English as Lingua Franca Around the World

Despite the protests of "us-first" movements in France, Switzerland, and other European countries, English is slowly but steadily gaining ground as the world's new lingua franca. Switzerland, in fact, has become the latest battleground in the war over the language's dominance. According to recent reports in "The New York Times" and "The Economist," some schools in Switzerland are now teaching English as a primary language before another one of the country's four official languages.

While some are concerned that the growing use of English will threaten national identity, most Europeans are welcoming the change. In one European Union survey, 70 percent of those polled agreed with the proposition that "everyone should speak English." In some European countries, English is even regarded as a second national language.

The country best known for its efforts to prevent English from diluting its national language is France. But despite the government's mandates, English has still crept into everyday usage there. In particular, English computer and business terms are often used over their French equivalents.

The belief that English is essential to doing business around the world is evident in Asia as well. According to a recent article in "Global Business," the use of English in Hong Kong has declined sharply since the British returned the territory to China in 1997. This alarms business leaders and citizens alike who believe that, in order to continue attracting multinational corporations, English usage must remain strong in the region.

Even at the United Nations, English has become the language of choice. When the folks at the U.N. asked member nations to name the language in which all correspondence to their missions should be addressed, the overwhelming majority chose English.

All of this seems to indicate that, for better or worse, English is on its way to becoming the preferred mode of communication in our increasingly flat world. Does this mean that the translation industry is on its way to becoming obsolete?

Probably not. Never before has the demand for quality translations been so great. And far from being one more nail in the coffin of the translation business, the globalization of language presents translation providers with unparalleled opportunities for growth and success.