Nadia Morales
Today’s topic is the importance of fast-expanding languages. Because we live in an ever-changing world, we should be aware of which languages are getting more popular and which lingos are currently worth learning
What happens to languages as they develop and evolve? They expand in terms of native and total speaker numbers, as well as the size and structure of language family trees. This increase is linked to population growth, migration patterns, and other variables.
Predictions: What will be the language of the future?
This is a question that no one has a definitive answer to. Linguists however can anticipate which languages will grow quicker than others by utilizing statistics and evaluating present patterns. According to the British Council, by 2050, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, and Indonesian would dominate much of the corporate world. These are likely to be followed by Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Russian. Experts anticipate that the business world’s linguistic direction will shift significantly, moving away from Europe and North America and toward Asia and the Middle East. However, this analysis does not provide a definitive answer to the question of whether or not Chinese is the language of the future.
Top 3 Growing Languages in the World
Let’s look at the list of languages that are growing faster than others.
English
Growth-promoting elements include Globalization, the advent of eCommerce, and the rapid advancement of digital technologies all contribute to the expansion of languages. English is without a doubt the fastest-growing language, with the total number of English speakers having doubled in the last century.
French
One of the most significant languages of the future is French. It’s the primary language in Sub-Saharan African countries including Congo, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Burundi, and Chad, which were recently voted the fastest-growing countries in the world. French is also an official language of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations.
You should learn French if you intend to start a business in Europe, study in the Canadian province of Québec, or volunteer in Africa. To navigate the local culture and receive help with documentation, you’ll need to use licensed French translation services or hire local translators.
Chinese
English aside, which language has grown fastest over the past 10, 50, and 100 years in terms of speaker numbers? The answer for all three is Mandarin Chinese. It saw the second largest increase in speaker numbers (after English) between 2011 and 2021, with numbers growing by 69,877,874 people in a single decade – impressive stuff.
Over the past 50 years, that figure rises to 276,956,436 speakers, while the past century has seen the number of Chinese speakers increase by 551,162,240, from 577,002,424 in 1921 to 1,128,164,664 in 2021.