Theres More To Belgium Than Language Politics
Dont let the complexity of the languages spoken in Belgium put you off from visiting the country! From the beauty of Bruges to the beer of Brussels, out to the lush forests of the Ardennes and the German Christmas Markets in Eupen, there is much to tempt travelers to Belgium. Belgium is a beautiful country with a fascinating culture that infuses the best of both the Romance and Germanic worlds. So brush up on your Dutch, French or German, and set off to discover Belgium!
The Official Language Of Nepal
Nepali, formerly known as the Parbate Bhasa or Gorkhali, is the official language of Nepal. This language is also spoken in parts of northern India. It is the official language of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is also an official language of Darjeeling, a district in West Bengal, India. The Nepali language thus acts as the lingua franca of India and Nepal. The Nepali language belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family but is influenced significantly by the Sino-Tibetan languages.
Learn Languages At Your Pace
Andrea is a Canadian freelance writer and editor specializing in English, e-learning, EdTech, and SaaS. She has a background as an ESL teacher in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. In her free time, Andrea loves hanging out with her husband and children, creating recipes in the kitchen, and reading fiction. She also loves camping and jumping into lakes whenever possible. Learn more about Andrea on or check out her website.
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Indigenous Languages Of Brazil
As for indigenous languages, the high number of languages unfortunately correlates to a very low number of speakers. In fact, in 2005 there were fewer than 40,000 speakers of indigenous languages.
Brazil had a lingua franca, established by Portuguese colonizers in the 16th century in order to facilitate communication between indigenous groups: the Língua Geral. One variant is extinct. The other, Língua Geral Amazônica, gave rise to one of the indigenous languages still spoken today, Nheengatu.
After many years of suppression, the Nheengatu language has seen a revitalization in recent years. The majority of inhabitants in São Gabriel da Cachoeira in northwestern Brazil still speak it. In 2002, it became an official language of the municipality. Additionally, apps, websites, and courses have helped the language gain new speakers. However, UNESCOs Atlas of the Worlds Languages in Danger still classifies Nheengatu as severely endangered.
Arabic 315 Million Native Speakers
Recent numbers put Arabic at around 315 million native speakers. But this is another instance of numbers not telling the full tale: Arabic, like Chinese, is so vastly different in its respective dialects as to be effectively a number of languages, grouped as one for the sake of convenience. Modern Standard Arabic is a primarily written form, closely related to the Classical Arabic of the Quran. However, the spoken forms of Arabic in, say, Oman and Morocco are so different that a couple of philosophy professors from these countries might be able to discuss the finer points of the ancient texts while still struggling to order lunch.
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How Did Jamaican Patois Develop
During the slave trade of the 1600s, Africans were brought to Jamaica to work on plantations. These enslaved people came with a variety of native languages. Eventually, they began learning Englishthe language of the slave ownersand combined it with their own languages. They also borrowed words from other languages such as Spanish, Hindi and Arawak, an aboriginal language of Jamaica thats nearly extinct today. Jamaican Patois is just one of many examples of creole languages that were developed from the African diaspora.
When Jamaicans gained their independence around 300 years later, Jamaican Patois stuck around. With deep cultural and historical roots, Patois is Jamaicas main language for passing stories and customs down from one generation to the next.
The Four Official Languages In Switzerland
Even though the country is multilingual, the residents themselves do not speak all four languages. Switzerland consists of 26 cantons, and the language that is spoken in those cantons depends on their geographic position and the countries closest to them.
Further on, we will get a more in-depth look at Switzerland languages, based on information obtained from public-accessible data.
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Brazil Official Language: Portuguese
What language do they speak in Brazil? Primarily, Brazil speaks Portuguese along with seven other countries in the world.
Countries that speak Portuguese include Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, and Portugal.
Despite Brazil being a part of Latin America, Portuguese, not Spanish, is its official language.
Brazilian Portuguese is different from the Portuguese spoken in Portugal. Brazilian Portuguese has hints of African and indigineous languages mixed in, giving it a unique sound.
Since its Brazils official language, all of the countrys government documents, public education, and media communications are in Portuguese.
How Many Languages Are Spoken In Brazil
Brazil is a huge countrythe fifth largest in the world by total area, and also the sixth most populous. With over 215 million inhabitants and many indigenous communities, the 2010 census indicated there are 274 different languages spoken in Brazil! But just think before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, there were an estimated 1,075 languages in Brazil
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Minority Languages Of Iran
In addition to the widely spoken languages of the country, Iran also has a number of minority languages. These minority tongues include Circassian, Hebrew, Armenian, Assyrian, and Georgian. Together, these languages are spoken by less than 1% of the total population of Iran. Circassian is a Northwest Caucasian language. Hebrew, spoken by the small Jewish population, belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family and Canaanite subgroup. Armenian is an Indo-European language and is largely influenced by Iranian languages, so much so that some linguists have theorized that the two languages were once the same. Assyrian, like Hebrew, is an Afro-Asiatic language, although it belongs to the Northeastern Aramaic subgroup. It can be heard throughout the Urmia region of northwestern Iran. Georgian, a Kartvelian language, is spoken by individuals from Georgia who have immigrated to Iran.
Want To Test Your Language Skills In Switzerland
Switzerland is an achingly beautiful country full of mountains, lakes, historical towns and picturesque Alpine villages. The country proves an exciting challenge to the multilingual traveler as all four corners of the country can be explored in a variety of languages. Visiting Switzerland is the perfect way to flex your language muscles while dipping into a bit of French, Italian, Romansh and German culture at the same time. So what are you waiting for? Babbel has got you covered when it comes to French, German and Italian, all of which will serve you well on your Swiss odyssey!
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Language Days At The Un
The Department of Global Communications has established language days for each of the UN’s six official languages. The purpose of the UN’s language days is to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six official languages throughout the Organization. Under the initiative, UN duty stations around the world celebrate six separate days, each dedicated to one of the Organization’s six official languages. Language Days at the UN aim to entertain as well as inform, with the goal of increasing awareness and respect for the history, culture and achievements of each of the six working languages among the UN community. The days are as follows:
Size Of Genomes Across Different Organisms
Human DNA is made up of approximately 3.2 billion base pairs that are tightly wound up and stored in our cells. If you were to unwind and measure the DNA stored in a single human cell, it would be about 2 meters long!
This lengthy DNA is stored in pairs of chromosomes. A full collection of chromosomes, or an entire set of genetic information, is referred to as a genome.
Genomes vary in size, depending on the organism. Here is a look at 24 different species and the size of their genomes, from animals and plants to bacteria and viruses:
| Organism | |
|---|---|
| Virus | 1,700 |
The Marbled Lungfish has the largest known animal genome. Its genome is made up of 130 billion base pairs, which is about 126.8 billion more than the average human genome.
Comparatively, small viruses and bacteria have fewer base pairs. The Hepatitis D virus has only 1,700 base pairs, while E. coli bacteria has 4.6 million. Interestingly, research has not found a link between the size of a species genome and the organisms size or complexity.
In fact, there are still a ton of unanswered questions in the field of genome research. Why do some species have small genomes? Why do some have a ton of redundant DNA? These are still questions being investigated by scientists today.
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What Language Do They Speak In Jamaica
No matter how little you know about Jamaican languages, you probably have an idea of what you think Jamaicans sound like. Maybe youve heard the lyrics in a reggae song, or the exaggerated accents of Jamaican movie characters.
But have you ever asked yourself, What language do Jamaicans speak? Is there a language called Jamaican?
There are two main languages in Jamaica: English is the official language, but the majority of the population speaks an English-based creole language called Jamaican Patois. Which language is spoken depends entirely on the situation.
Read on as we discuss the languages spoken in Jamaica and how they came to be. Well also provide you with a few examples of common Patois words and phrases.
A Bit About Jamaican Patois
- Some of the Old English vocabulary from the 1600s, when Jamaican Patois was developed, is still in use today.
- Jamaican Patois is historically an oral language but has been evolving into a written language as well.
- Jamaican Patois doesnt have strict spelling conventions.
- Its an integral part of Jamaicas arts scene: It can be found in musicsuch as reggae and dancehallpoetry and literature.
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How Does This Translate For International Students
As an international student, you can use the multilingualism of Switzerland to your advantage.
For starters, there are numerous Swiss banks, companies, and political organizations looking for people fluent in one of the official languages.
If you are more comfortable in English, then we also have good news for you! The Swiss are taught to be multilingual from an early age, and most of them are fluent in English. Not only can you pick programs in different languages from prestigious Swiss universities, if you ever get lost on your trek in the Alps, dont worry – chances are someone will be able to help you out in a language you understand.
If the fantastic nature and the fact that language is not a problem has put Switzerland on your study destination list, make sure to check out the admission requirements so you can adequately prepare.
Can I Get Around With English In Brussels
Maybe you should grab a chair and sit down, because youre in for a shock: Brussels is not the comfortable with speaking English cosmopolitan city you read about in the brochures. Despite the fact that Brussels is the capital of the European Union and home to thousands of international companies and organizations, you absolutely need some level of French if you want to complete the everyday challenges of getting a haircut, visiting a doctor or shopping at the supermarket.
Brussels is very similar to Paris in the sense that locals are not happy being addressed by tourists or expats in English without at least a cursory attempt in French first. Yes, you can use English as a last resort, but youll need to be able to deploy the basics of French in many situations.
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What Languages Are Spoken In New Zealand
Are you wondering what language to learn if youre going to New Zealand? New Zealands increasingly diverse population means that there is a huge number of different languages spoken in this island nation. The most spoken languages are English and Te Reo Mori, with Samoan, Chinese and Hindi currently completing the top five.
But, there is a huge gap between the languages. While over 95% of people in New Zealand speak English, only around 4% of New Zealanders can speak Mori fluently. The others have even fewer speakers but the numbers are growing quickly. Lets take a look at some of New Zealands languages.
English For Speakers Of Other Languages
Speaking the language of a country is very important for improving education or work opportunities. Our innovative English for Speakers of Other Languages programme offers people living in the Scotland an affordable way to learn and improve their English, and to get the most out of living in Scotland.
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What Languages Are Spoken In Belize
Belize is a Central American country that shares borders with Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It encompasses 8,800 square miles of land and has a 240-mile long coastline. Its population size is 395,000. Belize was once a British territory but attained its independence in 1981. Its history has significantly influenced its current diverse demographics and the languages spoken in this country reflect that diversity. This article inspects the languages of Belize.
The List Of Languages
There are a lot languages in the world. A whole lot. Ethnologue, the biggest authority on languages on the web, estimates that there are over 7,000 spoken languages in the world. There are also many different writing systems, although we don’t cover those here. This also isn’t comprehensive with bilingual speakers or speakers of endangered languages, or speakers of relatively new languages like Esperanto that aren’t the main languages of any community.
Be sure to check out our list of the most popular languages of the world to see which language has the most native speakers out of the world’s population. We also offer a bit more context there on different language families, and how we distinguish between languages.
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What Languages Do They Speak In Switzerland
Answering the question “What is the official language in your country?” is easy in most places around the world. But if you ask someone from Switzerland, well, things get a bit more complicated. This is where the counting and explaining come in.
Switzerland is renowned for its top-notch quality of life, perfect infrastructure, and environmentally-friendly outlook. It’s also #5 on the top 10 places to study abroad in the world this year. The key to the Swiss success and harmony might be in the level of diversity in this country. After all, the country has four official languages.
Not one, or two four!
The four official languages are German, French, Italian, and Romansh. Each of them is spoken in different regions. This makes it a dream for any international student!
Not only are university programs offered in various languages, but it makes everyday communication easier. Four times easier, you could say!
Lets take a closer look at the languages and the regions they are spoken in.
Speaking Czech In Prague
With around 200,000 foreign residents in Prague, youd also hear other languages in the Czech capital. Ukrainians make up the largest expat community, followed by Slovaks, Russians, and Vietnamese.
Most Czechs and Slovaks can understand each other as around 30% of their vocabularies are identical. After all, the Czech and Slovak republics had been one nationCzechoslovakiafrom 1918 until their peaceful separation in 1993.
English fluency is a much sought-after work skill and locals in Prague have a higher proficiency in the language compared to other parts of the country. Personnel at the airport and tourist facilities have a fairly good command of English, while many establishments use it to write instructions or reminders. However, the proficiency among bus drivers and police officers is still wanting.
Prague has language centers that offer foreign students and expats customized Czech language lessons often held in small groups to make learning faster and more engaging.
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What Languages Are Spoken In Australia
Though Australia has no official language, English is regarded as the de facto national language. Even so, Australia is a linguistically and culturally diverse country with influences from more than 160 spoken languages.
Australian English has a unique accent and vocabulary. Collectively, Australians have more than 200 spoken languages. In the 2011 census, 76.8% Australian spoke English at home. Mandarin is the biggest non-English dialect spoken in Australia. Immigration patterns have had a significant influence on the most widely spoken language in the country other than English. Early European settlement in Australia almost eradicated the indigenous languages, and few of these aboriginal languages have survived today.
Critiques And The Future Of Monarchy
Some claim, however, that there is no function of monarchy in the modern day, and complaints of monarchies immense wealth and power are rampant.
For example, according to the Dutch government, King Willem-Alexanders budget for 2022, funded by the state and thus, taxpayers, comes out to more than 48 million.
Beyond tax dollars, with absolute monarchies there is typically a lack of political freedoms and certain rights. Saudi Arabia, for example, has no national elections. Rather its king, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, stays in power for life, appoints the cabinet himself, and passes laws by royal decree.
The death of Queen Elizabeth, though, may bring about change though for many of the worlds royally-governed. Since Barbados removal of her as head of state in 2021, six other Caribbean nations have expressed the desire to do the same, namely:
Belize
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