Languages

[Slyke]

I can understand that all humans and aliens speak English in SG1 and SGA (lets just assume that english was the language that the ancients taught everyone).

But I can't find it possible that every alien in every other galaxy also speaks english.

Would like to hear views on how the writers are going to get around this one!

Star Trek did it nicely . Maybe they found a universal translator design in the ancient database?

[squirrelking]

This has been discussed before..
The should would be pretty boring if most of the time was spent translating
Yea, everyone wouldn't speak English. Pretend everyone has a babel fish in their ear

[Voxyn]

Universal translator.
A little implant that all species carry in their heads.

[derefed]

This is kinda hard to swallow, but is one of those things that you really just have to go with. Not sure if it's still there now, but MGM's official SG-1 website's FAQ used to answer this question along the lines of "It would simply take too much time to have to learn the language in the beginning of every episode, so we have every alien speaking English to get to the story faster."

I'm usually all for creating a logical and realistic sci-fi universe, but I'm definitely willing to compromise on this one, especially given the nature of a lot of the stories in Stargate and the time constraints placed on a weekly television series.

[spinny magee]

The gou'ald didn't speak English from time to time either did the Asgard in "The fifth race"

[squirrelking]

Well IIRC the gou'ald only had extra words, right? I forget if they actually spoke a complete language sometimes.
But yea, that's true, the asgard do speak their own language. It was in a couple episodes (One I can think of off the top of my head is where one working with carter or someone getting frustrated with them muttered something in asgard most likely a curse haha)

[Pitry]

I can understand that all humans and aliens speak English in SG1 and SGA (lets just assume that english was the language that the ancients taught everyone).

No.
Nonononononono.

NO!

English, the modern version of it which SG1 are talking, has existed for, what, 700 years? Maximum. Probably less. And here I count Shakespeare in this "modern" business, so beware. About 400-500 ago a process changing the entire pronounciation has taken place. It's called the Great Vowel Shift. English as we know it today is a germanic language heavily influenced by several Celtic languages and a Romance language (French) which in turn is heavily influenced by the Celtic ones.

The Ancients did not know Engish, the Ancients did not speak English, the Ancients could not have even predicted the creation of English.

English is a storytelling device allowing TPTB to tell stories in 45 minutes instead of three years. That is all.

[LoneStar1836]

I do not want to read captions or have to deal with them fumbling around with trying to translate a new alien language every week. They will all speak English.

The writers might introduce some kind of universal translator, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Farscape did it great with translator microbes that were injected, and even then not everything translated which is how they got away with implied profanity.