The Dumbing Down Of The Japanese Language

[Mulboyne]

[IkemenTommy]

I always believe that technology should not be readily available to the dumb general public. Cell phone is a prime example.

[Kanchou]

I for one see noting wrong with having a single language spoken by the majority of the population that unites the world...but that's only because it's going to be English.

The vast majority of foreign languages are *already* local languages... Japanese has never been anything but a local language (unless you count anime fans...which I don't). German is much of the same...spoken primarily in three or four small countries that border each other.

Arabic and Chinese are spoken around the world by billions but that's because they have massive amounts of native speakers.

[Dragonette]

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

[Coligny]

I for one see noting wrong with having a single language spoken by the majority of the population that unites the world...but that's only because it's going to be English.

Agree to disagree, it have to be French, english is more commonly used since the 20th century only. Before that French was everywhere. It's a much more precise and pleasant language. Why settle for something inferior ?

The vast majority of foreign languages are *already* local languages... Japanese has never been anything but a local language (unless you count anime fans...which I don't). German is much of the same...spoken primarily in three or four small countries that border each other.

Japanese is not even a language, more like a totally ungoverned pidgin.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

It's a much more precise and pleasant language.

If we're going to go down that path, then Arabic is probably even better. Some of the phrasing in Arabic is simply exquisite.

English may be in the global ascendancy now, but I would guess in maybe 100 years from now, languages such as Mandarin and Hindi may be strongly challenging that dominance. Barring something untoward happening, I think we can say au revoir to French as an international language despite your valid argument that it is more precise and pleasant than English. Money, after all, makes the world go 'round and canny linguists will always follow the money trail.

I think it's disparaging to say Japanese is not a language -- it has some tremendously beautiful and practical aspects (the consistency of its grammatical structure makes it a cinch to learn the basics is one area I can think of immediately). But I can't help but think I have wasted my life dedicating myself to its study.

[Samurai_Jerk]

English may be in the global ascendancy now, but I would guess in maybe 100 years from now, languages such as Mandarin and Hindi may be strongly challenging that dominance.

The biggest stumbling block to Mandarin becoming the world language is the writing system. Maybe if they do like the Vietnamese and switch to a romanized alphabet. I don't think it would ever be Hindi because not even everyone in India speaks it and anyone there who is educated speaks English and uses it for business already anyway.

But I can't help but think I have wasted my life dedicating myself to its study.

I think a lot of us have.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

The biggest stumbling block to Mandarin becoming the world language is the writing system. Maybe if they do like the Vietnamese and switch to a romanized alphabet. I don't think it would ever be Hindi because not even everyone in India speaks it and anyone there who is educated speaks English and uses it for business already anyway.

Too true in both cases....still, you never know. In 100 years, there may be technological advances that make writing systems less of a stumbling block. And, as for Hindi, never rule out the power of nationalism. English is still the language of the conqueror. As the Indians gain greater economic might (their middle class population already exceeds the entire population of the U.S.), there may be a greater push to make others learn their language instead (not a great example, but top Australian cricketers are racing each other to learn Hindi because India is where the money is in that sport nowadays. It's a scenario unthinkable even a decade ago.)

[Yokohammer]

Agree to disagree, it have to be French, english is more commonly used since the 20th century only. Before that French was everywhere. It's a much more precise and pleasant language. Why settle for something inferior ?

Nothing against French ... I think it's a beautiful language ... it's just that I'd rather not have to worry about all my inanimate objects having gender, plus all the attendant grammatical permutations. That's taking precision a bit too far, even when it does make sense (the big problem being that it doesn't always).

Japanese is not even a language, more like a totally ungoverned pidgin.

Aw, that's not fair. There are times when Japanese expressions are far more efficient and elegant than the corresponding English (or French). This becomes obvious when you hear two J-E bilingual people speaking their unique brand of English. The conversation is invariably peppered with Japanese expressions that just work better when conveying certain ideas. Of course there are times when Japanese is just too vague ... but that can be useful too.

[osopolar]

[quote="Yokohammer"]This becomes obvious when you hear two J-E bilingual people speaking their unique brand of English. The conversation is invariably peppered with Japanese expressions that just work better when conveying certain ideas. Of course there are times when Japanese is just too vague ... but that can be useful too. ]

So you're saying something like the dialogue in Firefly except J-E..