AT different countries laws define the status of languages ​​in terms of state, official, sometimes national. In states where the population uses more than one language, several languages ​​usually have official status. So, for example, in Switzerland, three are recognized as official languages ​​- German, French and Italian, and there are four official languages ​​in general: in addition to the above, there is also Retro Romansh. In Canada, Article 16 of the Constitution Act, adopted in 1982, gave official status to English and French, although French-speaking Canadians live in only two provinces. Two languages ​​- English and Irish - are used by the Irish, Finns - Finnish and Swedish (in Lapland, in the territory of the Saami, the Saami is also considered the official language). Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Turkey, Finland and many other countries also show examples of states with two or more official languages. There are regions where the language of national minority is adopted as the language of interethnic communication, for example, Swahili in Tanzania, Malay in Indonesia.

Recently there has been a lot of noise about Indian languages ​​and their localization. Almost everyone knows that India is a growing country with a huge economy and over a billion people. We firmly believe that India is a new force and localization needs will grow every year. at the beginning.

So let's take a quick look at the languages ​​in the country. What is the national language of India? If you answered in Hindi, think again! India has no national language, and even no official languages. On the one hand, one language would help unite a huge population, but on the other hand, they realized that it would be difficult for everyone to accept only one language at the expense of their regional ones. The first candidate was Hindustani, the language now known as Hindi and Urdu. He received the support of Mahatma Gandhi, but after the collapse to India and Pakistan, the Urdu case became weaker, as most of the Arab literate population remained.

In a number of countries, interethnic communication uses (or used) a borrowed language - for example, Latin in Western Europe in the Middle Ages, Arabic language in Central Asia and Iran in the 6th-10th centuries, classical Chinese (wenyan) in Japan, Vietnam, Korea. In many states that have freed themselves from colonial dependence, the languages ​​of the former metropolitan countries are used in interethnic communication. Thus, English is recognized as the official language of the Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea; French - Gabon, Zaire, Congo, Mali, Niger, Togo; Portuguese - Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique. In a number of third world countries, two official (or state) languages ​​are used: for example, in Kenya, English and French; in Equatorial Guinea, French and Spanish; in Tanzania, Uganda - Swahili and English; in Pakistan, Urdu and English; in India, Hindi and English. There are states where two intermediary languages ​​are assigned different social status: one language is considered national, the other is official. For example, in Mauritania, the status of the national language belongs to Arabic, and French is recognized as the official one.

Despite being planned, this decision led to strong protests from groups who felt that Hindi was being forced on them, especially in states in the south where most people spoke languages ​​of the Dravidian family that were very different from Hindi. Currently, the basis of the official status of languages ​​in India remains the constitution, along with various amendments, especially the so-called Eighth Schedule. It includes 22 languages ​​and each Indian state and union territory can decide which one it wants to adapt.

The map below shows the main official languages ​​of each Indian state and territory. How do you say "sorry" Lebanese? Answer: "I'm sorry" or "I'm sorry." If you try your luck with the Arabic word "Afuan", you will find yourself - pointed out - already as a foreigner. In Lebanon, a state equal to half the size of the Hessian, Eastern and Western elements of culture is mixed, unlike any other country in the Middle East. The official official language is Arabic. In addition, French is widely spoken and more and more English.

In most post-Soviet countries, the only state and official language is the language of the titular nation, and only in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan is Russian recognized as the second state language or equal to it. In Kazakhstan, according to the Constitution, the state language is Kazakh, Russian is the official language and is used on a par with Kazakh. In other CIS countries, Russian is no less popular, but its popularity does not affect the legal status in any way. For example, in Azerbaijan, the only state language is Azerbaijani, although at least a quarter of the country's citizens permanently live in Russia and, accordingly, speak Russian. The situation is similar in Armenia, where the Russian language remains a compulsory subject in schools, but does not have the status of a second state language.

Walking the streets of the vibrant capital of Beirut, you see road signs in Arabic and French, advertisements in English language or a colorful combination of all three languages. First of all, the young educated classes in Beirut are fluent in all three languages. In conversations, people mingle happily. If you go on a small city tour of Beirut, it will become clear that this city cannot be more diverse.

Many Faces of Beirut The predominantly Christian Ashrafieh neighborhood in East Beirut is home to many Lebanese who, of course, speak French. Even in the small street shops in the area, most of the vendors speak English or French fluently. As such, this residential area also seems to have proven itself to many western foreigners who also contribute to the language mix. Especially in the chic and proportioned expensive language in the city center has another function.

Did you know that some countries may have more than one official language? Historically, it has not been possible to use one universal language in some territories. For example, in China there are about 290 languages ​​(they are called dialects, but there are countries in which there are dozens of languages ​​that are absolutely different from each other), and only one is considered officially recognized - Chinese (plus the languages ​​\u200b\u200bof other peoples of China within autonomies). The first country in the world in this respect is Bolivia, which has 37 recognized languages according to the constitution, the second is India with 23 languages. How many official languages ​​are in South Africa?

What languages ​​are used in South Africa

It serves to demarcate and emphasize one's own education. French chic, English is necessary in business. Here you can show what you have. Fat cars, expensive clothes, or just a great workout you enjoyed. If you drive from the city center to the western district of Hamra, not only the architecture of luxury new buildings changes to a colorful mix of styles. In the shopping and nightlife area of ​​Beirut, you can hear more Arabic and English. The latter is mainly associated with the American University of Beirut, which enjoys an outstanding reputation in the Middle East.

Today we will discuss South Africa - the third country in the world in terms of the number of officially recognized state languages.

What languages ​​are used in South Africa

How many official languages ​​are in South Africa? According to constitutional law, eleven languages ​​have been recognized here since 1996:

  • English.
  • Afrikaans - Germanic common in South Africa and Namibia.
  • Southern Ndebele is a Bantu language belonging to the Nguni subgroup.
  • Northern Sotho, or Sepedi, is a Bantu language belonging to the Sotho-Tswana subgroup.
  • Sotho, or Basotho, is the spoken language of the inhabitants of the kingdom of Lesotho in South Africa.
  • Swazi Siswati, or Swati, is a common language in Swaziland (South Africa). Swazi is also spoken by representatives of Mozambique.
  • Tsonga, or Shangaan, is a Bantu language spoken in Republic of South Africa along the Indian Ocean.
  • Tswana is a Bantu language spoken primarily by Botswana living in South Africa.
  • Venda is the language of the Venda people, spoken in the northeastern part of South Africa, mainly in the Limpopo region. This language is also spoken in the south of Zimbabwe.
  • Xhosa is the second most spoken official language in South Africa, with about 8 million speakers.
  • Zulu is the language of the Zulu people.


When you enter the green campus, you feel like you are in an American cinema. American football is practiced on a sports field, and the palms are reminiscent of Los Angeles. Therefore, it seems that you are in a completely different city, especially when you visit the Muslim quarters in the west. If you want to talk to people, it helps to speak several Arabic languages. This language mix has both historical and socio-political experience. After the collapse Ottoman Empire Lebanon was under French mandate.

How is such a number of languages ​​connected with the historical events that took place in the country? As already mentioned, eleven languages ​​are officially recognized in the Republic of South Africa. This is the third figure in the world after Bolivia and India, which have 37 and 23 official languages respectively.

Initially, the state languages ​​of South Africa were English and Afrikaans, but after the events of apartheid (that is, the "separation of peoples", the official policy of racial segregation), the languages ​​\u200b\u200bof the tribal population began to be used at the state level, which for the most part belong to the group of Bantu peoples ( common name for more than four hundred ethnic groups).

During this time, French was taught in private and public schools. But this was not without resistance: especially Muslims and Greek Orthodox Christians saw in the language issue the partisanship of France for the Christian Maronites, who always supported a good relationship with France. Language, ethnicity and, above all, history developed into central issues. Mostly Christian-French educational institutions refused to introduce Arabic for fear of religious and cultural assimilation.

"Lebanese" was supported, but the linguistic "Arabizar" was rejected. Denominational affiliation has become established as a fundamental element in the education system. This has changed little to this day. Arabic is prohibited! At the playground in primary school we were only allowed to speak French. Arabic has been banned, says Joseph Kai, a freelance graphic designer in Beirut. Graduated in French and Arabic. He chose English as his second foreign language at school. Joseph recalls that his father once worried that his children would learn Arabic.

Most South Africans can speak more than one language. Some South African languages ​​are combined into whole groups and classes, which is why they are similar to each other.


How many official languages ​​did South Africa have before? Since ancient times, Dutch and English have been spoken in this territory. But between 1910 and 1925, the Dutch language was gradually replaced by Afrikaans. When South Africa in 1961 it became a republic, the Dutch language began to gradually lose its relevance, and already in 1984 it was officially excluded from the constitution. Thus, in South Africa from 1984 to 1994 two official languages ​​were used - English and Afrikaans.

Common languages ​​by counties in South Africa

Therefore, only Arabic should be spoken at home, which he still speaks to most of his parents and friends. Sometimes French and English phrases are mixed, but Arabic remains his mother tongue, in which he can most easily express himself. Looking at the Lebanese education system, it becomes clear that learning foreign languages is still a top priority. Nearly two-thirds of Lebanese students study French, about one third - in English. Those who can afford it send their children to private schools that follow either the French or the American model.

Popularity of South African languages

The most popular and everyday language of the South African state is Zulu, it is used by about 25% of the population (about 12 million people). The second in a row is the Xhosa language - 16% (8 million people), and the third - the Afrikaans language (over 5 million people). English is only in fifth place, but it remains one of the most important even in South Africa.

Overall, Lebanon has one of the highest literacy rates in the entire Middle East. However, this should not hide the existing shortcomings in the Lebanese education system. Even today, many schools and universities educational establishments religious communities are responsible. There are few mixed denominational schools and universities.

Although public schools are generally non-denominational, one denomination is often dominated by the neighborhood, and thus the public schools in the area. However, this mainly concerns the already economically weak and poor regions of Lebanon. These include, above all, the Bekaa plain and northern Lebanon. Here are a few who are fluent in French or English. The gap in education between the capital and the rest of the country is large. Thus, compulsory education in three languages ​​says little about real skill.

English is used for international communication in the southern part of the country. Most print media, television and the media use English because it is unique. The Afrikaans language, in turn, noticeably lost popularity after the fall of apartheid, but remains quite relevant among the western inhabitants of the republic. For example, the family magazine Huisgenoot is still circulated in Afrikaans.

Critics of trilingual education also complain about high rejection rates and partly poor proficiency in all three languages. Especially the French have a lot of students. In recent years, this language has become increasingly unpopular, while English is on the rise. This is not only due to easier language learning. One of the main reasons is economics: English is the number one business language. You won't get far without English. Another reason is undoubtedly the eternal cultural influence West to Lebanon: American movies and series flicker on TV screens.


Common languages ​​by counties in South Africa

Languages ​​such as Swazi, Southern Ndbele, Zulu and Xhosa belong to the Nguni group. Representatives of these languages ​​can easily communicate with each other, understanding each other, because all the linguistics and morphology of these dialects are similar to each other. The related Nguni peoples tend to live near the south coast and in the east of the country.

Developments recent years make it clear that language and writing are constantly changing. Lebanon - good example this. The wild language mix is ​​also a reflection of Lebanese culture. A bit of everything: East and West. Open to new influences while at the same time defending conservative denominational thought patterns. Mix languages ​​and at the same time separate groups. "This is Lebanon!" Karina Valda and her grandmother live in the same country, but they share worlds. Her grandmother is a part of Karina's life - and yet they couldn't even speak properly.

India: field irrigation using a mobile phone China: citizens conquer the network - under the watchful eye of the party. Over 500 in the world spoken languages. One of them disappears every ten days, at least half of which are likely to be endangered, especially minority languages.

The languages ​​of the Sotho group (Sesoth, Tswana, and others) are united according to the same principle. The areas of representatives and speakers of these languages ​​are located in the central part of the country. The western part, in turn, is filled with representatives of the Afrikaans language (it is spoken by both whites and mixed races).

Note to tourists

Most of the basic information that is necessary for a comfortable pastime in southern Africa is presented in English. All general information in guidebooks, restaurant menus, road signs and warning signs are written in English.

It's the same in Bolivia, despite Evo Morales. After all, his government has now made the old languages ​​compulsory subjects. If Karina Valda was still in school, she would probably be studying Quechua today. The instructions are an integral part of the product. Do you know where, in what language should be attached?

What form of education in what language? The operating instructions must be available in the original or as a translation along with the original. Both should be marked accordingly. The translation must be accompanied by the original instructions so that the user can consult them if there is any doubt about the correctness of the translation.