Connect with us

Culture

Mapped: Second Primary Languages Around the World

Published

on

Second Languages Around the World

Mapped: Second Primary Languages Around the World

After the primary language, what second languages are used as native tongues in your country?

The answer reveals a lot about history and location. Whether through immigration, colonization, or local culture, a primary language can either spread around the world or remain rooted in place.

This map from MoveHub shows the second most commonly spoken primary language in most countries, using data from the CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia as of February 2021.

The Difference Between Primary and Secondary Languages

First, it’s important to differentiate between primary languages and secondary languages.

A primary language—also known as a first or native language—is the language we use most frequently to communicate. These are languages we are usually born with, have a lot of exposure to, and use at home.

On the other hand, a secondary language is one we learn or pick up after our primary language. In many countries, English is the most commonly learned, with close to 1 billion speakers.

But a map of common second languages can simply show just how many countries prioritize learning English, the de-facto international language in many organizations. Instead, this map highlights the movement of people by showing the second-most common primary language.

The Second Most Common Primary Languages by Country

Even when filtering by primary language use, however, English and other Indo-European languages dominate the world.

With 55 countries speaking it as the second-most common primary language, English came out on top.

Top 10 Most Popular Second Primary LanguagesNumber of Countries
English55
French14
Russian13
Spanish8
Creole8
Arabic6
Kurdish4
Portugese4
Italian3
Quechua3

The use of English as a second primary language was primarily concentrated in Western Europe, Northern Africa, and Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Similarly to second-place French with 14 countries and third-place Russian with 13 countries, English was most common in proximity to English-speaking countries or where there was a history of immigration.

Other second-most common primary languages highlighted different cultures within countries, such as China’s second-most common language Cantonese. Alternatively, they showed the primary indigenous language before colonization, such as the Quechua languages in South America.

What other interesting or surprising language patterns can you spot in the map above?

Click for Comments

Culture

All the World’s Endangered Languages, by Country

Almost half of the world’s approximately 7,000 languages are considered endangered.

Published

on

Voronoi graphic illustrating countries with the most endangered languages.

Visualizing All the Global Endangered Languages

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Almost half of the world’s approximately 7,000 signed and spoken languages are currently endangered.

This graphic, from Stephen Jones, CEO of Derivation.co, examines the current global landscape of languages that could become extinct.

Almost 90 million Speak Languages at Risk of Extinction

An extinct language is one that no longer has any first-language or second-language speakers.

In modern times, languages have usually become extinct due to cultural assimilation, leading to language shift, and the gradual abandonment of a native language in favor of a foreign language, primarily those of European countries.

For instance, numerous Native American languages were supplanted by English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, or Dutch due to European colonization of the Americas.

Currently, out of the world’s 7,168 living languages, 3,078 (43%) are classified as Endangered. Over 88 million people speak languages at risk of extinction.

LocationsEndangered Languages
🇮🇩 Indonesia425
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea312
🇦🇺 Australia190
🇺🇸 United States180
🇨🇳 China133
🇳🇬 Nigeria128
🇲🇽 Mexico124
🇮🇳 India114
🇧🇷 Brazil107
🇨🇲 Cameroon83
🇲🇾 Malaysia82
🇨🇦 Canada66
🇳🇵 Nepal62
🇷🇺 Russian Federation62
🇻🇺 Vanuatu55
🇵🇭 Philippines48
🇵🇪 Peru43
🇹🇿 Tanzania40
🇸🇩 Sudan39
🇨🇴 Colombia37
🇮🇷 Iran36
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo34
🇳🇨 New Caledonia30
🇻🇳 Vietnam29
🇧🇴 Bolivia25
🌐 Rest of the world594
Total3078

Additionally, 100 of them face the genuine threat of extinction within a few decades if no action is taken.

While every language matters to the individuals speaking, writing, and signing them across the planet, 80% of endangered languages (2,484) exist within just 25 countries.

Of those, the top four countries alone – Indonesia (425), Papua New Guinea (312), Australia (190), and the U.S. (180) – account for well over a thousand endangered languages.

Just as during the colonization period, the majority of endangered languages are spoken in Indigenous communities, putting their inherent culture and knowledge at risk of loss.

Languages, however, can be revitalized.

Over the last 50 years, for example, government support to teach native languages in schools has helped increase the number of speakers of the Māori language in New Zealand, and Hawaiian in the American state.

Advancements in AI are also providing tools to preserve languages.

Continue Reading
NOVAGOLD. Pure Gold. Precious Opportunity.

Subscribe

Popular