>>coming back to the original topic, the future of english, i am really not sure how long this language is still going to dominate the world.<<
You are saying something. I'm not sure, but I think the natural birthrate of English speakers is decreasing, while e.g. the number of Spanish and Arabic speakers is on the increase, and Chinese already has the largest number of native speakers. So any of these languages may pose a challenge to the overall (!) dominance of English on the long run, first locally, then perhaps also on a more global scale as well. But I do think English is very likely to be used as an inter-cultural lingua franca for some years to come...
If English (my native tongue) is going to lose it's current influence in the world at large (as has been suggested in this thread) then I shall wait patiently (for the time being!) for the time when it becomes clear exactly which one becomes the true World Language. I shall then settle down and begin to learn it to the point of complete fluency. I don't want to end up speaking a second rate means of communication.
How soon do you think will happen? As an Aries guy patience is not really one of my virtues.
Actually, I had "Hero" in mind... lol
Some of the older Japanese movies tend to be dubbed. We don't have that many films dubbed when released in theaters (and not many foreign films do make it to wide release here, so my experience with them in the theater is nill) but when you get DVDs now you have the option to watch a film either subtitled or dubbed.
The Spanish channels tend to be the ones who dub everything.
I don't think English will lose its importance any time soon. Of course, it might happen eventually, but not in the near future (at least 50 years or so).
I completely agree that dubbing ruins a film, but it is the only way they show them in Russia. Whether you go to movie or turn on TV, ALL movies are dubbed, but very few can be called as really professinal translation. Probably, more than half of films are translated as news reports. I mean one man or one man and a woman are reading all text behind and complitely obliterating the original sound track. Never mind that it was a song, if somebody has decided that its words are related to scenario, it will be translated in that way. I cannot find words to tell in what they have turned musical movies. They showed a couple of them probably ten years ago, it was completely disastrous -- no one can watch them for more than ten minutes without becomming sick. It believe they have ot tried to show any Americans musicals since then. For some other films, though they hire more actors for dubbing, they are still mostly cheap works -- seems like the main goal was to keep the cost as low as possible. All these "actors" sound so contrive and pretentious that one voice translation may appear much better compare this play. Of course, there are some films that are good trasnalted but not many.
As to the future of English, I think it will probably stay in its current role of the communication tool among speakers of different languages as long as this role will be important. I guess, one day, computer will be able to translate better than the average graduate from a technical or business college, and many people who learn it primary for business and education needs will become reluctant to spend their time on its learning. Probably, around that time, computers will be also able to recognize human speech good enough to make it practical. So the 'instrumental' motiviation for learning English will significantly undermine and we will enter in the era of a few global languages. Probably, even before that happens, influence of English may decrease, but it still will be the number one among languages for international communications till that moment.
>>Rule-meister Friday, December 10, 2004, 10:37 GMT
There are relatively few professions that require bilingualism. I think the supposed importance of multilingualism or the lack thereof is grossly exaggerated. There are a great number of other skills that are more pertinent in modern society. <<
I believe you should have emphasised that you were talking about English-speaking countries and monolingual English speakers in the US.
Here in Canada, speaking the other national language, French, is considered a great advantage. Speaking a few more, of course, can never hurt you.
...
Isn't it quite plain to see why being multilingual means being open-minded? It does so because it allows you direct contact with other cultures, without intermediaries or language barriers.
Priceless.
Even in the US, I'm seeing more multilingulism. Many real-estate agents speak Spanish these days, probably because of the housing boom. And all the ATMs give you the option of English or Spanish.
Despite all that, the future of English is bright.
Cro Magnon,
In my very personal opinion, it will benefit the US to turn more prominently bilingual. Judging from the increase of the Spanish-speaking population, that is likely to happen sooner or later.
Dwayne: "I guess, one day, computer will be able to translate better than the average graduate from a technical or business college, and many people who learn it primary for business and education needs will become reluctant to spend their time on its learning. Probably, around that time, computers will be also able to recognize human speech good enough to make it practical."
The day when a computer can translate better than a person with a bachelors degree in the language they're translating from will not be arriving any time soon.
It's hard to imagine that computer can translate better than a human, simply because it doesn't have a real intelligence.
There is no indication that computer translation will overtake (or even equal) human translation any time soon. Proper translation requires an awareness of context, which is so far beyond computer capabilities today that it's a waste of time to even contemplate it.
Sanja:
I think computers can have a much higher IQ than many people I know of......that is really scary! I am always nice to my PC for fear of any retributive retaliation one dark night.
>>Actually, bilingualism assumes two languages are spoken equally well, so, we have all overestimated its extent.<<
No, it does not. Bilingualism is very difficult to define, but it usually means being able to communicate in a language other than one's first language. It is viewed as a gradable fenomenon and can be described as a point on an imaginary proficiency continuum for each language a person speaks.
Equal (or, more realistically, nearly equal) proficiency in two languages is called balanced bilingualism or equilingualism.
Around half the world's population is bilingual, which leaves you, Rulemeister in a decisive ivory-tower minority.
"Decisive", as some estimates go up to 2/3.