Land of Hope and Technology February 2016 | Page 6

ISSUE 1

Can two billion people
be wrong?
That brings us onto language. It has been
estimated that two billion people use
the English Language to communicate
regularly.
It may not be the most commonly spoken
first language, but it is generally agreed that
it is the dominant business language, and an
essential tool for anyone looking to work with
international partners.This is important for
more than one reason. For one thing, the UK
attracts talent from all over the world to its
universities, in part because of the motivation
to improve skills with the English language.
For another thing, it gives the UK an
advantage, because its indigenous
population can ‘speak the lingo like a native’.
It is not all advantage, however. For one
thing, it is possible that the version of English
that will eventually become the language of
international commerce, may be a variation.
It is often said of the UK and US, two
countries separated by a common language.
It is quite possible that the version of English
that ultimately establishes itself will be a
hybrid of English spoken in India and in
China, and may be quite different from the
language the majority of Brits are brought up
to speak.
There is also a question over the ubiquity
of the English language making the British
linguistically lazy, and may discourage
people from the UK working abroad in nonEnglish speaking nations, and may detract
from the county’s ability to sell its wares
abroad – hitting exports. To take a populist
example, compare the number of British born
football players who have plied their trade
outside of the British Isles, compared to nonBritish born footballers. You can count the
players on your fingers (maybe your toes as
well), who have done so.