In most science fiction shows and books there is only one language spoken per planet, or federation. Many wonder would this ever truly happen and why. Globalization will eventually result in a standardization of terms and a single unified language spoken by all the people all over the world. This does not mean that other languages are not important, just that they will be relegated to families and small communities and not used as much.
This trend is already being seen in world travel and business, as well as science. All pilots flying must learn English. Why? Because as they travel from one country to the next the pilots need to be able to communicate and coordinate efforts to prevent accidents. It can become complex and confusing if the air traffic controller spoke English while the pilot spoke German, and because a wide range of pilots may be listening to the same broadcast, it has to be in a universal language. The same applies to business transactions and science, communication is important and needs to be universal to decrease problems.
Why English as a universal language? Because the English were the most success traders and colonizers the world has ever known, spanning and trading around the globe. More people speak and understand English than any other language. There may be more Chinese than British, but even most of the Chinese speak English and the Chinese are not spread out over the globe as much, “the sun never sets on the British Empire (some say God didn’t trust the English in the dark)”!
Globalization will definitely standardize the language. Today entertainment via Television and the Internet is spreading and the greatest producers are the Americans, which speak English. To tie into or profit in these medias, one learns English. They also use known abbreviations or set words, thus the language is becoming standardized. To Shakespeare a faggot was a bundle of firewood, now it is a derogatory term. Many other words and terms are changing as well.
Globalization will allow some change and new terms to enter the language base, and enter it quickly. Black holes were unknown a few decades ago, but now are bantered around on a weekly basis with the operation of LHC at CERN. So globalization will certainly create a universal language, but it will not stifle flexibility and new terminology!
Other languages will still exist. Italians will still speak Italian and the Indonesians are not likely to stop speaking Bahasi any time soon. They may not be used on a global scale, but will still be around! Buenos dias!
