about world languages

About World Languages (AWL) is a richly linked fully searchable multimedia website with the following overall structure, with all pages containing a list of useful resources and self-assessment quizzes:

  • a general section about the languages of the world
  • a general section on language study
  • descriptions of  the major language families and their major branches
  • descriptions of the most important and representative languages that belong to the major language families of the world

About World Languages Content

The AWL website contains much more than information about individual languages.  It also contains information about the language families that the individual languages belong to, a variety of general topics about language and the study of languages, and an interactive self-test section that allows users to quiz themselves on their knowledge about world languages.

“About Language” Section

The “About Language” section of the website contains a wide range of general information about human language, covering topics such as the history and origins of language, the distribution and range of language languages around the world, and the world’s writing systems. This section of the website is broken down into the following eight informative web pages:

  • Language Origins
    When did humans first develop language? Competing theories about the origins of language. Language areas in the human brain…
  • The Range of World Languages.
    How many languages are spoken in the world? Breakdown of languages by world area. The most spoken languages of the world. Countries with the greatest number of languages. Voyager greetings from space in 52 languages…
  • Language Families
    What is a language family? How do linguists establish relationships among languages? What if the ancestral language left no records? How many language families are there?

  • Endangered Languages
    What is an endangered language? Causes of language endangerment. What is a “nearly extinct” language? What is being done to preserve dying languages? Why preserve endangered languages? Success stories…

  • Writing Systems
    The development of writing. Major writing systems of the world. Typology of writing systems…

  • International Languages
    Languages of the United Nations. Languages of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Languages of the Organization of American States (OAS). Languages of the European Union…

  • Internet Languages
    Language and Internet access. Top ten Internet languages…

  • Languages Spoken in the U.S.
    Does the U.S. have an official language? How many languages are spoken in the U.S.? MLA Language Map and Data Center. Most spoken languages in the U.S. Heritage languages…

“About Language Study“ Section

The “About Language Study” section of the website provides readers with valuable insights about the importance of language study and describes some of the career paths available to people with language skills. This section is broken down into the following six topics:

  • Foreign Languages in US Schools & Colleges
    How many Americans are proficient in a foreign language? Which languages are studied in grades 7-12? Which languages are spoken in US colleges and universities? Less commonly taught languages (LCTLs). Which languages are critical to US national security?.

  • Critical Languages
    Americans and foreign languages. Need for people who speak critical languages. Languages needed by the US Government Intelligence Community.

  • Why Study a Foreign Language
    Academic, professional, and personal reasons for studying a foreign language.

  • Foreign Language Careers
    Careers requiring knowledge of a foreign language.

  • Language Learning Expectations
    How long will it take to become proficient in a foreign language? Different language skills. ILR and ACTFL proficiency levels. The Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). Language difficulty. Duration of language instruction in US colleges and universities.

  • Speaking Self-Assessment
    Choose a description that most accurately describes your ability to speak a foreign language and get a general idea of where you place on a proficiency scale.

Language Family Pages

The website contains 29 pages devoted to descriptions of the world’s major language families or stocks. Each language family/branch is described using the following rubrics:

  • origin and history of the family
  • language family map
  • main branches and languages that belong to these branches (name, number of speakers, where the language is spoken)
  • status of the languages in their respective countries and regions
  • shared characteristics of the sound systems and grammar
  • sources of native vocabulary and borrowings; examples of common lexis across the language family members
  • writing systems used to represent the languages
  • words from the languages that entered the English lexicon
  • difficulty of the languages for speakers of English
  • useful online resources for further study