Introduction and definitions Language is the most important aspect of culture. It shapes how a group of people communicate with one another, and is a way to preserve and pass along culture. There are many aspects of language that people study to better understand people and culture.
Influence on thought Language is crucial to the way we think of the world around us. Without language, we would not be able to effectively communicate and explain our thoughts.
Dialects Although many people around the world may speak the same language, there are numerous dialects, or versions of language. Dialects can be regional, where people living in the same region speak similar dialects. There can also be social dialects, ones that are based on things such as a persons economic class and level of education. Here you can listen to clips from dialects around the world.
Current languages There are thousands of different languages that are currently spoken throughout the world. Countless more have been lost over time.
Global languages Global languages are languages that are spoken by a very large number of people around the world. This map shows the languages that are most dominant in each region of the globe.
World rankings More people speak Chinese as their native language than any other. English is one of the most widely used languages as well, and is one of the most widely learned second languages.
Similarities Although there are a vast number of unique languages spread all over the globe, there are many similarities between languages. These similarities are usually the result of contact between different groups of people throughout history.
Language families Language families are groups of languages that have similar characteristics and have developed from a common ancestor language.
Indo-European
Family This is the largest language group in the world. Over many years, different languages and dialects
have grown and spread throughout the world from this group. The modern English that we speak in the
Submitted by Darrin Drews on