Which language to learn in the 21st century?

kaja   Thu May 13, 2010 1:45 am GMT
So I've read cited a few times that by 2050, the dominant international languages will be English, Spanish and Chinese.

What do you think? Should we study Spanish or Chinese? Obviously not French...

Your reason can either be due to economic influence, cultural utility, or just which language is most interesting.
Wicked heart   Thu May 13, 2010 1:58 am GMT
If only every person who repeated this stupid hackneyed question would die a horrible, horrible death.
Troll   Thu May 13, 2010 2:06 am GMT
French
Kojo   Thu May 13, 2010 2:13 am GMT
<< So I've read cited a few times that by 2050, the dominant international languages will be English, Spanish and Chinese.

What do you think? Should we study Spanish or Chinese? Obviously not French...

Your reason can either be due to economic influence, cultural utility, or just which language is most interesting. >>

Yes, French, Russian, German, Italian, and even Hindi fits into your category and Spanish and Chinese are out.

French is studied as a foreign language by some 200 million people (making it the second most learnt language in the world - after English.)

http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/foreign-languages/french-courses/

Russian statistics state that 20 million foreigners studying Russian, and this, in 90 countries.

http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/francophonie/francophonie.htm

According to Spain's 20 Minutos, there are now more than 14 million people studying Spanish in 90 countries in which Spanish is not an official language. According to the Director of the Instituto Cervantes.....

http://vivirlatino.com/2007/04/27/spanish-second-most-studied-language-worldwide.php

English and French are the only working languages of the International Court of Justice

English, French, and German are the only working languages of the EU.

French is the language of The European Court of Justice

English, Russian, French, German, and Japanese are the dominant languages on science while Spanish is slipping from the list.

In the Economic and Social Council, as of 2007, there are three three are working languages (English, French, and Russian).

The working languages of NATO/OTAN are French and English

English and French are the only 2 global languages.
Jeff   Thu May 13, 2010 2:34 am GMT
Chinese (Mandarin)

Arabic (Modern Standard)
Parnassus   Thu May 13, 2010 9:21 am GMT
I'm learning Italian. It's cool.
Baldewin   Thu May 13, 2010 9:34 am GMT
English. English will dominate the globe. Then it will disintegrate after 'the Empire' collapses and form different Germano-Latin creoles.
Baldewin   Thu May 13, 2010 9:35 am GMT
English. English will dominate the globe. Then it will disintegrate after 'the Empire' collapses and form different Germano-Latin creoles.
Matematik   Thu May 13, 2010 8:51 pm GMT
<<Arabic (Modern Standard) >>

Arabians are too backward and too religion obsessed to ever become a super-power, once the oil dries up it's back to the stone age.
doomsayer   Thu May 13, 2010 9:24 pm GMT
Chinese
fraz   Thu May 13, 2010 10:47 pm GMT
Russian will be of prime importance to due the country's vast energy reserves.
Franco   Thu May 13, 2010 11:10 pm GMT
Spain will take over the world, so you might as well learn Spanish, you slaves.
Matematik   Thu May 13, 2010 11:32 pm GMT
Polari