Hello
By the end of this century, can Chinese (Mandarin) seriously challenge English as the global language of science, business and diplomacy?
I think we should not be just considering the power of China or its sphere of influence, but we should pay some attention to features of the Chinese language that make it uninviting and unwieldy for foreign learners and would limit its use worldwide...
Spanish can be another contender though. The problem with Spanish is that it has almost no ground in Asia, except in Philippines to a very limited extent. But it might be good for East Asia to master some Spanish to trade with Latin American countries across the Pacific Ocean...
By the end of this century, can Chinese (Mandarin) seriously challenge English as the global language of science, business and diplomacy?
I think we should not be just considering the power of China or its sphere of influence, but we should pay some attention to features of the Chinese language that make it uninviting and unwieldy for foreign learners and would limit its use worldwide...
Spanish can be another contender though. The problem with Spanish is that it has almost no ground in Asia, except in Philippines to a very limited extent. But it might be good for East Asia to master some Spanish to trade with Latin American countries across the Pacific Ocean...