The Last Lingua Franca

'A lingua franca is a language of convenience. When it ceases to be convenient - however widespread it has been - it will be dropped, without ceremony, and with little emotion.'NICHOLAS OSTLER The Last Lingua Francais a fascinating and provocative examination of the rise and coming fall of English as the world's language. English is the world's lingua franca - the most widely spoken language in human history. But its dominance has...
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'A lingua franca is a language of convenience. When it ceases to be convenient - however widespread it has been - it will be dropped, without ceremony, and with little emotion.'
NICHOLAS OSTLER

The Last Lingua Francais a fascinating and provocative examination of the rise and coming fall of English as the world's language.

English is the world's lingua franca - the most widely spoken language in human history. But its dominance has so far lasted two centuries at most - far less than the spans of other major languages such as Greek, Latin, Arabic, or Sanskrit. And now, as historian and linguist Nicholas Ostler persuasively argues in his provocative new book, English stands not only to be displaced as the world's language in the not-too distant future, but also to be the last lingua franca, not replaced by another.

The primary causes for the spread of lingua francas over time have been empire (to bind peoples together politically), commerce (to facilitate trade), and religion (reinforcing the power of faith), and Ostler explores each inspiration through the lens of civilizations spanning the globe, from China and India to Russia and Europe. Three trends emerge that suggest the ultimate decline of English, and lingua francas themselves. Throughout the world movements towards democratization in politics or equality in society will downgrade the status of elites-since elites are the prime users of non-native English, the language will gradually retreat to its native-speaking territories. Moreover, the rising wealth of states like Brazil, Russia, India and China will challenge and ultimately overtake the dominance of native-English-speaking nations-thereby shrinking the international preference for English. Simultaneously, new technologies are allowing instant translation among major languages, enhancing the status of mother tongues and lessening the necessity for any future lingua francas.

Ostler predicts a soft landing for English- it will still be widely spoken, if no longer worldwide, sustained by America's continued power on the world stage. But its decline will be symbolic and significant, evidence of grand shifts in the cultural effects of empire.

The Last Lingua Francais both an insightful examination of the trajectory of our own mother tongue and a fascinating lens through which to view the sweep of history.