The most studied World languages

Ignorant American ;)   Sat Feb 02, 2008 3:12 am GMT
<< Spanish is not so widely studied except in USA and Brazil. Elsewhere it is about on par with German, and lower than French, but higher than Italian. >>

This statement is true. But, you have to take into account that the USA and Brazil are big places with a big population.

<< For example, Chinese is one of the most studied languages if you take in account Cantonese speakers and other people that speak Chinese of Shanghai or Tibetan. More than 100 million of Chinese people study Mandarin. >>

The same with Spanish. It is studied in USA, European Union, Brazil, Belize, Guyane, Trinidad and Tobago, North Africa, Phlippines, etc, but it is also studied in Mexico, Central America, South America, Spain, etc by several million people that speak other language, like Guarani, Quechua, Aymara or Basque. >>

Good point. You can take into account the number of foreign learners, the number of learners who speak another language from the majority in their country (usually forgotten), and the geographical spead.

If we divide it up strictly foreign language learners by regions, I beleive it goes like this for the top 4:

US - Spanish, French, German, maybe Italian or Chinese?
(Canada, not sure but maybe French and German)

Latin America - English, French, Spanish, maybe Italian or German?

Europe - English, French, German, Spanish or Italian

Africa - English, French depending on which area. Not sure about 3rd, 4th.

Middle East - English and French (not counting MSA)

Asia - English by far, French, German, Spanish

Australia - Not sure about the order but I hear that Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian and Spanish are popular the various degrees.
Ward   Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:46 pm GMT
In Europe it's
1. English
2. German
3. French
4. Spanish
5. Italian

In the US:
1. Spanish
2. French
3. German
4. Italian

In the former Soviet Union:
1. English
2. German
3. French

Don't know/care about the rest :P
Guest   Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:54 pm GMT
Why do you care of former Soviet Union? Other areas like East Asia are more important. In former Soviet Union there is only poverty and AIDS.
Xie   Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:18 pm GMT
>>I do not know why Chinese, Arabic, Hindi or Russian, for example are so studied as Italian, 5th, that it is a language not very spoken.

Despite regional differences, European languages rule. At my place, nothing above except Italian is known. The only foreign, non-European language that IS popular is Japanese.

>>For example, Chinese is one of the most studied languages if you take in account Cantonese speakers and other people that speak Chinese of Shanghai or Tibetan. More than 100 million of Chinese people study Mandarin.

In fact, every Chinese learns Mandarin. Beijingers are no exceptions. But if a range of Mandarin dialects count as one language, then only half of the population is learning it.

The top 5 at my place....three European, 2 East Asian, period.
Guest   Sat Feb 02, 2008 8:37 pm GMT
aaaa, entonces todos hablarían chino, ¿no es verdad?

Very, very funny.
Guest2   Sun Feb 03, 2008 12:30 am GMT
Ward is right about the order in the U.S., and there are big gaps between languages: Spanish is far ahead of French, French is far ahead of German, and German is comfortably ahead of Italian:

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0905275.html

(As a matter of fact, American Sign language is close to Italian now in the number of people studying it.)

As for worldwide foreign language study (and discounting people studying a SECOND language in their own country--Spanish in Latin America, Chinese in China, etc.), I would have thought that French is second. Not only does it do well in Europe and the States, but it is studied by millions as the ex-colonial language (e.g., North Africa, Central and West Africa), where German has little presence.
Guest   Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:19 am GMT
<<What would happen if everyone spoke Chinese? >>

I suppose this could happen by the end of this century. Whether or not it's a good thing depends on how it comes to pass, of course.
mac   Sun Feb 03, 2008 5:01 am GMT
Bottom line the 4 most widely studied are English, French, then Spanish and German or German and Spanish depending.

<< I suppose this could happen by the end of this century. Whether or not it's a good thing depends on how it comes to pass, of course. >>

Are we talking about many people speaking Chinese like with English now or literally everyone speaking it (as a result of some imperial takeover of the world)? If it's the former, then of course it's possible but it depends on how prosperous and influencial China becomes and also if the status of the US continues as is or declines. There are too many complicated factors involved: political, economic, military, scientific, cultural.
Guest69   Sun Feb 03, 2008 3:39 pm GMT
"As for worldwide foreign language study (and discounting people studying a SECOND language in their own country--Spanish in Latin America, Chinese in China, etc.), I would have thought that French is second"

Well, if you want only to take into account foreign language study strictly, you can not add to French language a lot of African students because French Africa, like Senegal, Niger or Tchad have French as official language. So, they study French but not as foreign language.

So, you discount people in Spanish, Chinese, but also in French. Russian is also difficult to consider because in some new countries of the former USSR is not exactly a foreign language.

Anyway, I read a serious Berlitz report about languages. They explain the top 6 languages and the tendency of these languages in the last 5 years:

1. English

2. French

3. Spanish

4. German

5. Chinese

6. Italian


The tendency of these languages is different. English, Spanish and Chinese are the only ones that increase the number of students during the last 5 years. The other 3 are loosing the number of students. So, French, German and Italian will have an important fall in the near future. This report do not speak about Russian, Arabic or other languages.
Guest   Tue Feb 05, 2008 7:38 am GMT
<< The same with Spanish. It is studied in USA, European Union, Brazil, Belize, Guyane, Trinidad and Tobago, North Africa, Phlippines, etc, but it is also studied in Mexico, Central America, South America, Spain, etc by several million people that speak other language, like Guarani, Quechua, Aymara or Basque. >>

This is very, very wrong. How could Spanish be studied in North Africa when it is fast giving way to French in Equatorail Guinea, Western Sahara, amd even the former Spanish enclave in Morocco such as Ifni and Ceuta?

In the Philippines, it will become one of the options of foreign languages to be chosen by the students along with French, Japanese, German, Italian, and Chinese and it's not compulsory.

<< Russian is also difficult to consider because in some new countries of the former USSR is not exactly a foreign language. >>

In Ex-Soviet states, Russian is still indispensible. Poland, Hungary, and the Baltic States tried to eradicate it and they are now beginning to realize its importance so that's why the people of those countries are relearning it.

<< The tendency of these languages is different. English, Spanish and Chinese are the only ones that increase the number of students during the last 5 years. The other 3 are loosing the number of students. So, French, German and Italian will have an important fall in the near future. This report do not speak about Russian, Arabic or other languages. >>

There you go agin Sam, you got it wrong again. It's true that there were increases in Spanish and Chinese but those were only tourists and they only studdied those two languages to know the basic phrases. But if you're gonna compare the figure, French has more than twice the number who study it than Spanish and Chinese.

<< Why do you care of former Soviet Union? Other areas like East Asia are more important. In former Soviet Union there is only poverty and AIDS. >>

Poverty and AIDS are more prevalent in Hispanic America plus drug trafficking, corruption, and dictatorship which do not exist in former USSR.

By the way Russian i much more studied than Chinese in the entire world and Spanish is studied only in the US and Brazil unlike Russian whch is tudied in Cuba, US(behind Spanish French, German, and Italian), Gibraltar, Mongolia, Finland, China, Turkey, as well as Eastern Europe particlarly Slavic countries countries where Spanish is unheard.
Guest   Tue Feb 05, 2008 7:41 am GMT
<< So, my top seven is:


1. English

2. Spanish or Chinese

3. Chinese or Spanish

4. Arabic. It is a religious language in the Muslim World

5. French

6. German

7. Italian >>

My top seven in temrs of importance of the influence and contributions to human civilizations are:

1. English

2. French

3. Russian

4. Arabic

5. German

6. Italian

7. Spanish/Chinese
Graxie   Tue Feb 05, 2008 7:45 am GMT
Why do the Hispanics in this forum are against the Mandarin Chinese. Here's a proof that Mandarin Chinese is not only appreciated in Latin America but at present, it is now studied in Chile con gusto and Mexico and Venezuela will implement the same thing. It's inevitable. Isn't that delightful?

Link: http://www.enn.com/business/article/28466

Video: http://www.mediascrape.com/News/ViewNewsItem.aspx?rootVideoPanelType=1&newsItemId=37714
Guest   Tue Feb 05, 2008 7:56 am GMT
FRENCH LANGUAGE STATUS IN NIGERIA: http://allafrica.com/stories/200710040211.html

Nigeria: Stakeholders Fault Moves to Merge NFLV With Unilag

Vanguard (Lagos)

COLUMN
4 October 2007
Posted to the web 4 October 2007

Olubusuyi Adenipekun
Lagos

As the Federal Government has taken the bold initiative of making French the second official language in Nigeria, it is expected that its agencies will work towards promoting the teaching and learning of this SECOND MOST WIDELY SPOKEN LANGAUGE IN THE WORLD.

However, the on-going moves being made by a few officials of the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) to make the Nigeria French Language Village (NFLV) a campus of the University of Lagos are seen by concerned stakeholders as diametrically opposed to the national policy on French studies.


Indeed, the merger move had come as a big surprise to the present management of the French Village since the former education minister, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili had approved the continued existence of the village as an autonomous institution after realising the dangers of merging it with other parastatals. The only condition given by Ezekwesili, which was acceptable to its management, was that the French Village would no longer be a parastatal of the FME.

But, recently the Permanent Secretary in the FME, Dr. Aboki Zhawa summoned the management of NFLV to a meeting in Abuja, which was also attended by Professor Tolu Odugbemi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, where he informed them of the plan to merge the sixteen-year-old NFLV with Unilag.

The current Minister of Education, Dr. Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu had apparently given approval to the merger proposal given his predilection so far for upturning major policies of his predecessor.

One of the reasons why the FME thinks that it can whimsically and capriciously merge the Village with its proximate university is that it is yet to have an enabling act. The FME is also acting on the information that the village has lost its original mandate of providing an effective domestic alternative to the erstwhile foreign-based year-abroad programme in French for undergraduates of French in tertiary institutions and that other programmes of activities being organised by the French Village have diverted it from its primary mandate.

But these reasons being raised have been dismissed by professionals as mere fallacies and fabrications of those who want to discredit the NFLV which was established in 1991 as an Inter-University Centre for French Language Immersion Programme of students for French from Universities and Colleges of Education in Nigeria.

According to Professor Samuel Olabanji Aje, the Director and Chief Executive of the Village, the institution is a unique one performing unique functions as a service institution to all universities and colleges of education.

He says: "The Nigeria French Language Village renders to French studies in Nigeria services that are analogous to what the Nigeria Law School renders to legal studies in Nigeria which cannot be subsumed under any law faculty. The Nigeria Defence Academy is performing a similar role for the armed forces as a specialised institution for the military."

Driving home his point by way of comparative analysis, Aje said further: "Similarly, the Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies is another inter-university centre in legal studies. Interestingly, that institution occupies a block of storey building behind the law faculty of Unilag, yet, her proximity to that faculty both in terms of business and location has not subsumed it under any administrative control of Unilag."

As every Nigerian university is established as an autonomous institution with independent council and senate, placing the NFLV under a single university, according to Professor Aje, would be tantamount to subjecting the decisions of council and senate of other universities to that of the proposed "receiver" university.

Explaining further why the French Village should not be merged with Unilag or any other institution, Professor Aje said that the idea which led to the establishment of Network of French Language Centres in Africa (NEFCLA) originated from NFLV a factor which was considered in making NFLV the technical seat of the continental centre, adding that making NFLV, to lose its status as an autonomous institution may adversely affect the retention of the technical seat of NEFCLA as well as its membership status and the attendant benefits.

While commenting on the legal implications of the merger plan, Professor Union Edebiri, who is the chairman of a seven man committee raised to deliberate on the merger proposal, said that if NFLV is to be merged with Unilag, another law has to be passed because Unilag, as it is constituted today, does not have room for NFLV. According to him, if the Village is merged with Unilag, it means those Universities and Colleges of Education from across the country are being made part and parcel of Unilag, adding that it is an untidy arrangement.

A communique issued by Professors of French and Heads of French Departments in Nigeria, which was jointly signed by Professor Edebiri and Dr. Olalere Oladitan, reiterates the status of NFLV as an inter-university centre for the Language Immersion Programme for students of French from tertiary institutions in Nigeria and that the institution has, over the years, become the model for such activity in West Africa.
Guest   Tue Feb 05, 2008 8:05 am GMT
AND IN GHANA: http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/dissertations/AAI3191431/

A benchmarking study of West African language policy: Focus on Ghana and Burkina Faso
James Kwaku Bukari

Date: 2005
Advisor: Alan Garfinkel


Abstract

This study examined the social attitudes of Ghanaians towards the French language in order to determine whether or not they believe Ghana needs to implement a new language policy in which the French language is given a more prominent legal status and made a compulsory subject in Ghanaian schools. The study deployed a mixed methods approach in which surveys were administered to 130 Policy Makers, 25 Policy Implementers, 24 Parents, 41 Students, 19 Business Executives, and 15 Officials of Non-Governmental Organizations. A Likert scale was used to analyze participants' responses to the surveys. In addition, seventeen interviews were conducted with the foregoing participants. The interviews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Furthermore the study deployed the strategy of benchmarking to compare the language policies of Ghana and Burkina Faso and suggested ways in which the two countries can learn from one another's language policies for the improvement of their future language policy decisions.

Results of the study indicate that a majority of participants believe that based on the geopolitical situation of Ghana knowledge of the French language will yield economic, politico-diplomatic, socio-cultural, and technological benefits to Ghana.


Subject Area
EDUCATION, BILINGUAL AND MULTICULTURAL (0282); EDUCATION, CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION (0727)
Guest   Tue Feb 05, 2008 8:58 am GMT
In China, it should be:

1. English (a must)
2. German (useful)
3. French (useful & sounds beautiful)
4. Italian (less useful than French, but sounds beautiful too)
5. Spanish (not very useful, sounds less beautiful than Italian, Spanish is important only due to its popularity in USA)