Are there only advantages or also disadvantages of speaking a language that everybody understands?

Question

This is a question meant for the people with English/American as their mother tongue. What are the advantages and disadvantages? Do you speak any other laguage?

Additional Details

What I mean is: almost everybody around the world understands English. I personally have Danish as my mother tongue and speak English as a second language. When I speak my mother tongue, only a fraction of the world's population understand me. I think there are both advantages and disadvantages of that - but I'll always be understood in English. I just wondered if you see any disadvantages of speaking English - especially if you don't speak another language. Hope, I make more sense now.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Disadvantages include not being able to say something in private/secret since everybody else can understand you, and a sense of complacency--why bother since everybody else speaks or is learning English--making one lazy about learning other languages.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

My thoughts exactly!

Answer 2

Of course its advantageous to speak a language eveyone understands. Try speaking a language you made up and see where it gets you.

Answer 3

The advantage of speaking a common language like English is that you are better able to communicate your needs and interests to others that speak or write the same language.

The disadvantage? The only disadvantage is the tendency to _only_ speak that language. Knowing more than one language is a useful thing.


Some people raised in an English speaking community would benefit from learning fluent English, instead of the butchered form of English they speak...

Answer 4

Why would there be any disadvantages to being able to understand other people, or for them to be able to understand you?

Answer 5

I believe that the Venezuelan gentleman whom I inadervertently overheard translating for one of his friends who had been stopped by Immigration at the airport where I work, and who was giving the answers he seemed to think Immigration wanted to hear rather than the answers his friend was actually giving, found it distinctly disadvantageous to find himself speaking a language someone else (i.e.me) could understand (I, too, am an Immigration Officer)

Answer 6

yeah ofcourse i can speak english and swedish. me and my brother live in australia and we can talk behind your back infront of your face.

Answer 7

If you talk about the way u murdered ur mom, ur dad, ur brother and ur sister... and me, beside the investigator that speaks the same language as u its a terrible thing....

PS: Your question makes no sense at all.