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English has become the most widely used language across the world because of tourism. Will this lead to English being the only language used in the future? Some people think that it will. Following paragraphs will discuss pros and cons of this prospective future.
Firstly, the most important advantage of a single language would be the ease of communication it will bring for people across the world. Proper communication will promote development and decrease conflict among different countries. For instance, countries which did not adapt to English until recently are lagging both in technology and lifestyle. Secondly, every individual will have access to more knowledge and hence a broader perspective of the world. A paddy farmer in a remote village would have more knowledge, both related and unrelated to his job if he spoke English rather than a local tongue.
On the other hand, one of the most important disadvantage will be the loss of culture. Each language has its history, culture and significance which will be lost if English becomes the only language spoken. English does not have replacements to some native words and will lead to loss of a few ways of expression. For example, Sanskrit has one of the longest history among all the languages and many claim that translating historical poems and records written in Sanskrit into any other language loses their meaning and appeal. The demerits of English as the only language seem more serious than the merits it might bring.
To conclude, although having English as the only language can promote development and individual knowledge, the cultural cost at which these merits are gained is not worth it. Having English as a common second language while retaining the other languages would bring the best of both scenarios.
