(i) While 22 states in the US have official languages designated, mostly English, in a few cases they have English plus one other, the US (federally) has no officially designated language.

(ii) Keith, on your list you really cannot leave Petrarch and Boccaccio out, without these guys we don't have humanism and a much reduced Canterbury Tales

(iii) English is by far the most widely known language in the world. It has fewer 'native' speakers than the main Chinese language, MSC, and fewer possibly than Hindi or Spanish. If you add second language speakers English more than triples its 'native speaker count'.

(iv) Keith is right to say that if you read widely you can gain immense access to other cultures and their ideas in translation and not necessarily learn other languages. I'm unlikely ever to read Orhan Pamuk in Turkish, but I want to know what he says. Learning languages is however immensely important for many reasons, including literature, but also practical reasons, and for children to enhance human understanding. Nothing else can do this like languages. We should do more of it in Australia. I include Aboriginal, Asian and European languages in this.

(v) cheers

Bertie&

Not familiar with either Petrarch nor Boccaccio.

Chaucer was included.

Thanks, I might have a little more reading to do.

Hear, hear Bertie.

The Spanish language also has extraordinary great literature. Currently I'm learning Spanish because I'd love to be able to read some of the books in Spanish rather than only the English translations. Certain word plays get lost in Translation. I know that from being able to read in other languages.

Nevertheless, a translation is better than not having any access to literature and ideas written in other languages. We still need English speakers to translate them for us though don't we? Who knows how many talented linguist we miss out on because LOTE is not a given in Australian schools.