Count carefully

Explore spoken and signed languages without confusing languages with countries.

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A country can have many languages, and a language can be used in many countries. Counts depend on how languages are identified. UNESCO describes more than 7,000 spoken or signed languages worldwide.

Worked example

Three children in one classroom may use different home languages. That is one classroom, not three countries.

Three people are connected by lines to several shared languages, showing many-to-many relationships.

Would you believe it?

Signed languages are languages too. There is no single sign language used by everyone worldwide.

UNESCO: language diversity

Question 1 A survey lists 12 languages. Another records 3 more with no overlap. What is the combined count? 15 12 36

Question 2 Why can language counts differ? All sources count the same way Countries each have exactly one Classification and documentation differ

Question 3 Does speaking two languages mean belonging to two countries? Never Not necessarily Always

Question 4 Which question improves a language-count claim? What was counted and when? Which number looks biggest? Which font was used?

Question 5 Why include signed languages? They are only gestures without grammar They are countries They are languages too

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