Claude Hagège, linguist

Being reminded of having saw this some weeks ago while switching channels but didn't get through the whole thing. I still think this guy's a little behind the times obviously. English definitely has become what I consider the generic base language in terms of where business, industry and science are concerned, even down to the simple nature of being a tourist or wanting to go somewhere in the world, not everyone may not want to go through the long, groaning process to learn another language when we're already concerned about passports or other details unless one was to work in another country on a visa (like a pal I know who teaches in Japan). While it is true that those countries and cultures would like to have some respect for the native tongue of their homeland, there also needs to be acceptance of that 'outside world' we live in and how we interact in it.

This guy is living in some kind of academic, intellectual limbo. It's as if he is not living in the 21st century. The best thing for internationalism is a common language. That has become a reality. I have traveled all over the world and in nearly all places I could get by in English. Not all of us are professional linguists who have time or talent to learn several languages fluently.
I live in a small country (Israel) that speaks an obscure language and believe me there is nothing better for me than to learn one international language that will serve me all over the world. Forgive my utilitarianism, but that's the reality for most of us.
Don't speak in the name of small languages because the smaller the country the better it's people speak English and support English as an international language. French (which I have learned and enjoy)is too difficult to fill the bill. Also French is far less widespread than you implied. It is spoken by far less people than Spanish, German or even Portuguese.
My son recently returned from China and told me how everybody is learning English. I think that will put the final nail in the coffin of multi-multilingualism as an ideology.
Love your neck scarf though.