There are about 7,000 languages in the world. There are 50,000 characters in the Chinese language. You’ll need to know about 2,000 to read a newspaper! The most spoken language in the world is Mandarin Chinese! 12.44% of the world’s population speaks Mandarin as their first language.

12 languages are taught in Minneapolis Public Schools: American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, Dakota, French, German, Hmong, Japanese, Latin, Ojibwe, Somali, and Spanish. And more than 100 languages are spoken by MPS students and their families!

There are currently 2,400 languages that are classified as ‘endangered’ and 231 languages are now completely extinct. South Africa has 11 official languages – the most for a single country! There are 6 official languages in the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. There are 12 imaginary languages in the Lord of the Rings series.

For recipients of Minnesota World Language Proficiency Certificates and Bilingual Seals

Elia Dimayuga-Bruggeman Deputy Education Officer Welcome Elia Dimayuga-Bruggeman Deputy Education Officer

Message from the Superintendent Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Ed Graff https://mpls.rev.vbrick.com/#/videos/9ec77670-77e5-4fc3-a3b3-dc9c2476d95c

Ali Kofiro Counselor at Wellstone High School Speaker Ali Kofiro Counselor at Wellstone High School

World Language Proficiency Certificate Honoring the Students World Language Proficiency Certificate Arabic – 3 Japanese – 1 Chinese – 9 Somali - 41 French – 37 Spanish – 319 Hmong – 13 Total: 423

Minnesota Bilingual Gold Seal Honoring the Students Minnesota Bilingual Gold Seal Chinese – 12 Japanese – 12 French – 18 Spanish – 103 German – 1 *Awarded upon graduation Total: 146

Minnesota Bilingual Platinum Seal Honoring the Students Minnesota Bilingual Platinum Seal Japanese – 1 French – 4 Spanish – 65 *Awarded upon graduation Total: 70

Honoring the Students Fadumo Mohamed (Southwest) Hlee Lee (Henry) Certificate in Somali, Gold Seal in Japanese Hlee Lee (Henry) Certificate in Hmong, Gold Seal in Spanish Rooble Noor (Wellstone) Certificate in Somali and Arabic

Student Speakers Fadumo Mohamed Eli Barban Augsburg College Southwest High School , Class of 2016 Eli Barban Edison High School, Class of 2018

Congratulations!