Will English Speakers Be Beaten By The Spanish Speakers
The way the world keeps on changing is quite amazing. But it is worth noticing that a lot of factors come into play to make the change happen. Although change is constant, it isn’t brought about by an automatic process. A close study of any society can show how change occurs over time in different fields of life. The way cultures change and adapt to different times is proof that society’s ideas are not set in stone. However, an outside force must exert enough influence on culture or language for it to change considerably.
The Spanish Language:
Sometimes, instead of changing themselves, languages and cultures end up changing the people. They help them in creating a community away from home. A lot can be said about the popularity of Spanish and the number of speakers it has in the world today. But there are a few things that make it different from other popular languages of today. English and Mandarin both have a huge number of speakers, but it is Spanish, which is being studied by people everywhere. The United States is home to the greatest number of students of Spanish, followed by Brazil and France.
It is a daughter tongue of Latin, a language that itself was quite popular for many centuries. Even today, we have dictionaries and books in Latin that can be accessed by anyone. It is the language of the Roman Catholic Church and actively studied by thousands of people. So, it makes sense that a daughter of Latin would end up becoming such a famous tongue. But people are more curious to know about the future of the vernacular.
The Future of Spanish:
Although English is quite famous today, Spanish is not far behind. French is also in the race of becoming the most popular vernacular of the world. Mandarin is not a threat to these contenders as it is not widely studied by outsiders. Its use is also decreasing among the Chinese. Either another variety of Chinese will take its place, or English will end up becoming more popular in China. Only time can tell for certain what would be the shape of the world’s linguistic map in the future, but some predictions can be made based on the current trends.
The popularity of the vernacular among students is proof that its future is bright. It won’t disappear into obscurity like some other tongues; instead, it could end up becoming the most spoken vernacular in the world. Interestingly, the future of the vernacular is tied to the way it will progress in the US, the most powerful country in the world. Anything that becomes famous in the US ends up becoming popular in the rest of the world too. So, the fate of Spanish will also be decided by the US.
2050 and the USA, Will English Speakers Be Beaten By The Spanish Speakers?
Interestingly, Spain is not the place with the greatest number of Spanish speakers, despite being the home of the vernacular. It is Mexico that comes at the number one spot, followed by the US when it comes to the greatest number of the vernacular’s speakers. The Latino population of the US is the biggest reason behind the popularity of this language. The US is the first choice of immigrants when they are thinking of moving to a peaceful and prosperous country. Since most of the immigrants to the US come from Latin American countries, they have formed a huge majority in the country. They live in communities and celebrate their unique festivals.
Latin American immigrants bring their language to the US with them. This is why Spanish is quickly spreading in every part of America. However, the current number of speakers doesn’t take into account undocumented immigrants living in the country. So, what will happen by the year 2050? One thing is for certain; the US will surpass Mexico and become the country with the greatest number of Spanish speakers. But will they beat the number of English speakers? That is a question that some experts answer in affirmative. They think that since immigrants wish to stay true to their culture, they continue speaking their vernacular instead of adopting the tongue of the land they are living in. This has decreased the value of English in the US. It could lead to an outcome where English would cease to be the most spoken tongue in the US. However, this is only suggested by a few researchers. It is worth remembering that change does not happen instantly. When we are considering social lives and what affects them, thirty years is not a long period.
So, even by 2050, there is no certainty that the number of English speakers will decrease to the point of being beaten by the number of Spanish speakers. However, that doesn’t mean that the linguistic landscape of the US will not change in the future. Plenty of changes are in store for America. The social lives of its citizens will get affected but not necessarily in a bad way. And there is a high chance that friendliness will be maintained by everyone. Even today, there are many bilinguals in the US who speak both the popular languages of their country. These people can effectively communicate with others without having to worry about the linguistic barrier. As for what the USA will be in 2050, we have no other option than to wait and see.
