

pangtongshu
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pangtongshu
9,815 posts
Jester

Random thought

Surely I'm not the only one to notice how in movies/video games/books/etc. whenever there is another "race" (i.e. aliens) from another planet, not only does the entirety of the race look **** similar (as opposed to our human race, with noticeable differences between ourselves) but they all speak one language.

If an alien race ever came to Earth, one of two things will happen (or both)

1) We are going to be thrown in a loop when we find out that two different creatures are actually from the same alien race

2) The alien race will be very much confused when going around to different locations on Earth

nichodemus
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nichodemus
14,981 posts
Grand Duke

i think American is the most important language...


The **** did I just read......
HahiHa
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HahiHa
8,254 posts
Regent

Surely I'm not the only one to notice how in movies/video games/books/etc. whenever there is another "race" (i.e. aliens) from another planet, not only does the entirety of the race look **** similar (as opposed to our human race, with noticeable differences between ourselves) but they all speak one language.

1) It is not necessarily worth the effort to design several dialects for a language in a single game or movie. Same probably with the looks, making a standard alien and multiplicate it is easier. Or do things like in Lord of the Rings, where the big armies are mostly digitally duplicated, smaller groups.

2) We would all look the same to an alien, most probably, like most animals of a single species look the same to us. Except if we get to know the animals well, of course (a farmer may know all his cows by name, and animals of company are easy to recognize too).
thepyro222
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thepyro222
2,151 posts
Peasant

The universal language is English because we are America and we have such a strong influence all around the world. We import and export the most out of all of the global powers, so yeah. The culture follows.

partydevil
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partydevil
5,133 posts
Jester

The universal language is English because we are America and we have such a strong influence all around the world.

it's because the UK was concurring the world befor the usa even existed.
people around the world have heard english and have been talking whit english people. befor the the usa existed.

We import and export the most out of all of the global powers, so yeah. The culture follows.

lol onbviously china and india have the most import/export.
and the netherlands has the most import/export per capita.

(so long for your usa glorification.)
GandalftheGrey666
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GandalftheGrey666
1,859 posts
Peasant

onbviously china and india have the most import/export.


Agreed, that's why Chinese, Mandarin, Hindu and other Asian languages are important.
nichodemus
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nichodemus
14,981 posts
Grand Duke

it's because the UK was concurring the world befor the usa even existed.
people around the world have heard english and have been talking whit english people. befor the the usa existed.


+1. Why do you think a quarter of Africa, India, Canada, the States all speak English? No, not America.

Rule Britannia.
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