English became dominant, scientific publications were roughly equally split between French, German and English. This posed something of a problem: if scientists weren’t multilingual, they would miss out on others’ discoveries.
With a universal language, researchers know what to expect, and how to find information. They know what language to publish in and how to search for other people’s articles that support their own work. Beyond published research, a universal language also helps make sure everyone has access to information in presentations, guidelines, and standards.
But it also gives millions of researchers a challenge: if they’re not native English speakers, they need to learn a new language alongside their scientific studies. English speaking countries no longer dominate science: Brazil, Russia, India, and China are fastest growing in terms of the number of research publications they produce, according to Elsevier’s book World of Research.
- Enseignant: Samy KABOUCHE