Do you speak English? That question

Do you speak English? That question is frequently asked in countries around the world. Although there are almost 3000 languages, English is the most universal. It is the official language in over 40 countries and the most used language in international business, science, and medicine.
Even in countries where English is not the first language, a number of English words are used. No other language is borrowed from more often than English. For Example, a France worker looks forward to le weekend. A Romanian shopper catches a ride on the trolleybus. A Chinese businessperson talks on te le fung (telephone). Some Swedish schoolgirls have even started making the plural forms of words by adding -s, as in English, instead of Swedish way of adding -ar, -or, or -er.
Hundreds of words borrowed from English can now be found in other languages, words such as soda, hotel, golf, tennis, jeans, O.K., baseball. and airport. Although many words are used just as they are, others are changed to make them more like the native language and therefore easier to say and remember. Thus, a Japanese worke gets stuck in rushawa (rush-hour) traffic. A Spanish mother tells child to put on her sueter (sweater), and a Ukrainian goes to the barber for a herkot (haircut).
English is everywhere. It is on Signs, clothing, soft drinks, and household products around the world. In spite of the popularity of English words phrases, however, they are not always welcome. Some people think that use of English words is threatening the purity of their native language. In 1975, the France started a commission to try stop, and even give fines for, the use of English words. Some countries have tried to eliminate English as their official words. Some countries have tried to eliminate English as their official language in order to save their native tongue.
On the other hand, some people believe that English should be the international language. They give a number of reasons for this, such as the cost of translations and the misunderstandings that result from language differences. They believe that things would run more smoothly if everyone spoke the same language.
"What would become of our many different cultures?" others argue. "Certainly the world would be much less interesting place," they add. Indeed, there is serious concern on the part of language experts that many languages are disappearing. In some parts of the world, only a few people are left who can speak the native tongue. In Ireland, for example, there are only a few small areas where people speak Gaelic, the native irish language. One expert says that half of the world's languages are dying because children are no longer learning them.
Languages have changed and disappeared throughout history. With progress, change is inevitable. Some things are worth preserving. Others are not. The difficulty is in deciding what is worth keeping. Because people have very strong feelings about the importance of their native language, we probably will not have a universal language in the near future. What is certain, however, is that English words will continue to pop up everywhere, from Taiwan to Timbuktu, whether some people like it or not.