What Are The Top 10 Multilingual Countries Of The World
There are a few things that everyone knows about the earth. But lately, a lot of them have become a cause of controversy. There are people who claim that the earth is not flat, and then there are those who don’t believe in global warming. But the one thing that no one can deny about our world is that it is a diverse place. Not only does it have mountains and plains but also people of different cultures. The inhabitants of planet earth have a lot of differences. They don’t look the same, neither do they speak the same language. But these differences are what make our world beautiful. The differences are also a test for us so we can get over them and co-exist peacefully on earth.
What Are the Top 10 Multilingual Countries of the World?
There are 195 countries in the world, and each of them has its own unique culture. But diversity does not only exist in the world as a whole but also within countries. The bigger a country is, the more diverse its population will be. Some states are home to both old and modern cultures. There are plenty of homogenous countries, but they don’t offer much information about the state of the world. They cannot show us an example of diversity. It is by studying heterogeneous communities and their lifestyle that we can understand diversity completely.
There are various multilingual countries, but only a few of them are known because of this feature. They are the ones where the population speaks hundreds of different vernaculars. Here are the top 10 multilingual countries of the world:
- Luxembourg:
Being bilingual is great, but if you meet a Luxembourger, you will feel your linguistic inferiority instantly. Almost every citizen of this tiny European country can speak four languages. Luxembourgish is the vernacular that the natives speak with each other. French and German enjoy a co-official status in the country and are taught in schools. Along with these two, learning English is also compulsory for students.
- Brazil:
It was one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world at one point, but that changed after Portuguese colonization. Today, Portuguese is recognized by the state and spoken by the majority of the population. More than 150 indigenous tongues are still spoken in Brazil, but their popularity is decreasing day by day. The country wishes to focus on Portuguese more to unite its people, which is why indigenous vernaculars are going extinct.
- South Africa:
This African state is known for having 11 official languages, ten of which are indigenous. The 11th is English, which is used by the state and the majority of South Africans. Although they may not be fluent in all of them, South Africans can speak at least three of four vernaculars.
- India:
Known for its vibrant culture and festivals, India is also a multilingual country. The constitution recognizes 23 languages, out of which English and Hindi are the most popular. The general consensus is that more than 750 vernaculars are spoken in India.
- Indonesia:
The geography of Indonesia is responsible for its diversity. It is divided into 1800 islands, and even the people of the same island speak different languages. More than 700 vernaculars are spoken in Indonesia, but they are at risk of going extinct due to the increasing popularity of English.
- Mexico:
Most people think that Spanish is the only vernacular spoken in Mexico, but in truth, the country is home to 63 indigenous languages. The country recognizes 68 national languages. The indigenous tongues have 350 dialects, which increases the linguistic diversity of Mexico. However, the majority of Mexicans can only speak Spanish. It is only small communities that speak indigenous tongues.
- Papua New Guinea:
This state in Oceania has a population of 8,000,000. Papua New Guinea is home to 851 known languages. Eleven of these don’t have any native speakers left anymore. The majority of these vernaculars have less than 1000 speakers.
- Serbia:
The official vernacular of Serbia is Serbian, but its rich history means that you can hear dozens of different tongues in the country. Russian is spoken by the older generations. English is taught as a compulsory subject, and many students decide to study German too. There are six official vernaculars in the province of Vojvodina alone.
- Malaysia:
The official language is Malay, which is spoken by the majority. But English is also a compulsory subject in school. There is a creolized version of English that is also spoken in Malaysia. The diverse population of Malaysia speaks a few Indian vernaculars, as well as a number of Chinese dialects.
- Nigeria:
African countries are known for being the home of indigenous communities. Nigeria is no different. More than 500 native tongues are spoken in the country. English is recognized on the state level. Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo are the most popular native tongues.
Understanding other cultures and populations is difficult, but more so when there is a linguistic barrier keeping you from communicating with them. By studying the types of vernaculars that are spoken around the world, we can begin to develop an understanding of each other. Achieving world peace will become easier if we focus on learning about each other. If we only pay attention to our differences, we will have a hard time surviving on earth. Co-existence will become beneficial if we can learn to appreciate each other for who we are.
