English as A Common Language

There are in Asia many different languages as well as many different dialects. This is true also of many parts of Africa where in Ghana alone there are many different languages, each one again, with many dialects. Therefore since it is only by the spoken word that human beings can communicate with one another, the necessity for a common language, whatever that common language may be, is obvious. Anyone finding himself in a foreign country, unable to speak a word of the native language there, will know a complete feeling of isolation and of being ‘cut off’ from everybody there. No amount of miming or acting can really restore adequate communication and even when skilled interpreters are employers, the process of translation is low and a great deal of the personal touch is lost.

Whether English should be the common language for the world is arguable, though there are some points in its favor. There is the fact that apart from Chinese, more people in the world speak English than any other language. It is spoken in most of the North American continent, in Australia, New Zealand, and Britain as well as in many other countries. In fact, 290 million people have English as their national language. If it is accepted as the common language of the world, communication between the various countries would be easier.

English, too, is already a language that is known to a great many Asians. This is due to the fact that English-speaking people had colonized and had been living there for over a century, and doing so, they brought their language with them. English is now taught in Asian, schools and today, many Asians have a far better command of English than their European counterparts have of Asian languages. It is interesting to note that this is true of many African states as well. There, for many of the same reasons, English is known to a large number of African citizens.

The language of the twentieth-century world is the language of science and technology. Often new words must be added to the language to keep up with modern inventions and developments. The list in the last ten years is endless. ‘Television,’ ‘Telestar.’ ‘Sputnik’ ‘the computer,’ ‘Penicillin,’ ‘Jet propelled’ are just a few which illustrate new words for new inventions in many different spheres. Malay is a composite language. In other words, it is composed of many different parts. It is, therefore, capable of assimilating new words to cover modern needs. On the other hand, only over a hundred and eighty million people speak Malay, the common language of Malaysia and Indonesia, communication outside the region will be very limited, if indeed possible at all.

Nearly a billion people speak Chinese and so there would, at first sight, appear to be arguments in favor of Chinese as a common language. But there are many arguments against it! The Chinese language is not, in the first place, based on Latin as most of the other languages like English are. It is composed of a series of ‘characters and symbols. It is, therefore very difficult indeed for ‘ordinary’ foreigners to learn it. The language does already include characters and symbols which cover scientific and technological words and phrases, but their use to the world, in general, is limited since such symbols and characters are virtually unfamiliar to the world outside China. Therefore although Chinese is spoken by so many millions of people, it is not as suitable as a common language as English.

Singapore is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Her Prime Minister, together with his colleagues and fellow Prime Ministers from other Commonwealth countries meet to deliberate, to discuss and shape policies on world affairs and they use English as the common language. It is necessary at all levels to be able to communicate thoughts, words, and ideas. Singapore using English as one of her languages would, therefore, be able to contribute much that is wise and good to the welfare of mankind, even when Malay is her National Language.