Acquisition in the

World Languages
How many languages are there in the world?

• 7,151 languages are spoken today.

• That number is constantly in flux, because we're learning more
about the world's languages every day. And beyond that, the
languages themselves are in flux. They’re living and dynamic,
spoken by communities whose lives are shaped by our rapidly
changing world. This is a fragile time: Roughly 40% of languages
are now endangered, often with fewer than 1,000 speakers
remaining. Meanwhile, just 23 languages account for more than
half the world’s population
What is the most spoken language?

• Mandarin Chinese is the largest language in the world when

counting only first language (native) speakers. This is due to the
significant population of China.

• We consider Mandarin to be largest of the Chinese macrolanguage,

a grouping of thirteen languages all considered “Chinese” due to a
shared writing system and literature. Other well-known examples
include Wu and Cantonese.

• When factoring in second-, third-, and higher language speakers,

English is the largest language in the world. This is due first to the
colonial influence of the British Empire, but later to the spread of
American culture.
• Mandarin is concentrated, while English is spread out.
• Because Mandarin's size is primarily due to native speakers, it is not surprising
to see it concentrated in fewer countries – primarily in Asia – that have the most
first-language speakers. English has more non-native speakers, and so can be
found in far more countries, particularly in Africa. English is spoken in 146
countries, a stark difference to Mandarin’s 38.

• Because Mandarin's size is primarily due to native speakers, it is not surprising

to see it concentrated in fewer countries – primarily in Asia – that have the most
first-language speakers. English has more non-native speakers, and so can be
found in far more countries, particularly in Africa. English is spoken in 146
countries, a stark difference to Mandarin’s 38.
What countries have the most languages?

• Papua New Guinea has the most languages in the world – over 800.
Indonesia isn't far behind with over 700.
• Languages are spread unequally throughout the world. That trend
is clear whether we’re looking at whole regions or individual
countries.
How many languages are endangered?

• 3,045 languages are endangered today.

• As with the total number of languages, this count changes
constantly. A language becomes endangered when its users begin
to teach and speak a more dominant language to the children in
the community. Due to their nature, endangered languages often
have few speakers left, and it may be difficult to get information
about them. Other times, the last known speaker of a language
may die without public records.
Languages in the Philippines

• There are some 120 to 187 languages spoken in the Philippines,

depending on the method of classification.[4][5][6] Almost all are
Malayo-Polynesian languages native to the archipelago. A number
of Spanish-influenced creole varieties generally called Chavacano
are also spoken in certain communities. The 1987 constitution
designates Filipino, a standardized version of Tagalog, as the
national language and an official language along with English.
Filipino is regulated by Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino and serves as
a lingua franca used by Filipinos of various ethnolinguistic
backgrounds.
• On October 30, 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law
Republic Act 11106, which declares Filipino Sign Language or FSL
to be the country's official sign language and as the Philippine
government's official language in communicating with the Filipino
Deaf
• According to Ethnologue, a total of 182 native languages are
spoken in the nation and four languages have been classified as
extinct: Dicamay Agta, Katabaga, Tayabas Ayta and Villaviciosa
Agta.[36] Except for English, Spanish, Chavacano and varieties of
Chinese (Hokkien, Cantonese and Mandarin), all of the languages
belong to the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian
language family.
There are 4 indigenous languages with more than 5 million native speakers:

• Tagalog
• Cebuano
• Ilocano
• Hiligaynon

and 7 with 1 million to 5 million native speakers:

• Bikol
• Waray
• Kapampangan
• Pangasinan
• Maguindanao
• Maranao
• Tausug
Bilingualism: Definition and
Distinction
Language Use vs. Language ability

• A person may be able to speak two languages, but tends to speak

only one language in practice. Alternatively, the individual may
regularly speak two languages, but competence in one language
may be limited. Another person will use one language for
conversation and another for writing and reading. The essential
distinction is therefore between language ability and language
use. This is sometimes referred to as the difference between
degree and function.
Dimensions of Bilingualism Valdés and Figueroa
(1994) suggest that bilinguals are classified by:

• 1. Age (simultaneous/sequential/late
• 2. Ability (incipient/receptive/productive).
• 3. Balance of two languages.
• 4. Development (ascendant – second language is developing;
recessive – one language is decreasing).
• 5. Contexts where each language is acquired and used (e.g. home,
school).
• 6. Circumstantial and Elective bilingualism.
Elective bilingualism is a characteristic of individuals who choose to
learn a language, for example in the classroom. Elective bilinguals
come from majority language groups (e.g. English-speaking
Americans who learn Spanish or French). They add a second-
language without losing their first language.
• Circumstantial bilinguals learn another language to survive.
Because of their circumstances (e.g. as immigrants), they need
another language to function effectively (for example, Latinos in
the United States). Consequently, their first language is in danger
of being replaced by the second language. Their first language is
insufficient to meet the educational, political and employment
demands and communicative needs of the society in which they
are placed.
• Circumstantial bilinguals are groups of individuals who must
become bilingual to operate in the majority language society that
surrounds them. Elective bilingualism is about choice.
Circumstantial bilingualism is often about survival with little or no
choice. The difference between elective and circumstantial
bilingualism is thus valuable because it immediately raises
differences of prestige and status, politics and power among
bilinguals.
Definition of Terms and its Distinctions

• Language skills tend to refer to highly specific, observable, clearly

definable components such as handwriting.
• Language competence is a broad and general term, used
particularly to describe an inner, mental representation of
language, something latent rather than overt. Such competence
refers usually to an underlying system inferred from language
performance.
• Language performance hence becomes the outward evidence for
language competence. By observing general language
comprehension and production, language competence may be
implied.
• Language ability and language proficiency tend to be used more as
‘umbrella’ terms and therefore they are used somewhat
ambiguously. For some, language ability is a general, latent
disposition, a determinant of eventual language success. For
others, it tends to be used as an outcome, similar but less specific
than language skills, providing an indication of current language
level. Similarly, language proficiency is sometimes used
synonymously with language competence (e.g. Ellis, 1985); and
other times as a specific, measurable outcome from language
testing. However, both language proficiency and language ability
are distinct from language achievement.
• Language achievement is usually seen as the outcome of formal
instruction. Language proficiency and language ability are, in
contrast, viewed as the product of a variety of mechanisms:
formal learning, informal uncontrived language acquisition (e.g.
on the street) and of individual characteristics such as
‘intelligence’.
BILINGUAL ABILITY

The Four Language Abilities are:

1. listening
2. speaking
3. reading
4. writing
These four abilities fit into two dimensions: receptive and productive skills;
oracy and literacy. The following table illustrates:

Oracy Literacy
Receptive Skills Listening Reading
Productive Skills Speaking Writing

The table suggests avoiding a simple classification of who is, or is not, bilingual
● Some speak a language, but do not read or write in a language.
● Some listen with understanding and read a language (passive
bilingualism) but do not speak or write that language.
● Some understand a spoken language but do not themselves speak
that language.
To classify people as either bilinguals or monolinguals is thus too
simplistic. Or, to return to the opening analogies, the two wheels of
bilingualism exist in different sizes and styles. The two lenses of
bilingualism will vary in strength and size.
● The four basic language abilities do not exist in black and white
terms. Between black and white are not only many shades of gray;
there also exist a wide variety of colors. The multi-colored
landscape of bilingual abilities suggests that each language ability
can be more or less developed.
● Reading ability can range from simple and basic to fluent and
accomplished. Someone may listen with understanding in one
context (e.g. shops) but not in another context (e.g. an academic
lecture). These examples show that the four basic abilities can be
further refined into sub-scales and dimensions.
• There are skills within skills, traditionally listed as: pronunciation,
extent of vocabulary, correctness of grammar, the ability to
convey exact meanings in different situations and variations in
style. However, these skills tend to be viewed from an academic
or classroom perspective. Using a language on the street and in a
shop require a greater accent on social competence with language
(e.g. the s and ‘lingo’ of the street).