"Who knows? English might one day fulfil the destiny intended for Esperanto."
http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21697210-institutions-european-union-will-still-speak-kind-english-if-britain

I am so lucky that I was born as a native English speaker. I have access to information that other people don't.

However, I don't think English can be the lingua franca because it is just too hard for people to learn. Even when they live in an English country, it takes at least 10 years for immigrants to get to a decent level, and that is assuming that they already had some exposure before arriving.

One of my life dreams is to make an animated show that showcases how inconvenient and seemingly stupid English grammar is.

Also the fact that a lot of the time, we don't even follow that grammar.
It's just that the USA and Britain happen to speak it.

Alkanadi:"Who knows? English might one day fulfil the destiny intended for Esperanto."

That's good news: Everyone will be hired in big international companies with only 150hour-english!

Bad news: oversimplified english risks to be similar to Orwell's Newspeak: That's ungood!

Altebrilas:

Alkanadi:"Who knows? English might one day fulfil the destiny intended for Esperanto."

That's good news: Everyone will be hired in big international companies with only 150hour-english!

This comment really illustrates the value of Esperanto. If Esperanto ever gets some traction, it will dramatically increase the effect of globalisation.

Bad news: oversimplified english risks to be similar to Orwell's Newspeak: That's ungood!

That would be a paradise. By paradise, I mean a semi/permanent transitional period from helltopia to uptopia. People want to live in a paradise, so let's give it to them.

The business world is already full of inadequate English speakers making important decisions based upon information that could be misinterpreted.
Matters have to be discussed internationally and as it is English is widely distributed. Unfortunately a lot of people have overestimated the level of fluency and comprehension.

I don't object to English over Esperanto on the grounds of much more than the above and of course language neutrality. Using English is probably beneficial to some places throughout Africa and in India, both of which speak far better English than most Europeans. In South East Asia too, though the quality is patchy.

Esperanto is not just fairer it makes sense from a simplicity and speed standpoint. There are still those repeatedly insisting the opposite and coming here to promote English (making me wonder why they are involved in Esperanto at all), but they can be safely ignored.

Vestitor:I don't object to English over Esperanto on the grounds of much more than the above and of course language neutrality. Using English is probably beneficial to some places throughout Africa and in India, both of which speak far better English than most Europeans. In South East Asia too, though the quality is patchy.

It is causing a separation of classes. In the past knowing English made you highly respected. Now, not knowing any English means you are viewed as backwards and uneducated.

In my experience, Europeans (aside from the French and Germans) are better in English, especially the ones from the UK.

English as the Lingua Franka gives me an unfair advantage. For example, the best Universities are in English speaking countries. Imagine trying to write an essay in a second language.

It would be throwing a screw ball to most non-native speakers and the advantages for the native speakers would be out of the park or at least three-bases loaded while the rest of you are in left field. The newbies couldn't turn on a dime before adding their John Hancock to anything doc. But the bozos in the EU are screaming from the peanut gallery while the rest of us are on route 66, no prob. So dudes, go hang ten and then keep cool or get back in the dug out when we, the star hitters, tap home and face the pitcher. No time out for the clods who don't get it, sorry. This is our game - a world series on home turf where the playing field is anyting but even. Luvin' it!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/intcom/ kun eblo subskribi

Esperanto is ten times easier, because it's international language by creation and destination. It is hundred times fairer, but thousand times less learned at school.

English and Esperanto will coexist as lingua franca during this century, but the technical progress of the international communication with Esperanto will progress faster. Esperanto has already progressed from ten to two millions speakers since 1887 (X 200000). The progress from two milions to one miliard (X 500)or more needs the will of people who want not to be (re-)colonised.

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Alkanadi:
It is causing a separation of classes. In the past knowing English made you highly respected. Now, not knowing any English means you are viewed as backwards and uneducated.

It's always been like that, but among other languages. It was just one of many languaes people learned.
In the past people in Europe didn't automatically default to English as 'the' foreign language.

Alkanadi:In my experience, Europeans (aside from the French and Germans) are better in English, especially the ones from the UK.

No. The English in Ghana, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Kenya is better. In parts of India the English is far superior to the general level in Europe.

Alkanadi:English as the Lingua Franka gives me an unfair advantage. For example, the best Universities are in English speaking countries. Imagine trying to write an essay in a second language.

Are they? Who says so? There are loads of excellent universities that are not English speaking.

robbkvasnak:It would be throwing a screw ball to most non-native speakers and the advantages for the native speakers would be out of the park or at least three-bases loaded while the rest of you are in left field. The newbies couldn't turn on a dime before adding their John Hancock to anything doc. But the bozos in the EU are screaming from the peanut gallery while the rest of us are on route 66, no prob. So dudes, go hang ten and then keep cool or get back in the dug out when we, the star hitters, tap home and face the pitcher. No time out for the clods who don't get it, sorry. This is our game - a world series on home turf where the playing field is anyting but even. Luvin' it!

Exactly my point. It doesn't matter how long a foreigner lives in an English country or studies English, they will never understand this. Even 40 years of being immersed in English won't help them.