I doubt that English is a good basis for a universal anything, due to the extreme inconsistency of spelling and pronunciation. There are some other disadvantages, as there are in any language, but having to learn how a word is spelled and pronounced entirely independently of each other, with no correlation, is a big drain on time.
I imagine something like Esperanto would be much more suitable for the role.
I imagine something like Esperanto would be much more suitable for the role.