User:Arotnow

New concepts in order to improve the communication

After I have occupied intensively myself with the topic “constructed languages”, I have become convinced that a perfect constructed language doesn’t exist until now. A constructed language (I prefer the name “artificial language”) is a language that has been developed artificially in a quite short time. The most frequent reason to develop a constructed language is the relief of communication between speakers of different native languages. Such a language is called “Lingua Franca”. Many constructed languages have been developed in the past with the aim of being an international auxiliary language and many constructed languages will be developed in the future. There are supporters and opponents of artificial languages. It depends on many kinds of factors which opinion the people have of this topic. For some people a constructed language is a cultural misstep and for other people it is a beneficial instrument of international understanding. It has not been possible until now to install a constructed language effectively and persistently as auxiliary language in a big area. I want to confine myself to the European region for my next contemplations. As European I wish a Lingua Franca for Europe. I have tried a long time to find an understandable name for such a language. After intensive considerations I have decided to call a Lingua Franca for Europe “Europe Addition Language”. Other versions of names were “Europe Auxiliary Language”, “European Second Language” or “Europe Bridge Language”. This idea contains a vision: a common European language (similar to the European single currency). It’s my firm conviction that it is necessary to make a common European politics in order to become not a marionette between the superpowers. Not only language is important – Europe is important, too. The Euro has become “Europe substitute currency” in many countries because in many countries the respective currency has been replaced by the Euro. The designation “Europe Addition Language” unequivocally emphasizes that I don’t want to have a substitute but an addition, which is something positive. Many people had the idea to construct such a language for Europe. I don’t want to mention the name of some constructed languages. I believe that no existing constructed language is suitable to be used as Europe Addition Language. The language I speak about doesn’t exist. I have realized in the past that it is very difficult to construct a language and after doing this I was not satisfied with the result. I don’t think that a single person is able to construct a perfect language. Every constructed language has advantages and disadvantages. For some persons the advantages are disadvantages and for other persons the disadvantages are advantages. But in any case it is possible to construct a good Europe Addition Language when enough experts participate in its construction. Following is important: to begin a common European project.

This would be the second step because the first step would be more important: information and clearing up. The idea, the vision and the dream have to be communicated to the whole (European) population. Many people don’t know that constructed languages exist. The advantage of a constructed language has to be explained clearly to these persons. Many people will refuse a constructed language, but also many people will support a constructed language. Constructed languages were never an important topic. I have met the term “constructed language” in the last twenty years only once or twice on television or in the newspaper. So I infer following: This topic doesn’t take place in the public. So one has to take care of presenting it to the people. There seems to be only one medium that provides with information and discussions about constructed languages: the internet. The internet is an important medium, but one must not overrate its importance because the internet includes an unimaginable number of contents, which are not always easy to find. So it is not possible to reach many people. Therefore I think that the idea to construct an Europe Addition Language has to be presented on television. I don’t intend to participate in its construction. I don’t have influence, I only can mention some (of my) ideas. As single person I am not able to effect something. What we need are supporters. People who want to participate in a good thing. This thing, this topic, this idea is very interesting: It is a matter of something unique, of something that never existed before.

When some people want to support the construction and installation of an Europe Addition Language, it would be useful to found a registered society. This association could have the name “Lingua Franca Association (LFA)”. It should be unmentionable for this association to support an existing constructed language; supporters of existing constructed languages have their own association. It should be also unmentionable for the Lingua Franca Association to support a natural language (like English, Chinese or Spanish). Fanaticism and squabble are superfluous. The first step would be to inform the public and this in total transparency.

Which advantages has a constructed language? When we would be successful to install in Europe as Europe Addition Language a constructed language, which can be used by the European people in similar expressiveness like the respective native language, the advantages would be bigger than the disadvantages: Now it would be possible for each European to communicate with each other European without having learned a difficult natural language before because a constructed language is learnable in a much shorter time than a natural language. To express oneself in another language is no longer a privilege for people who are good at languages or are able to pay expensive intensive language courses. In any case it would be necessary that the Europe Addition Language is taught (and tested) at European schools after its construction by a common European project in order to improve it after its test. It would not be necessary to reduce the usual language courses because an Europe Addition Language is learnable at school during a half or one year only whereas one need for the applicability of a natural language (like English, Spanish, French, Italian or German) five or six years. Of course I don’t want to abolish the learning of natural languages, but the communication between people in Europe (and also in another continents) would be extremely improved by the introduction of a constructed language. So the world would get more and new possibilities and Europe would be strengthened. Is the following sentence no fact? We most gladly speak to people who speak our native language. So many contacts and insights don’t take place. It is important to find progressive strategies for the improvement of the European language politics. One should try to manage something what never has be done in the people’s history. One should try it because it is difficult. It is difficult, but not impossible. A grain of sand is no desert, but many grains of sand are. A drop is no ocean, but many drops are. When one go the political correct way by using the media without being recoiled by intrigues of the reactionary adversaries, this dream of the mankind will become true. For reaching this aim pioneers’ work has to be done – by people who have courage. The first step is to found the Lingua Franca Association.

Arne Arotnow (2010-01-05)

I apologize for the bad translation from German into English.