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Will Mandarin Chinese replace English as the next world language?
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It is more beneficial to learn English than Mandarin

English communication is a common denominator in international businesses and political entities such as the United Nations (UN). Continuing in a language that is already so widely spoken will ensure that businesses and political entities continue running smoothly.

Context

There are more speakers of English as a second language in China than in any other country.[1] English is so widely spoken elsewhere as well; is there any point in preserving or learning another language in an increasingly globalized world where collaboration and mutual understanding are so needed for progress?

The Argument

English remains more beneficial for economic opportunities and for practical reasons. There are more Chinese people learning English than there are English speakers learning Mandarin.[2] There is a decline in US students interested in learning Mandarin because of the limited payoff. Some students have reported that the effort to learn Mandarin is not worth it because even if they are seeking employment in China, they find that many Chinese people in their job sector are already fluent in English.[3] Language differences in business or political settings can cause misunderstandings and will hinder progress. It's much easier to communicate in English. For English learners, the difficulties and time needed while learning Mandarin are not worth the payoff.

Counter arguments

As instant machine learning translations become quicker and more accurate, the need for a global lingua franca may diminish. People may be able to communicate freely in their native language with speakers of other languages, aided by instant language translation.

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jul/27/english-language-global-dominance
  2. https://www.chinasimplified.com/2015/04/03/will-speaking-chinese-future/
  3. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-usa-students/u-s-students-losing-interest-in-china-as-dream-jobs-prove-elusive-idUSKBN0M82MU20150312
This page was last edited on Friday, 4 Sep 2020 at 17:20 UTC

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