Babel-gone

Our world grows multi-cultural by the day but the language barriers exist the same as always. The plan? Invent a new common language.

Really it can't be that hard to create a new, better language from scratch. We already have examples like Star Trek's Klingon and Tolkien's Elvish. I'm sure some think-tank with linguistics majors could get together and churn out something.

To be fair to all nations this new language (heretofore referred to as 'Basic') shouldn't be based on any existing language (however it would make sense that the written form utilize some variation of the roman alphabet). Basic should be made relatively easy to learn. Grammatical and spelling rules shall remain consistant. Letters will only represent one 'sound' (For instance 'c' as in 'cat' and not as in 'cent'). No homnyms will be allowed.

Basic will be taught in school starting from Grade-1 through High School as an extension of the existing curriculum. All existing foreign language course (i.e., spanish, french, english) will be not be allowed. At the university level foreign language courses are exceptable; but, the emphasis will not be on communicating with others. These classes should focus on these languages as they relate to classical literature, historical studies, and etymology.

10 years from the time Basic studies are started in elementary school a phase out of preexisting languages will begin. Television broadcasts will be required to contain mandatory Basic subtitles to begin to allow for a familiarity to develop among the populace. 20 years in, all classes at the high school and university level will be taught in Basic. Next all official government documentation and business shall be conducted in Basic. Magazines, news journals, and Internet portals will be encouraged to move toward using Basic. Popular literature (pulp-fiction, romance, mystery) will be printed in Basic. (Other forms of literature will be allowed to be written in preexisting languages to retain cultural heritage.) TV and movies will move to basic only. (Hollywood should jump at this as a cost cutting measure that will allow them to export their wares without costly overdubs.)

Of course all of the above is simply a dream. National pride and fear of cultural loss would prevent this from happening. I still remember the dismal failure of the metric system in the US.