Other World languages

Bjorn   Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:18 pm GMT
We know that English, French and Spanish are official in almost all World Organizations, and these languages are official in a lot of countries.

My question is if we can add more languages to this group. I do not Know if there are other true World languages: studied in almost all universities around the World, official in a lot of Organizations, very spoken, etc

Thank you.
Guest   Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:34 pm GMT
If we are strict, the answer is no. There are not other languages that we can consider World languages because they have not one or more factors.

Anyway, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, German, etc are almost World languages. The problem of these languages is that they are spoken in only one area. Out of this area, these languages are not very studied or spoken.
JLK   Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:36 pm GMT
Spanish isn't exactly in the same league as English or French when taking world organizations into consideration.


I think German is a world language. It is frequently studied in many parts of the world. The German speaking countries are huge contributors in scientific innovation. Germany has the 3rd largest economy. The only reason why it is not an official language of the U.N is for political reasons dating back to WWII.
Guest   Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:44 pm GMT
Aside from international organizations like UN, I've noticed that the manuals of some products now come in English and Spanish only when some years ago if a manufacturer had to choose two languages only they would be English and French without any doubts. I guess that international organizations like UN retain French because of the still strong diplomatic influence of the French Government but French is rapidly losing importance for multinational corporations.
Guest   Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:53 pm GMT
China is the second biggest economy and that doesn't make Chinese a world language, there are many other factors which came into play. If I'm not wrong, UN has 5 official languages, English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian. Some documents UN produces are in French and English only, so these ones are a bit more important for this organization, and goin further some UN's documents are in English only hence considering UN criteria English is the most world language, followed by French and then by Spanish, Russian and Arabic.
JLK   Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:53 pm GMT
<<Aside from international organizations like UN, I've noticed that the manuals of some products now come in English and Spanish only when some years ago if a manufacturer had to choose two languages only they would be English and French without any doubts. I guess that international organizations like UN retain French because of the still strong diplomatic influence of the French Government but French is rapidly losing importance for multinational corporations.>>

I take it you're American? In which case, that is quite normal when you glance at America's changing demographics. Elsewhere in the world it is still English/French. I live in America right now and and I see a lot of English/French manuals, so I don't think it is quite like you say it is. The latest fad though is multilingual manuals, English/French/Spanish, English/French/ German/ Japanese,etc...
Guest   Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:11 pm GMT
To JLK

Spanish isn't exactly in the same league as English or French when taking world organizations into consideration


Are you joking?

The United Nations has six official and working languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish).

The World Trade Organization has three working languages: English, French, and Spanish.

The International Labour Organization has three working languages: English, French, and Spanish.

The International Telecommunications Union has three working languages: English, French, and Spanish.

The Free Trade Area of the Americas has two working languages: English and Spanish.

Mercosur has two working languages: Portuguese and Spanish.

FIFA has four working languages: English, French, German, and Spanish.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - English (Conferences also have simultaneous interpretation into French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Chinese and Russian.)

International Olympic Committee (IOC) - English and French. Other working languages: Spanish, German, Russian, Arabic (the last two only during the annual Session.)

Organization of Ibero-American States - Spanish and Portuguese.

World Bank - English (Conferences also have simultaneous interpretation into French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian.)


So, Spanish is official or at least there is simultaneous interpretation in all the World Organizations.


The answer to the first question is no. Chinese, Arabic and Russian are not true World languages because they are studied out ot their influence area. German is only spoken in Central Europe. So, German is not a World language.
Guest   Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:34 pm GMT
Is Hebrew an official language of Mercosur now that Israel is a member of this economic block?
Guest   Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:41 pm GMT
No. Hebrew is not an official language of the Mercosur.
JLK   Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:46 pm GMT
Spanish is official in a number of organizations, but it does not carry the same prestige as French. For example, the two working languages of the U.N Secretariat are English and French.


About German just being spoken in central Europe: that's true, but it doesn't mean much. Germany is a more influential nation than Russia despite being a fraction the geographic size. Amazingly disproportional power...

Spanish is only spoken in two regions, so it isn't the best example of a world language in the geographic sense. Even Portuguese outdoes Spanish in that aspect.
Guest   Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:58 pm GMT
To JLK

Spanish is spoken in all the regions:

1. North America: United States and Mexico. There is an important minority in Canada.

2. Central America and Caribbean area: a lot of countries

3. South America: a lot of countries

4. Europe: it is the first language of 2 countries, Spain and Andorra. It is spoken by minorities in France, Portugal, Switzerland, UK, Germany, Italy, Sweden, etc

5. Africa: it is official in Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Canary islands, Ceuta and Melilla. It is spoken in Morocco, Sahara, Algeria, etc

6. Asia: it will be official again in Philippines according to her President, Corazon Aquino. It is spoken by minorities in Japan, Israel, etc.

7. Oceania: It is official in Eastern island. It is spoken by minorities in Austrialia, New Zealand, Guam, etc. In Guam and Mariana islands it is official a Spanish creole, Chamorro.

8. Antarctica: it is the second language of this area, after English. It is official in the Argentine and Chilean Antarctica. There are bases of Spain, Peru, Uruguay, etc.
Guest   Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:58 pm GMT
Spanish is spoken in 6 Regions:

Spanish Speaking Americas

Europe

Africa (Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, Equatorial Guinea)

Asia (Philippines)

Pacific ( Mariana Islands and Pascua Island)

Antarctica
Guest   Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:09 pm GMT
Who knows, maybe extraterrestrial living beings learned Spanish because it is the most beautiful language and now they speak it in other Galaxies
JLK   Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:19 pm GMT
I hope you are being sarcastic, guest. I can't believe you're including minorities too. The only places where Spanish has any practical usefulness is Spain and Latin America. French, German and English are far more useful in Europe. Spanish is irrelevant in Africa. French and English are by far the dominate language there. Spanish is spoken by hardly anyone in the Philippines. It is irrelevant in Oceania and Antarctica. Please, get a life. If I wanted to be a joke like you, I could compile a much longer list of places where French is spoken, but I don't, I stick to the regions where it is genuinely useful.
Guest   Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:25 pm GMT
Africa itself is irrelevant, so is irrelevant that Spanish is irrelevant there and French is more spoken. Most of those French speaking countries are part of the 4th world. And once you discard Africa, French is not spoken in many more areas, only in Quebec but the pressure of English is strong there.