If the world standardized on English, it would help improve global efficiency and communication. As it is, English is the lingua franca of business and software.
However a large part of culture is language, and countries are always trying to maintain their own.
We're also all pretty biased since this discussion occurs in an English-based community. If Chinese were to become the dominant world language, I bet there would be more resistance. The imperial system is a prime example where Americans are a stubborn cultural holdout.
Another concern is that language helps shape one's beliefs. Multilinguals understand that there are certain cultural concepts in native languages that are difficult to translate. Likewise, being a single language developer--whether it's Javascript or Lisp--influences how a developer approaches problems.
I think the reverse also holds. A large part of language is culture. The meaning of a sentence depends on the context and culture is a part of the context.
I believe if all the world started speaking the same language it would quickly diverge into different dialects and (sub)languages.
However a large part of culture is language, and countries are always trying to maintain their own.
We're also all pretty biased since this discussion occurs in an English-based community. If Chinese were to become the dominant world language, I bet there would be more resistance. The imperial system is a prime example where Americans are a stubborn cultural holdout.
Another concern is that language helps shape one's beliefs. Multilinguals understand that there are certain cultural concepts in native languages that are difficult to translate. Likewise, being a single language developer--whether it's Javascript or Lisp--influences how a developer approaches problems.