I was so inspired by Vala Afshar’s post on the world’s incredible breadth of languages. As this fantastic graphic states, there are at least 7,102 known languages alive in the world today. Twenty-three of these languages are a mother tongue for more than 50 million people. I find languages fascinating as they provide a window into a culture and a history. They are unique and beautiful ways of communicating, and I have never regarded them as barriers. Ultimately, languages unite us in the fact that they are at the core of what it means to be human: living in communities that share a past, morals and values, and a common goal of building a meaningful future.
I have spent much of my life travelling and working abroad across four continents, and I have always striven to try and learn as much of the local language as I could. In today’s globalised world, where English has become the main language for communication, it is crucially important to protect the diversity of languages, dialects and accents, and the myriad ways that words can have meaning.
Are you a linguist? Do you want to learn a specific language? Love your thoughts on this!
