# Computer programming and non-English speakers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-programming-and-non-english-speakers/551768 "2010-08-28T05:12:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-programming-and-non-english-speakers/551768/41 "2010-08-30T06:55:45Z")
I look at code written in languages from around the world. The programming language keywords are usually in English. Identifiers may or may not be, even for standard library components. It’s easy to create macros to redefine identifiers in a different language, or having them translated in an editor. And now I’m seeing Unicode and other characters in them as well. Since literal data is now often language localized, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same thing happen with identifiers. English has a traditional stronghold, and is understood by more people on earth than any other language, but software marketed internationally will slowly migrate toward local preferences. Even when the language is not process internally, there are plenty of online translators. Although they don’t necessarily tell me what tNpTtBL means. Unfortunately when I first see these things, I don’t know what they mean in English either. Also, I’d rather put comments in the programmers native language through Babblefish than have to figure out what they are trying to say in poor English. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-programming-and-non-english-speakers/551768/42 "2010-08-30T07:00:26Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > … I asked whether you are required to translate into your “mother’s tongue”(1)… > 1: I don’t like that expression because my mother’s language is not my first language, and I know many other people in the same situation. I’ve only ever heard of the phrase ‘mother tongue’, which refers to the first language you learned. Some people may have multiple ‘mother tongues’. I doubt here in the US, an immigrant nation, the term would be understood any other way. ---
**Author:** ![komolono](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/komolono/32/532_2.png) [@komolono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/komolono)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-programming-and-non-english-speakers/551768/43 "2010-08-30T07:26:36Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > …Babblefish than have to figure out what they are trying to say in poor English. Well, I tried the same method teaching a bunch of Russians. I suppose it didn’t work, because I was laughed at every time (and I was not being humorous). So far, the worst English speakers I have met are Berliners (former East Germans). In three weeks I learned more German than they will ever learn English. I guess it is a matter of will. In a big company it is not an option to comment your code in any other language than English. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-programming-and-non-english-speakers/551768/44 "2010-08-30T08:19:25Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > > [@Nava](#): > > > > … I asked whether you are required to translate into your “mother’s tongue”(1)… > > 1: I don’t like that expression because my mother’s language is not my first language, and I know many other people in the same situation. > > I’ve only ever heard of the phrase ‘mother tongue’, which refers to the first language you learned. Some people may have multiple ‘mother tongues’. I doubt here in the US, an immigrant nation, the term would be understood any other way. My Translation teachers (from several countries, but all living in Scotland) and my British classmates used it both with and without the possessive. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-programming-and-non-english-speakers/551768/45 "2010-08-30T15:32:57Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > My Translation teachers (from several countries, but all living in Scotland) and my British classmates used it both with and without the possessive. I checked with a true Scotsman about this. He says the use of the possesive is common there. Then he called me a ‘sassenach’, so I made a comment about his mother’s tongue. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-programming-and-non-english-speakers/551768/46 "2010-08-30T16:20:49Z")
> [@komolono](#): > > In a big company it is not an option to comment your code in any other language than English. Well several ways to comment on that, but I’ll just point out that that it defeats the purpose of comments if they aren’t written coherently in at least one language. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-programming-and-non-english-speakers/551768/47 "2010-08-30T18:56:40Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Thanks, everyone, for the interesting information. Incidentally, in case you haven’t checked yet, [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-English-based_programming_languages) has a whole page about this very subject. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-programming-and-non-english-speakers/551768.md?page=2)