Could this eventually happen? Yes, sure! Especially if the world changes dramatically. But for the foreseeable future, it seems unlikely that another language will spread like a growing wave that eventually topples English, simply because English is already widely in use, with no new major geography to cover.
For the foreseeable future English will remain the dominant global lingua franca (a language used by people with different native languages to communicate with each other), but the role it plays in the lives of individuals or in policies will begin to change.
Key findings:
It is the global language of communication and is likely to retain this position for the next decade and beyond. English will continue to play an important role, increasingly doing so alongside other languages to provide rich linguistic opportunities for learners all over the world.
As David Graddol notes in “The Future of English?”, there is no reason to believe that another language will become the global lingua franca within the next 50 years. English probably won't replace other languages, but its usefulness as the common language in trade, diplomacy, and pop culture will continue.
It's possible English will not be around 1,000 years from now. As mentioned, the prominence of a language is inextricably tied to the cultural, economic, and military might of the countries that speak it. When these countries withdraw from the international stage, so does their mode of expression.
“English is likely to remain one of the world's most important languages for the foreseeable future, but its future is more problematic — and complex — than most people appreciate,” said language researcher David Graddol.
English is the most widely spoken language in the world. It is the global language of communication and English is likely to retain this position for the next decade and beyond.
The answer to the query, “Will Chinese overtake English as the global language?” is simply put. No. This will, of course, give rise to much controversy.
The percentage of native speakers of English is declining, from nearly 9 percent of the world's population in 1950 to a projected 5 percent in 2050, Graddol wrote.
"At the same time, Chinese is unlikely to become the sole global language in the short-to-medium term considering the gap between the use and status of Chinese and English at present," he says, adding any long-term replacement of English with Chinese as a global language would stem from "China either becoming a ...
In a nutshell, with the number of speakers of English and its dominance across global disciplines, its influence on the international market, and the existing efforts to its widespread, English will be a good global language to be taught in the current status of the world.
Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, and Indonesian will dominate much of the business world by 2050, followed by Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Russian. If you want to get more out of your language course, study one of our language programs, probably a safe bet for your future.
There is a strong chance that English will continue to be the lingua franca for the foreseeable future, but it is also wise for people to learn other languages such as Spanish and Chinese in case they begin to dominate.
English is the most widely spoken language in very different contexts in the world. Therefore, English is not only an inter- national language, but also a global language. spoken as the first language by people in the country. The global language can be spoken as either first, second or foreign language.
Top 7 reasons why your English is not improving
You have a negative mindset and feel like you will never be able to improve. You have been too passive with your English. You are not reading enough English content or books. You are expecting results overnight.
What percentage of the US speaks English? According to the latest census data, over 91% of people in the US speak English very well. 8.2% of people do not speak English “very well”, though this statistic doesn't mean that they are completely non-English speakers.
LANGUAGE FACTSHEET
There are 6912 languages in the world. 94% of the world's population does not speak English as their first language. 75% do not speak English at all. Studying a foreign language develops your oral and written skills – even in your native language.
If China's initiatives are successful, Mandarin will be the language associated with new developments and ideas, and consequently have great appeal and attraction to people. Equally important, as its power grows, China is also likely to want to have Mandarin used more on the global stage as a matter of national pride.
It is also clear that if Mandarin Chinese were to become a global lingua franca, it would have to achieve even more rapid growth in conjunction with a significant decrease in people learning English as well as other popular languages. Therefore, Mandarin Chinese cannot be seen as a global lingua franca.
India to overtake China as world's most populous country in April 2023, United Nations projects.
Some people consider that the English language has become a threat to the other languages. The supremacy of English in today's world cannot be denied. It is at the heart of business relationships and the vector of the world culture. English is everywhere, even in foreign languages through new words.
It's unlikely that we'll see a world that speaks one language any time soon. Protecting each individual countries' cultures is a huge barrier, but an important one to ensure our world is as beautifully diverse as it's always been.
English as a global lingua franca cannot be said to be a threat to multilingual communication and translation. Juliane House is professor emerita of Applied Linguistics at the University of Hamburg and a founding member of the German Science Foundation's Research Centre on Multilingualism.
Language is always changing, evolving, and adapting to the needs of its users. This isn't a bad thing; if English hadn't changed since, say, 1950, we wouldn't have words to refer to modems, fax machines, or cable TV. As long as the needs of language users continue to change, so will the language.
Thankfully, fears that English will become the world's only language are premature. Few are so pessimistic as to suppose that there will not continue to be a multiplicity of nations and cultures on our planet and, along with them, various languages besides English.