International Languages: Concept and Problems.

This article discusses concepts and problems associated with international languages. Some languages take more than one function upon themselves, having cultural and integrative functions toward other languages. These languages are called international languages and often used for functions such as: service language for certain international purposes like diplomacy and trade; to provide a linguistic medium for cultural exchange among communities; to make cultural integrative contributions to people speaking minor languages. Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese languages fail to serve such functions, thus, not considered as international languages. On the contrary, German having developed the third function, shows a remarkable competitivity against other international languages. Therefore, only three languages enjoy a full status of internationality: French, English and Russian. French is the language predominating the past and spoken in the territories of France, Belgium and Switzerland and Quebec province of Canada. English is the language of our times and is spoken in Great Britain, U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania and other smaller bilingual nations. Russian is the language prevailing in an area with diverging social and economic structures, specifically in Greater Russia and other nations covered in the former Soviet Union.