Languages By Numbers

The word on the street is that one either excels at mathematics and the sciences or languages and literature. Many of my friends and acquaintances are evidence of this. However, one can enjoy the best of both worlds. Some find language learning too daunting to attempt. Rest assured, learning a language is possible. In fact half the population of the world speaks 23 languages. The statistics representing the world’s 7000 languages and dialects are fascinating to say the least.

Let’s not forget that language goes far beyond memorising vocabulary lists and verb tables. Language is a means of communication. How often have you moved beyond English? Sure, the English language contains the most words with over 250,000 but I encourage you to open up to the world’s cultures and tackle a tongue that tickles your fancy! With words, tones, clicks and characters there is something out there for even the most conservative learner.

The following numbers are only a starting point for exploring the tremendous impact and role of languages on our planet.

Official Languages – How many can countries have?

Did you know that there is no official language of Australia or the United States of America? One would assume English and would win this prestigious title hands down. However, due to the settlers from various countries, and the large number of indigenous groups, these countries refer to English as their de facto national language. Approximately 430 languages are spoken or signed in the US. Many of these are indigenous languages and some have become extinct.

Many countries have 2 or more official languages. South Africa has the most official languages. They have 11. English is the most widely used official language in the world, although perhaps surprisingly it does not have official status in the UK (Welsh is the UK's only official language).

The Unacknowledged Endangered Species

Have you ever paused for thought and considered how cultures could preserve their language? Stop the invasion of English and create new words of course! 2400 languages are in danger of becoming extinct. 1 language becomes extinct nearly every 2 weeks.

The European Megalanguages of French and German are nowhere near extinction, however the approaches the respective governments take towards preserving the languages are quite different.

Over 20,000 new French words are created each year by the Académie Française–The French government organisation created to preserve the French language, develop the official French dictionary, but most important of all–to keep out all those pesky English words!

German on the other hand does not have the same backing in terms of language preservation. The many foreign (English) words that are created every year due to the rise in technology amid other factors are basically transferred into German as is–with a dash of German pronunciation.

On the other side of the coin, there are languages holding on to dear life for survival. Life being the operative word! There is 1 language spoken by 3 people! The Busuu language is the language of Southern Bantoid in Cameroon. Busuu is now an endangered language.

Language Creators–You can be one too!

Every 98 minutes a new word is created. This figure refers to the world’s languages. However, there are over 200 different languages that have been invented for books, television and movies. Languages as well-developed as Tolkien’s Elvish or the more simplified Simlish from our favourite computer game The Sims are just two of the vast array of linguistic creations made for the arts.

Whether you are a numbers guru or a bookworm, you can’t deny the important role languages play in our lives. Go ahead, learn a new language for work, for school or just for fun!