Or do you find things just get lost in translation. Almost half of the world s population claims one of only 10 languages as their mother tongue. The population figures refer to first language speakers in all countries and are general estimates. Without it, my deeper comprehension was stunted and i didnt get as much insight into foreign and nonindoeuropean languages as i hoped for.
Field listing languages the world factbook central. Discovering some older edition of the languages of the world in high school was a lifechanging experience. Determining what are the most spoken languages in the world is a more difficult task than you might imagine. The worlds most widely spoken languages by number of native speakers and as a second language, according to figures from unesco the united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization, are. Adamawa fulfulde is at the letter a, it is not at the letter f. How can language be used to trace different peoples and their past. The worlds languages, in 7 maps and charts washington post. A world language is one that is spoken internationally and learned and spoken by numerous people as a second language. There are roughly 6,500 spoken languages in the world today. Nepali 48% official, maithali 12%, bhojpuri 7%, tharu 6%, tamang 5%, others.
Nearly 43% of the worlds population is bilingual, with the ability to switch between two languages with ease. This book questions why some individuals are more successful than others at. Languages of the world a language blog by asya pereltsvaig. There are about 7,099 languages spoken in the world. There are a lot of sounds that simply arent present in the english language and require a lot of practice to master. Unpacking document for the world language essential standards dual and heritage programs dual languageimmersion dli world languages. English 7% official, afrikaans is common language of most of the population and of about 60% of the white population, german 32%. The languages of the world was obviously a labor of love on the part of its author, the late kenneth katzner.
The indian languages of hindi and bengali cap off the top five by native speakers as well. But english is one of the world s most widespread languages. I first bought the second edition several years ago, and was fascinated by the tidbits of information that it offered up. Mandarin, which ranks second, is only half as potent. Are certain languages similar because of common descent or language contact. The ethnologue name index lists over 39,000 language, dialect, and alternate names. Languages of the world supports 10 european languages. Theyre also a unique way to map the world not through landmasses or geopolitical borders, but through mother tongues. In coelhos the alchemist, the language of the world is the way all things communicate because all things are one. There are 196 countries, but how many languages are there in the world in 2020. This list tracks the status of indexes for the various languages appearing in wiktionary. These are the biggest languages people learn growing up, but what about the ones they pick up later in life. Languages provide a window into culture and history. I didnt even realize it was a textbook until i was.
World readiness standards for learning languages communication communicate effectively in more than one language in order to function in a variety of situations and for multiple purposes. Index page to list of national and official languages spoken in the world. Theyre living and dynamic, spoken by communities whose lives are shaped by our rapidly changing world. The thousands of languages spoken around the world are unevenly spreadresearchers have a theory about why far more are spoken in tropical regions of the world. English to and from spanish, german, italian, french, czech, swedish, danish, finnish and norwegian, and dutch. However, about 2,000 of those languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers. This site is a discussion forum dedicated by asya pereltsvaig to exploring the rich diversity of human languages and the peoples who speak them. Almost half of the worlds population claims one of only 10 languages as their mother tongue.
From which language does the motto of the united states come. Countries by languages megalanguages around the world list of chinese, english, spanish, arabic, portuguese, and french speaking countries. It includes information about whether that index has only a simple list or a multipage index, and whether a multipage index follows a standardized format. Bbc languages a guide to languages 10 facts, 20 key. The most popular language in the world is mandarin chinese. Unpacking document for the world language essential standards modern language programs elementary and middle school courses. Feb 19, 2020 mandarin and english are the mostspoken languages in the world, but the fuller picture is far more complicated and more interesting. List of languages by number of native speakers wikipedia. The ethnologue is a catalogue of more than 6,700 languages spoken in 228 countries. Some vernacular languages, lingua francas vehicular languages, major dialects, pidgins or creoles languages may be missing. The worlds top 20 languagesand the words english has.
Languages of europe list of languages of the european countries. World languages collection adult learners collections by language and location en. There are a diverse number of languages spoken around the world. Languages world stock photos download 1,117 royalty free photos. The total number of the languages of the world is between 2,500 and 5,000. Download 1,117 languages world stock photos for free or amazingly low rates. The ethnologue language family index organizes languages according to language families.
Within a century, it is likely that the number of living languages will be cut at least in half, and may well be fewer than 1,000. Most spoken languages of the world list of languages most widely spoken in the world. Western farsi is at the letter w, it is not at the letter f. Learning to communicate in languages of the world helps students in washington become global citizens, ready for life in the interconnected world of the 21st century. Languages of the world department of computer science. Over 88% of people speak one of these languages as their native tongue, and many hundreds of. Discover the world s common and uncommon languages, from arabic to zulu, with 101 languages of the world by transparent language. In the past 2 years, 5 languages have already been lost. The population figures refer to first language speakers in all countries and are general. The object of inquiry in linguistics is human language, in particular the extent and limits of diversity in the worlds languages.
Apr 30, 2018 compared to the finnougric languages on the list finnish, hungarian, estonian, the seven cases you have to contend with in polish dont seem too intimidating. Languages with at least 10 million first language speakers. Can you name the national languages of every country in the world. English is the most spoken language in the world, followed by chinese. Mikael parkvall, varldens 100 storsta sprak 2007 the worlds 100 largest languages in 2007, in nationalencyklopedin. Languages languages are an important part of our culture, and what makes us who we are. The following languages are listed as having at least 10 million first language speakers in the 2019 edition of ethnologue, a language reference published by sil international, which is based in the united states. This number is constantly increasing because new world s languages emerge every day. It should show only those languages for which indexing has begun. Test your knowledge on this language quiz to see how you do and compare your score to others. Roughly half of the world s languages are moribund, in the sense that new generations of children are not being raised to speak them. Many of the languages listed are technically dialects, not separate languages. Languages of the world article about languages of the world.
About languages of the world this site is a discussion forum dedicated by asya pereltsvaig to exploring the rich diversity of human languages and the peoples who speak them. Jul 05, 2019 all the world languages in one visualization, by native speakers. Why are there so many different languages in the world. Assuming no prior knowledge of linguistics, this textbook. A fascinating diagram breaking down the 100 mostspoken. English spoken by many in government and business 2001.
Dec 15, 2011 i wish this book had an index of the phonetic symbology and the linguistic conventions used in the examples. Languages of the world what do all human languages have in common and in what ways are they different. Mandarin chinese, english, spanish, hindi, arabic, bengali, russian, portuguese, japanese, german and french. Language is the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of acoustic as well as kinesic signals to express thoughts and feelings, and language is used for the exchange of knowledge and experiences. There are a few complications that make it hard to give a precise answer. Official language in the usa, canada, united kingdom, australia and other countries. The countries listed under spanish, english, portuguese, french, and serbocroatian do not include those in which less than 1% of the population speaks the language as a first language. Lead with languages this is the year to lead with languages. This video covers all the major language families of the world. Bbc languages learn languages in your own time and have fun with languages of the world. This work by kenneth katzner is, as far as i know, the only book for the average man that showcases the immense diversity of human tongues. Languages of the world article about languages of the. In paulo coelhos the alchemist, what is meant by the.
This book addresses language diversity around the world and its relation to education and culture. That number is constantly in flux, because were learning more about the world s languages every day. There are 1,2,000,000 people in the world that speak that language. In selected countries, the percent of the population that speaks each language is also given. Table 2 lists the 10 most powerful languages according to the pli. Right from the start, learners of any leveleven complete beginnerscan start using a foreign language with this unique learning system.
There 7,099 distinct languages spoken around the world according to the 2017 ethnologue language database. These are the most powerful languages in the world world. It is the dominant language of three g7 nations usa, uk and canada, and british legacy has given it a global footprint. It comes as no surprise that english reigns supreme, with over 1. This list of languages is alphabetical by english name.
In this time of globalisation, language learning is central to politics, economics, history, and most obviously education. On similar grounds, french and spanish are also commonly categorized as world languages. Download twopage summary of the world readiness standards for learning languages. The most endangered languages in the world readers digest. It is widely regarded as the most comprehensive source of information of its kind. All the world languages in one visualization, by native. And beyond that, the languages themselves are in flux. How do we learn language and how do we navigate our multilingual world. Assuming no prior knowledge of linguistics, this textbook introduces readers to the rich diversity of human languages, familiarizing students with the variety and typology of languages around the world. They are listed separately because they differ from each other enough to be mutually unintelligible. That number is constantly in flux, because were learning more about the worlds languages every day. Languages with at least 10 million firstlanguage speakers.
Ive been looking for a book like this for a while to satiate my curiosity about the diversity of language without resorting to wikipedia. A guide to which languages are most widely spoken, hardest to learn and other revealing facts. Globalization guide alphabetical list of languages. Countries without a dejure official language, only a defacto one, are marked in red. Our linguistic identity is an important part of who we are. The 20 most difficult languages in the world to learn. The statistic shows the most spoken languages worldwide in 2019. Can you choose the modern day country in which these languages primarily developed. Dot your is and cross your ts in this study of world languages. Bbc languages learn in your own time and have fun with languages of the world. It is the most spoken language in the world because, it is the country which has more population.
There is nothing wrong with wikipedia but i just prefer holding a book in my hands. Learning to speak another language is made easy, quick, and fun. Since 1951, ethnologue has been an active research project involving hundreds of linguists and other researchers around the world. The 10 oldest languages still spoken in the world today. The most widely spoken and likely the fastest spreading world language today is english, with over 1. Other possible world languages include arabic, mandarin chinese, russian and portuguese. Languages spoken in each country of the world the table below lists the official language of each country as well as other languages spoken. The ethnologue 200 accounts for most of the worlds population.
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