english—the lingua franca of science

in this article, i take a very personal look at the role of english in today’s world of science. does the hegemony of english lead to a loss of cultural diversity? what are the advantages of a unifying language of science? are non-native-speakers of english at a disadvantage when it comes to publishing their research? in today’s globalized world, is multilingualism a drawback or an asset?

download

• english as the lingua franca of science: a translator’s view on what’s lost—and what’s gained—in translation. tws 2008;4:213–219.

for further reading

• english as a lingua franca: a threat to multilingualism? juliane house, journal of sociolinguistics 2003;7:556–78.