If every country was required to learn a single universal language from birth so everyone in the world could understand one another...

[Mysterian]

Darmok and Jalad, at Tanagra.

Sokath, his eyes uncovered!

This is only one of maybe two or three episodes of Star Trek I actually like.

 

[tony67]

English might make the most sense since such a large portion of the world already have a reasonable understanding of it - but I cant see it ever happening for many reasons.

Much more likely there will be some sort of technology like microbes that are injected or a babelfish you stick in your ear that will translate for you.

All joking aside more likely a microchip of some sort or even a hearing aid.

 

[Jangles]

You don't have to ban a language for it to become lost. They would be lost from attrition, as gradually there would be fewer and fewer people willing to put in the effort to learn and keep languages that aren't used as often. Though I agree the idea of it being mandatory to be bilingual could help with that.

Try making it mandatory to be bilingual in some countries though, lol. I have a coworker that gets offended by automated phone messages that include "para espanol, marque numero dos" (sorry, don't have the tilde on my keyboard). Pretty sure people like that would not appreciate the government telling them they're now required to become bilingual. I can just imagine the outrage.

Welcome to Wales.

 

[bcla]

For the Olympics, they use French as the "universal" language. So, unless there is a good reason why not use that, I would say French.

Not exactly, although they have a tie-breaker in case there might be different interpretations of a particular set of texts.

https://stillmed.olympics.com/media...5.2120161381.1694203241-1835413657.1694203241​

23 Languages​

1. The official languages of the IOC are French and English.
2. At all Sessions, simultaneous interpretation must be provided into French and English. Other languages may be provided at the Session.
3. In the case of divergence between the French and English texts of the Olympic Charter and any other IOC document, the French text shall prevail unless expressly provided otherwise in writing.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

English might make the most sense since such a large portion of the world already have a reasonable understanding of it - but I cant see it ever happening for many reasons.

Much more likely there will be some sort of technology like microbes that are injected or a babelfish you stick in your ear that will translate for you.

All joking aside more likely a microchip of some sort or even a hearing aid.

Ever since I first read HGTTG more than 30 years ago, I've always loved the idea of the babelfish. Babelfish would also make a great band name.

 

[Imzadi]

563 Refrigerator.

<whacking you on the side of the head. . . err, to try to fix your universal translator brain chip>

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Sokath, his eyes uncovered!

This is only one of maybe two or three episodes of Star Trek I actually like.

Shaka, when the walls fell

‘but there is no accounting for taste”……. jtk

 

[tcufrog]

My husband attended an Indian consulate school in Nigeria. The school's language was British English because choosing any of the native Indian languages including Hindi, India's other official language, would have offended someone.

 

[Imzadi]

I worked for a company that had many international employees. One time we were all hanging out in the tiny break room before our shift started. I wasn't part of the conversation nearby, but could hear it. The guys started out speaking in English. Then when another co-worker arrived, who happened to be French, a few of them automatically started speaking in French with him.

As another co-worker arrived and greeted them in Spanish, they all started speaking Spanish. Then an Italian co-worker showed up and most of them spoke Italian with him. No one needed to indicate they were changing languages. And when one of the group didn't know Italian, he looked quizically over to the person next to him, who quietly translated it into Spanish, so they could all keep up. I was marveling at how they communicated and the fact that they all seemed to know a few languages really impressed me.

I spoke up and asked them about that. A couple of them said that Europe has so many neighboring countries that are quite small. For instance, our owner of the company is Swiss-Belgiam. And a supervisor was Swiss-French. They would joke that when they lay down, their feet would be in Belgium, their body in France and their head in Switzerland. And with the Eurail Pass and the Euro making it easy to travel to different countries, it behooves Europeans to learn the different languages for different places they visit a lot, or end up living in. Plus, the romance languages are so similar that it's easy to learn another once they know one.

A couple months ago, a different co-worker from India also spoke different languages to a couple different people, (as well as English with me.) I asked him how many languages he speaks, and he said FIVE, if he included the different dialects. But, that also, the languages he spoke were quite similar, and easy to learn once he learned one.

These instances seemed to me that learning multi-languages made them more open, tolerant and interested in other cultures. Whereas, I've seen many in the U.S. who aren't even tolerant of people here speaking the same language, for example cancel culture, having a 2 party political system that had become about anhillating the other side. (But, we can't get into that. )

And furthermore, many of us that already speak the same language don't understand each other anyway.

Exactly. Or don't WANT to understand each other.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

For the Olympics, they use French as the "universal" language. So, unless there is a good reason why not use that, I would say French.

The reason for that is because the modern Olympics was revived by a Frenchman. Baron Pierre de Coubertin. It's a nod to his determination to incorporate physical education as part of the French educational system. That failed, however, and he then moved on to establishing the modern Olympics.

 

[darnheather]

As long as they are still learning their "mother tongue" I'm ok with people learning a second language from a young age, even birth. However, language is also culture and I think the Earth would be a much more boring place with a single culture.

 

[Imzadi]

The reason for that is because the modern Olympics was revived by a Frenchman. Baron Pierre de Coubertin. It's a nod to his determination to incorporate physical education as part of the French educational system. That failed, however, and he then moved on to establishing the modern Olympics.

Thanks for the info. Well, in that case, I'm crossing French off my list.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Latin

This. The source of most modern languages.

Or if you want a romantic language, French or Italian

Finally, if you're going to pursue an already entrenched language, either English, Spanish, Mandarin or German would be good.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

<whacking you on the side of the head. . . err, to try to fix your universal translator brain chip>

Seal Team 6, and Gilgamesh, at Peking.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

As long as they are still learning their "mother tongue" I'm ok with people learning a second language from a young age, even birth. However, language is also culture and I think the Earth would be a much more boring place with a single culture.

Absolutely! I think we'd all be better off if there were 3-4-5 languages we could teach our kids to be fluent in. And not just our kids - I so wish I knew that many languages!

 

[Mysterian]

Shaka, when the walls fell

‘but there is no accounting for taste”……. jtk

Oh yeah? Zinda, his face black, his eyes red!

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Oh yeah? Zinda, his face black, his eyes red!

No need to get angry.

 

[Imzadi]

Seal Team 6, and Gilgamesh, at Peking.

I don't watch Seal Team 6, but you may be referencing an actual episode.

(For those here trying to figure out what we are talking about, on Star Trek: The Next Generation, the crew comes upon aliens, "the Tamarians, who spoke entirely by allegory, referencing mythological and historical people and events from their culture. As a result, Federation universal translators – although they could successfully translate the individual words and sentence structure – were unable to convey the symbolic meaning they represented. Without prior knowledge of the Tamarians' history and legends, a word-by-word translation was of no use to someone attempting to communicate with them." )

I went to YouTube to watch the end part of the Darmok and Jalad, at Tanagra again. This hilarious conversation was in the comments, knowing they speak allegorically.

@HaroldOvercorde, 7 years ago​

Imagine if these guys had their own version of the Maury Povich show or whatever but instead of saying "you are the father" it comes up saying "Vader, and Luke, on Bespin"​

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@nitpicker9406, 7 years ago​

Or on Jerry Springer when a couple finds out they are really brother and sister. It comes up saying, "Luke, and Leia, on Hoth."​

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@Admiral8Q, 7 years ago​

Nice! Like;​

"Yoda, and Luke, at Degobah. Luke, his faith lost. Yoda, the X-wing rises."​

"Veers in the walker, the rebel base, at Hoth."​

"Vader, and Luke at Bespin."​

"Ackbar, his ships lost. Lando and Wedge, Ackbar's ships not lost. Endor, a moon."​

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@stephenparallox, 5 years ago​

Ewoks, in the forest, when the Empire fell.​

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@thiefofa1073, 5 years ago​

Lando, after Cloud City.​

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@djtbone001a, 4 years ago​

Solo his body frozen. Jabba and Leia in the palace. Kenobi and Vader on the Death Star. The Emperor, his powers useless. Anakin, his helmet removed. A trio of ghosts on Endor.​

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@HunhowsShadowStalker,​

Sidious, his body spinning.​

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@Admiral8Q 3PO, his image worshipped​

R2D2, his attempt stopped​

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@DeadlySpecies, 1 year ago​

Kenobi, the high ground​

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@WardyLion, 1 year ago​

Skywalker in the trench over Yavin.​

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[RUDisney]

Latin

When I was in Rome, the guide at Paletine Hill asked if anyone could translate the arches and statues. I raised my hand and ruined her whole schtick. She looked at me funny and said, "really?" I shrugged. I can't translate the Iliad anymore, but I can make out what's on an arch or over a building. I also know my Roman numerals because I do a lot of crossword puzzles.

My point is this, what the guide said next. She asked, "can anyone other than this woman translate them?" Everyone said no. She said that most of the Romans at the time they were built couldn't read them, either.

When I was learning Greek in HS, as the OP suggested, it was Ancient Greek and the instructors were quick to point out that it isn't what modern Greek is. So, I have a little knowledge of 2 dead languages. Yay me.

 

[snowwite]

Welcome to Wales.

I think it’s pretty cool seeing everything in more than one language. Wales and the parts of Scotland have two languages. English but also Gaelic or Welsh. Every place on the Isale of Skye has both. The only other place we found this was in parts of Canada. Languages should not be allowed to just die out. It’s great to see them kept alive for future generations.