Resource developed by G Magilton, Sawtry Village Academy. Language Futures was originally developed by Linton Village College as part of a Paul Hamlyn Foundation initiative. Management of the initiative passed to the Association for Language Learning in summer When using and/or adapting resources, we would ask you to acknowledge the Language Futures initiative and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation as the original publishers of the material.

Which is the most spoken language in the world?

The number of words (more or less) in the English language. Why does this number change? 1,025,109 Where do these words come from? Who makes them up?

English changes…

Langauges die….

So English is obviously the best language….

Words that don’t exist in English. English doesn’t always know best!

Russian Italian

Czech

Hola, hola, (oh-lah) says hello in Spanish Hejsan, hejsan, (hey-sun) that’s the word in Swedish Jambo.jambo, (jahm-boh) says it in Swahili Bonjour, bonjour, (bohn-zhoor) says hello in French Privet, privet, (preev-yet) that’s the word in Russian Ni hao, ni hao, (nee how) says it in Chinese Shalom, shalom, (sha-lome) says hello in Hebrew Salaam, salaam (sah-lahm) in Arabic and Persian Annyong, annyong, (ahn-yohng) says it in Korean Konnichiwa, konnichiwa, (ko-nee-chee.wa) says hello in Japanese Sawubona. Sawubona. (saw-oo-boh-nah) that’s the world in Zulu Prijatno, prijatno (pree-yat-no) says it in Macedonian Namaste, namaste, (nah-mus-stay) says hello in Hindu Dzien dobry, dzien dobry (jeen-do-bri) that’s the word in polish Ahola, ahola says it in Hawaiian

Languages around the world