I find the idea of an official common language pretty silly, to be honest. If there is a common language then it will happen slowly, and will sprout dialects as it does so. I find it incredibly unlikely that there will ever single unified language spoken by everyone.
Thanks for your honesty. "[...]happen slowly [...]" You are right... much too slowly. "[...] sprout dialects" This is assuming that a language like Esperanto will evolve like natural languages did: thanks to illiterates. Analyze how Esperanto evolved during the last century, and you will notice it does follow another pattern.
A common language (as Esperanto) would be a blessing for humanity (well...assuming the values Esperantists are cherishing are taken with the language.)
"Something like Globish" or like Basic English, or Kitchen French or Vulgar Latin?
Why would a complete language not suit you as worldwide second language? What is missing is the political will.
However, something like Mandarin Chinese is even more likely. The disadvantage is that you must start learning now, or your grand children will be left behind.
A currency is a tool - it's not a system that people have learned from birth. To switch from one currency to another requires only minor effort, and it's not possible to continue to using the old currency when everyone else switches to the new one.
A language, on the other hand, is something that people would continue using, and you couldn't simple mandate that everyone switch to a different language, they'd simply continue with the old one. Any government that tried to tell people what language to speak would find itself out of power very quickly.
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a more serious poll
results at http://multivote.sparklit.com/poll.spark/3142
3072 voted on " Which language should be the world's official common language? "
Results today (2010-04-14)
324 English
1964 Esperanto
247 "newly developed language"
Klingon should be mentioned here a few times
(adding your 43 votes here won't change much)
Re: a more serious poll
Klingon should be mentioned under
"Other existing constructed language" (100 voters)
Re: a more serious poll
Well, maybe binary :->
Re: a more serious poll
"[...]happen slowly [...]"
You are right... much too slowly.
"[...] sprout dialects"
This is assuming that a language like Esperanto will evolve like natural languages did: thanks to illiterates. Analyze how Esperanto evolved during the last century, and you will notice it does follow another pattern.
A common language (as Esperanto) would be a blessing for humanity (well...assuming the values Esperantists are cherishing are taken with the language.)
Re: a more serious poll
Something like Globish as a second language seems rather more likely.
Re: a more serious poll
As silly as switching to the Euro, or more?
"Something like Globish"
or like Basic English, or Kitchen French or Vulgar Latin?
Why would a complete language not suit you as worldwide second language?
What is missing is the political will.
However, something like Mandarin Chinese is even more likely. The disadvantage is that you must start learning now, or your grand children will be left behind.
Re: a more serious poll
A language, on the other hand, is something that people would continue using, and you couldn't simple mandate that everyone switch to a different language, they'd simply continue with the old one. Any government that tried to tell people what language to speak would find itself out of power very quickly.