Mankind's speech skills have evolved over many centuries. There is still no reliable data that reveals the secrets of the origin of speech communications. Language statistics show that some types of speech have long disappeared, while others are actively spreading and becoming in demand.
History of origin
The role of languages in the world is very great. With their help, communication between people is carried out. Today more than 6 thousand types of speech are known. However, no one can say for sure how they appeared.
There are many theories about the origin of speech communications. Some believe that everything happened as a result of evolution. Others believe that this skill was given by God. However, existing theories do not provide comprehensive answers to the questions. For example, evolutionists cannot explain how the simplification of speech communications occurred. After all, the most ancient languages of the world (Latin, Sanskrit) are much more complex than modern ones.
This pattern contradicts the principles of the theory of biological evolution. Among the various versions, modern science about the languages of the world most accepts the theory of gestures. According to scientists, people constantly developed and improved the sign system. They began to use gestures, and sounds were added in the process. However, the vocabulary was not rich.
So, there are many versions - from creation by God to sudden emergence. Each of them has the right to exist. But no one knows exactly what contributed to the spread of languages in the world.
Number of media
Language statistics include 6–7 thousand types of speech. Many of them are spoken by only a small part. Scientists classify types of speech into groups according to their characteristics. The similarity of languages implies the same sound, similar words. One of the main ones is the genealogical group.
The number of languages in the world is constantly decreasing. On average, one species disappears every two weeks. As a result, the number of forgotten languages is gradually increasing. What are the statistics of languages in the world? 80% of the world's population speaks 80 languages. The rest are distributed among the remaining inhabitants of the planet.
The uneven distribution of types of speech among them threatens complete extinction. According to UNESCO, 50 types of speech are under threat in Europe alone. Globalization also contributes to the decline.
The most densely populated region in terms of the number of speakers of different types of speech is Papua (New Guinea). Many tribes live here. Moreover, the region’s territory is smaller in area than Ukraine. About 6 million people live in Papua. Language statistics list from 800 to 1000 dialects common among tribes.
The most common
The most common are:
- Chinese– ranks first in the TOP 10, as it is used by 1.3 billion people in 35 countries. Chinese language is one of the most ancient in the world. It has 85,568 characters. It is also considered the most difficult language in the world.
- English- second most common. It is official in the UK, India, Canada, Ireland. It ranks 1st among the most popular languages in the world. It is used by about 600 million people in 106 countries. It also leads in the number of words - 490 thousand. However, a person’s vocabulary is no more than 60 thousand words. Knowledge of English in the modern world helps many people get well-paid jobs. International business is also conducted on it.
- Hindi– takes third place. Language statistics include 490 million speakers in 4 countries.
- Spanish– the language is used in 31 countries. It is considered official in the European Union and the UN. Spanish is the easiest language in the world. It is spoken by about 437 million people.
- Arab– it is used by 290 million people in 58 countries. The Arabic language is spreading rapidly throughout the world thanks to the Quran. Until 1924, the Arabic alphabet was used in Kabardian. Today its carriers are especially in demand on. Most energy negotiations avoid this type of speech.
- Russian– the most popular in the Russian Federation and Europe. It is used by about 270 million people in 17 countries.
French is ranked 10th in the world. The number of speakers is 150 million people in 53 countries. It is also considered one of the most beautiful. From the list you can see how many languages are spoken most in the world.
Certain languages are spreading and becoming popular in different countries of the world. The main factors are political and economic influence, as well as ease of study. This is how they gradually become international languages of the world. The graph shows what type of speech websites on the Internet use:
State standards
Among the official languages of the world, English ranks first. Official languages in other countries of the world:
The most ancient dialects
It is technically impossible to identify the most ancient existing languages of the world. They were used long before writing appeared on earth. List of the most ancient languages in the world (some are no longer used):
Statistics on foreign language learning around the world show that Spanish, English, French and Italian are among the most popular. At the same time, after English they often study German. It is usually used in business communication. Among the studied languages of the world, Russian is also recommended.
The list of easy languages of the world also includes Turkish. One of the new types of speech was Esperanto. It was created by Warsaw ophthalmologist Lazar Markowicz in 1887.
Unusual types of speech
Gestures are among the most unusual languages in the world. They are used mainly by people who are hard of hearing. In Iceland, sign language is considered the official language. Language statistics show that there are several types of such speech. For example, American and English are very different from each other.
There are also funny languages of the world. For example, Chalkatongo-Mixtec. There is no difference between interrogative and affirmative sentences. The peculiarity of Berik (Papuan) is that when something is said, it is necessary to indicate where and when it was done. The phrase “I was in the store” in lordly would be “I was in the store after lunch.”
What place does Russian take?
Russian is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It is also used as a worker - UN, UNESCO. It is included in the list of the richest languages in the world. However, not all speakers use Russian words correctly.
This language is spoken in 17 countries around the world. It is considered state for Russians, Belarusians, Kyrgyz, as well as residents of Ingushetia. In Kyrgyzstan, the language is used by about 48% of the population. Most technical terms in Ingush are borrowed from Russian. Along with the Chechen language, it is widespread in the North Caucasus. It ranks sixth in terms of the number of speakers.
What are the statistics of the Russian language in the world? There are about 270 million people who speak it. Of these, 137.5 million speakers live in Russia.
Russian is also well known in Ukraine and Latvia. Language statistics show that 92% of Ukrainians and 81.2% of Lithuanians are fluent in Russian. Interesting Facts:
- The alphabet is similar to the Latin version.
- Has a word with three letters "E" - long-necked.
- The English use the English phrase “Yellow-blue bus” to teach “I love you” in Russian.
- There are no original Russian words starting with the letter “A”.
The great importance of the Russian language in the world lies not only in its widespread use. It is also applied in international relations. Great literary works make the Russian language even more popular in the world. This contributes to the spread of the culture of the Russian people.
Study methods
What is the best language in the world? No one can give a definite answer. Language statistics highlight only the most popular ones. One of the most popular is English.
There are also different methods to study them. You can study with a teacher or study on your own. The main thing is to practice every day. There are many that provide the necessary training materials. Audio courses are also sold to help solve pronunciation problems. And by country it will only consolidate the knowledge gained.
Language is perhaps the most important function of the human body - it allows us to get food as a child, it allows us to get almost anything we want as adults, and it also gives us many hours of entertainment through literature. , radio, music, and films. This list (in order from least common) summarizes the most important languages in use today.
10. French
Number of carriers: 129 million
Often called the most romantic language in the world, French is spoken in many countries, including Belgium, Canada, Rwanda, Cameroon and Haiti. Oh yes, in France too. We're actually very lucky that French is so popular, because without it, we'd be stuck with Dutch Toast, Dutch Fries and Dutch Kissing (ugh!).
To say “hello” in French, you say “Bonjour.”
9. Malay-Indonesian language
Number of carriers: 159 million
Malay-Indonesian is spoken - surprise - in Malaysia and Indonesia. In fact, we will deviate from the quantity because there are many Malay dialects, the most popular of which is Indonesian. But they are all largely based on the same root language, making it the ninth most spoken language in the world.
Indonesia is a fascinating place; The nation is made up of more than 13,000 islands and is the sixth most populous country in the world. Malaysia borders two major regions of Indonesia (including the island of Borneo), and is mainly known for its capital, Kuala Lumpur.
To say “hello” in Indonesian, say “Selamat pagi” (se-LA-maht PA-gi).
8. Portuguese
Number of carriers: 191 million
Think of Portuguese as a small language. In the 12th century, Portugal gained independence from Spain and expanded throughout the world with the help of famous explorers such as Vasco da Gama and Prince Henry the Navigator. (Good thing Henry became a navigator... could you imagine if a guy named “Prince Henry the Navigator” became a florist?) Since Portugal got into this exploration game early enough, the language took hold around the world, especially in Brazil (where it is the national language), Macau, Angola, Venezuela, and Mozambique.
To say “hello” in Portuguese, say “Bom dia.”
7. Bengali language
Number of carriers: 211 million
In Bangladesh, a country of more than 120 million people, nearly everyone speaks Bengali. And because Bangladesh is virtually surrounded by India (where the population is growing so fast that it feels like breathing the air could get you pregnant), the number of Bengali speakers in the world is much higher than most people would expect.
To say “hello” in Bengali, say “Ei Je.”
6. Arabic
Number of carriers: 246 million
Arabic, one of the oldest languages in the world, is spoken in the Middle East, with speakers found in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. Moreover, because Arabic is the language of the Quran, millions of Muslims in other countries also speak Arabic. So many people have a working knowledge of Arabic, in fact, that it became the sixth official language of the United Nations in 1974.
To say “hello” in Arabic, say “Al salaam a’alaykum” (Al sa-LAM a a-LEY-kum).
5. Russian language
Number of carriers: 277 million
Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Yakov Smirnov are among the millions of Russian speakers. Of course, we are used to thinking of them as our communist enemies. Now we think of them as our communist friends. One of the six languages of the UN, Russian is spoken not only in its homeland, but also in Belarus, Kazakhstan and the USA (we name a few places).
To say “hello” in Russian, you say “Zdravstvuyte” (Zdrav-stv-uite).
4. Spanish
Number of carriers: 392 million
Besides all those kids who learn it in high school, Spanish is spoken in just about every South American and Central American country, not to mention Spain, Cuba and the United States. There is particular interest in Spanish in the United States, as many English words are borrowed from their language, including: tornado, bonanza, patio, quesadilla, enchilada, and taco grande supreme.
To say “hello” in Spanish, say “Hola” (OH-LA).
3. Hindustani
Number of carriers: 497 million
Hindustani is the main language of populous India, and it includes a huge number of dialects (of which Hindi is the most common). While many predict that India's population will soon surpass China's, the recognition of English in India prevents Hindustani from being recognized as the world's most popular language. If you are interested in getting some Hindi, there is a very simple way: rent an Indian movie. The film industry in India is the most prosperous in the world, producing thousands of action films/romances/musicals every year.
To say “hello” in Hindustani, say “Namaste” (Na-MA-ste).
2. English
Number of carriers: 508 million
While English does not have the most speakers, it is the official language of more countries than any other language. It is spoken throughout the world, including New Zealand, the United States, Australia, England, Zimbabwe, the Caribbean, Hong Kong, South Africa and Canada. We would tell you more about English, but you probably already feel pretty comfortable in this language. Let us just talk further about the most popular languages in the world.
Today there are a huge number of language schools offering English courses in Moscow. The courses are taught using the latest educational methods. You study in English, without using Russian. All new words and concepts are explained by already familiar words, gestures, pictures - this makes the learning process much more interesting and interactive, but if learning is interesting, then the results will be better! After studying, all new constructions and words are immediately reinforced in practice, when working in pairs and mini groups. Thus, learning English in courses is not just about learning grammar and memorizing new words: you are learning to communicate.
1. Mandarin Chinese
Number of carriers: more than 1 billion.
Surprise, surprise, the most widely spoken language on the planet is found in the most populous country on the planet. In second place, English has a 2 to 1 ratio of speakers, but that shouldn't make you think that Chinese is easy to learn. Spoken Mandarin can be very rigid because each word can be spoken in four directions (or “tones”), and beginners are bound to have trouble distinguishing one tone from another. But if over a billion people could do it, you could too. Try saying hi!
To say “hello” in Chinese, say “Ni hao.” ("Hao" is pronounced as one syllable, but the tone requires your voice to drop halfway and then rise again at the end.)
We think everyone knows that English is one of the most important languages in the whole world. But we are sure that you do not know all the facts about this language. We will provide some educational information to make learning English more interesting for you.
Now let's tell you in detail. English, as paradoxical as it may sound, is not the most widely spoken language in the world. It is in second place in terms of the number of people who speak it. Guess which language he lost to? That's right, Chinese. Yes, China handily beat everyone due to the huge size of the country's population.
However, English is spoken by about 1,100,000,000 people in the world, of which 400 million speak English as their first language. The number of people wishing to study it is constantly growing in the world, because it is the most important language for medicine, aviation, navigation, business, and religion. Maybe you can also join and sign up for ?
Scientists believe that today there are from 3,000 to 7,000 languages in the world. Which one has the most extensive vocabulary? Despite our boundless love for the mighty Russian language, according to philologists, English is the greatest and richest. The legendary Oxford English Dictionary contains about half a million words. The same number of scientific and technical terms are not included in dictionaries.
Learning English will allow you to improve not only your linguistic skills, but also gain the latest and most useful knowledge on a topic of interest. For example, you will have access to free online courses from leading universities in the world. Some of them are educational in nature, but many can be successfully used in professional practice.
Do you like to read? We, too. Did you know that virtually every third book in the world is published in English? And this despite the almost daily appearance of dozens of new authors in Russia! Moreover, 50% of scientific and technical publications are also published in English. For researchers, programmers, testers, knowledge of English is mandatory!
Almost all international organizations use English in communication. The same applies to diverse conferences: as a rule, all participants speak the same language and in 85% of cases it is English.
Three quarters of letters and telegrams around the world are written in English, this also applies to business correspondence.
On the World Wide Web, the volume of materials in English is 9-10 times greater than the volume of the Runet. Information is one of the most important resources in our time. To master it fully, you need to learn the language in which it is presented.
We think you have heard more than once that travelers need to learn English in order to communicate freely with foreigners. Interestingly, in 45 countries around the world English has the status of an official and second official language. In addition, English is the language of international communication, so you will be understood in any country.
The company's largest broadcasters, such as the BBC, NBC, CBC, ABC and CBS, broadcast in English. These are some of the most reputable and popular channels. Millions of people around the globe are their regular viewers.
Now let's take a break from the numbers. We want to give you some interesting facts about English:
And the last interesting fact: in Russia, no more than 13-17% of Russians speak English. Even in less developed countries this percentage is much higher. Russian people are used to being first in everything, aren’t they? Let's prove that we are the best in knowledge of languages! Good luck with your studies!
There are about 7,469 languages in the world as of 2015. But which one is the most common among them? According to the well-known Ethnologue directory, which is developed and published in printed and electronic form by the international non-profit organization SIL International, the list of the most common languages in the world (by number of speakers) is as follows.
Malay
Malay (including Indonesian) is a language that includes several related languages spoken on the island of Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, the coastal regions of Borneo, Indonesia and Thailand. Speaks it 210 million Human. It is the official language of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and one of the four official languages of Singapore, as well as the working language of the Philippines and East Timor.
Bengali is in ninth place in the ranking of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It is the official language of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura. It is spoken in parts of the Indian states of Jharkhand, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, as well as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is the second most spoken language in India. Total number of speakers in the world - 210 million Human.
French is the official language of France and 28 other countries (Belgium, Burundi, Guinea, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Republic of the Congo, Vanuatu, Senegal, etc.), spoken by about 220 million Human. It is the official and administrative language of many communities and international organizations, such as the European Union (one of the six official languages), the International Olympic Committee, the United Nations and others.
Portuguese is a language spoken by more than 250 million people living in Portugal and former Portuguese colonies: Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome, Principe, East Timor and Macau. In all these countries it is the official language. Also common in the United States of America, France, South Africa, Bermuda, the Netherlands, Barbados and Ireland. It is one of the official languages of the European Union and other international organizations.
Russian is the official language of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Widely distributed in Ukraine, Latvia and Estonia. To a lesser extent in countries that were part of the Soviet Union. It is one of the six official languages of the United Nations and the most widely spoken language in Europe. All people in the world speak Russian 290 million Human.
Hindi is the official language of India and Fiji spoken 380 million people, predominantly in the central and northern regions of India. In the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and the capital Delhi, Hindi is the official language of government and the main language of instruction in schools. It is also common in Nepal, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Suriname, the Republic of Mauritius and the Caribbean islands.
The fourth place in the ranking of the most popular languages in the world is Arabic. It is the official language of all Arab countries, as well as Israel, Chad, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Comoros and the unrecognized state of Somaliland. It is spoken all over the world 490 million Human. Classical Arabic (the language of the Quran) is the liturgical language of 1.6 billion Muslims and one of the official languages of the United Nations.
Spanish or Castilian is a language that originated in the medieval kingdom of Castile in what is now Spain and spread during the Age of Discovery primarily to North and South America, as well as parts of Africa and Asia. It is the official language of Spain and 20 other countries (Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Cuba, Panama, Peru, etc.). Total Spanish spoken in the world 517 million people. It is also used as an official and working language by many international organizations, including the European Union, the United Nations, the Union of South American Nations, etc.
English is the official language of Great Britain, the USA, Ireland, Canada, Malta, Australia, New Zealand, as well as some Asian countries. It is widespread in parts of the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia. In total, English is the official language of almost 60 sovereign states and many global and regional international organizations. The total number of speakers in the world is 840 million Human.
The most widely spoken language in the world is Mandarin, known as Putonghua or Mandarin, a group of Chinese dialects spoken in the north and southwest of China. It is the official language of the People's Republic of China, Taiwan and Singapore. In addition, it is common in places where the Chinese diaspora lives: Malaysia, Mozambique, Mongolia, the Asian part of Russia, Singapore, the USA, Taiwan and Thailand. According to the Ethnologue reference book, this language is spoken 1.030 million people.
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For a modern person to fully communicate, he often needs to know a foreign language, or even more than one, especially if this is required by business interests or a hobby in which it is necessary to make foreign contacts. This is a costly business for many, not only financially, but also intellectually.
In order to get the desired result, proper and strong motivation is required. You should not immediately take up the language that your friend or colleague is studying. Choose the one that you like or just need for specific purposes. Your task is to make sure that you work on yourself and learn day after day, receiving satisfaction from your own achievements. Is it difficult to immediately decide what exactly you need?
Your choice will probably be determined by our selection of 10 popular languages of the world.
The main selection criteria are popularization, influence in the economic and political arena, ease of study and individual effects (travel, study, work, etc.).
1. is without a doubt in first place. In its popularity, it has overtaken all others, the global method of communication in trade, in which people of many countries speak when it is necessary to establish communications (even if English is essentially foreign to the interlocutors). About a third of the people on the planet, one way or another, understand the speech of the country of Foggy Albion. Basically, all entrepreneurs, scientists and diplomats conduct negotiations at international meetings in this language. In many European countries, applicants for good jobs must speak English. If you set your mind to it, learning to speak English is not that difficult.
2. is the second most popular language in the world, this assessment is especially true for Americans. In North America (especially in the southern part of the continent) there are quite a lot of Spanish-speaking people, so for more comfortable communication it is simply necessary. For travel lovers, a trip to Latin America or Spain will also be much more interesting if you understand the conversations of the locals. In addition, Spanish is one of the working languages of the UN. 700 million people speak Spanish. If you want to read Cervantes, Borges and other wonderful authors in the original - it's easy!
3. . In recent years, China has been actively laying claim to the title of a new superpower. This is facilitated by both a powerful cultural layer with a long history, and a developed economy, plus an incredible number of inhabitants (1.3 billion). Working language of the UN. It has a huge number of dialects, so if you find it difficult to choose, pay attention to the official language - Mandarin, which is also understood by the majority of the country's citizens. Learning to speak will be relatively easy if you master the nuances of tone. In Chinese this is very important, because... The meaning of what is said depends on the pitch. Grammar shouldn't be too difficult either. The truly serious problem is represented by the characters, which even many people in China have not fully mastered.
4. also occupies a leading position in the top popularity on a global scale. In Eurasia, 250 million people use it (it is also common among pensioners in Eastern Europe). The working language of the UN, a large number of scientific and technical materials were published in it. Behind the Russian language there is a significant cultural heritage of such literary titans as Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. Russia is one of the world's leading energy and economic powers. Learning Russian is not easy from a grammatical point of view, but the consistency of verbal constructions makes things easier.
5. Arabic. The language of the Koran, approximately 400 million people in the world speak Arabic. Lately, Arabic has gained a lot of weight in international dialogues on security or energy. Arabic translators are in great demand on the labor market today and receive decent pay for their work. However, it is unknown whether this situation will maintain its stability in the future. Like all of the above, Arabic is part of the UN group of working languages. In its intricacy, Arabic script can compete with Japanese and Chinese; learning all the intricacies of writing and grammar is very difficult. The matter is also significantly complicated by the number of dialects, which bear little resemblance to one another.
6. Among the 10 most popular languages, it is not much inferior to English, because appeared on the historical European stage a little earlier. There are 130 million speakers of this language in the world, half of them are residents of France, and the other part are from the countries of the Maghreb and West Africa. In Brussels, the center of the EU community, French is spoken. In North America, French can be heard in Quebec and several regions in the south. Of course, it has somewhat lost the former authority that it had half a century ago, but there are also advantages - ease of learning, some similarity with English.
7. Portuguese, one might say, is now a fairly popular language, because... His homeland, Brazil, as a result of the pace of development, claims to be the world's raw material and economic empire. 200 million people in the world speak Portuguese. If we mention the difficulty of learning, there will be more difficulties than with its related Spanish, but no more than with the language of Dumas or Shakespeare. Cervantes called it "sweet tongue." Every year in all countries where Portuguese is spoken, Portuguese Language Day is celebrated. By the way, it also often contains words that are similar in spelling to Russian, but differ in meaning.
8. Japanese. The Land of the Rising Sun still firmly holds a leading position in the global economic arena. 130 million people on the planet are native speakers of Japanese. This is one of the toughest nuts to crack in linguistics. A very complex grammar, many forms of which change depending on the social status and gender of the interlocutors. Sometimes it gets ridiculous when foreign men, while studying a language, intensively communicate with representatives of the fair sex from Japan. As a result, it may turn out that they begin to speak “like women.”
9. . Türkiye has widely spread its influence in the Middle East. About 100 million people speak Turkish as their native language. It was included in our rating because it is quite easy to learn; there are practically no exceptions to the grammatical rules. It has many different dialects, but Istanbul is used as its literary basis. In order to better understand Turkish speech, you will also have to learn some common phrases associated with the religious and cultural traditions of this country.
10. . One of the European languages, popular among those interested in the history of the last century. In the Eurozone, Germany has a large economic weight, so in business you often cannot do without German. Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority of young people in the country speak English. The overall population of the country is declining, and it is likely that the influence of German in business will continue to wane. It resembles English in terms of difficulty in learning, but the grammatical structure is more complex.
There are a number of languages that could not join the list as the most popular language in the world, but in terms of their importance and popularity they can compete with the most famous:
Korean. There are 70 million people around the world who speak it, but limited growth opportunities have hampered its rise in importance. It can be as difficult to learn as Chinese or Japanese.
Italian and Polish, although they are fairly common European languages, have not acquired much importance on a global scale.
Hindi could claim its place in the ranking, because... it is the official language of India. Only the majority of the country's population speaks English or speaks one of the local dialects.
Farsi, it is also called Persian - everyone who, due to business or other interests, specializes in the countries of the Near and Middle East cannot do without it. May also appeal to lovers of beauty and melody of sound structures. It is not difficult to learn, and already in the first stages you will be able to put your knowledge into practice by participating in conversations in Persian.
Whatever choice you ultimately make, the main thing is that the result should bring benefit, satisfaction and pride in your own efforts.
