Presentation of the Babilu Venture. A initiative promoting a Universal Medium of Speech.

1. Promotion of a Universal Language of speech
www.babilu.org

2. ABOUT 6.8 BILLION PEOPLE
communicate in over 6,809 different languages

3. THAT IS
A LOT OF
VARIETY
but
dominated by just a
view

4. BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
FOR OUR ECONOMY?

5. A ACADEMIC BACKED
RESEARCH WORK
• reckoning economical considerations of language
• was initiated and conducted by the author (2007-2010)
• within
the MBA Program of the Vienna University of
Technology and the Vienna University of Economics and
Business with the specialization on Entrepreneurship &
Innovation.
• supervised and guided by Professor Nikolaus Franke, the
director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

6. THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS
GOT EXPOSED

7. Direct communication ability is a key to
social and economic benefit

8. DIRECT COMMUNICATION
ABILITY
• Because language effects economic variables, earning and trade and
economic processes effects language dynamics.
• Despite the different language choices, preferences, suggested solutions or
national language policy and regardless of the involved method, model or
approach almost all research work share one common conclusion:
• Direct communication abilities have higher economic benefits than involved
costs and thereby an international auxiliary language would be of great benefit
to the world. It is the desired, aimed, suggested, constructed, etc. solution, which
is the focus and centre of discussion.
• The question is now on the topic of “how” and “which” and not any
more on “weather” to establish a language for global direct communication

9. Maintaining cultural identity by maintaining language identity
is a strong human need and the network effects of language
limit the number of common languages to 2

10. COLLECTIVE CULTURAL
CAPITAL
• Although we have seen a very strong individual movement towards direct
communication abilities and the benefits sprawling from this ability, the current
centre of language policy is not on how to leverage this benefits, but rather on
the preservation of cultural and linguistic diversity.
• Why?
• As language embeds cultural identification, sometimes being called “collective
cultural capital” it became a very important subject for national, cultural and
political identity.
• Remember the French Toubon Law and the similar global discussions about the
importance of linguistic issues to “modern” nationalism as cornerstone of the
emerged national consciousness.

11. COLLECTIVE CULTURAL
CAPITAL
• These cultural considerations and some encountered Global English aversions
are so high, that many Language Policy makers are just concerned with the
spread of English and the allowedly massive political consequences of this
spread.
• Archibugi for example, who advocated the social advantages of DC therefore
argues that “democratic politics must be in Esperanto” because he concludes
that “cosmopolitans would prefer an impoverished but directly understandable
language to a myriad of more colorful yet non-accessible languages” thereby
clearly expressing his disfavor to Global English.

12. A COMMON TONGUE MUST
BE SECOND TO THE NATIVE
• Continuative further finding and analysis
implicitly says that the problems of mounting
and maintaining a language network are so
large that, regardless of population size and
number of languages, only two common
languages can exist between any pair of
countries.
• This leads to the finding: A
intended common language
MUST be second and
maximal third to the native
language!

13. The future development of English as a global
language might be less straightforward than had
been commonly assumed

14. ENGLISH AS LINGUA FRANCA
• English is the current dominant candidate for
an Universal Medium of Speech but without
a cooperative environment and goal-oriented
process English will not be globally adopted.
• De Swaan declared the current changes to
our global language system as a “blind
process” and the “unintended consequences
of a myriad of individual decisions (and non-
decisions, resignation and compliance)” which
selected Global English as the currently
dominating language.

15. ENGLISH: A LINGUA FRANCA
WITH CLEAR LIMITS
• The importance and significance is undoubted, but the adoption of Global
English is not an explicit one and
• not accompanied within an committed process and
• not within an goal oriented process and
• not within an cooperative environment and
• not continuously self-expanding
• It is based on the current dominance and significance of English and on
individual and unintended choices and is predicted to only have a potential of
reaching a certain global literacy rate.

16. A entrepreneurial endeavour conveying a
Universal Medium of Speech must be
established

17. UNIVERSAL MEDIUM OF
SPEECH
• We want to introduce an adopted terminology for such a
global and universal language to distinguish from the legacy
and to put the emphasis on the global ability to directly
communicate regardless of the solution
• We call this: An Universal Medium of Speech

18. THE BABILU VENTURE
• Based on the findings it is clearly not a language we are
missing, but a commitment of adopting one with a
preceding cognition and admission of the explicit need!
• Therefore we suggest a language and country independent,
diversified venture with the chief aim of promoting such
a Universal Medium of Speech!
• We call our aim: The BABILU VENTURE

19. BABILU VISION
• The vision and
foundation of the
Babilu Venture is the
establishment of a
cooperative
environment
conveying a Universal
Medium of Speech!

20. BABILU MISSION
• Establishing
a
philanthropic
organization with the
chief aim of promoting
a Universal Medium of
Speech.

22. GET INVOLVED!

23. PARTICIPATE!
• We have started a financing effort to raise money to be able
to bring the Babilu idea to live.
• And we are looking for:
• professional Investors or foundations with a significant
funding potential enabling a first round of financing
• talented and dedicated contributors
• Don’t forget we are at very early stage!

24. COPYRIGHT
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for right now this does not apply!
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