Learning a new language is a skill. With the importance of language learning, more and more people are investing time in this. Today, some regions of the world are home to diverse languages. For example, the region of Asia, widely known as APAC (Asia Pacific) is home to a staggering number of languages with 2197 varieties. This has shown that even one continent can contain many different languages.
In Asia, there are more than 4,3 billion speakers of nearly 2.197 languages living across the continent. Some of these languages are related to each other. Others have long-standing roots.
But what is the most spoken language in Asia? Let's take a look at the most widely used languages and the contribution of each language in the APAC language group through the article below.
Summary of The Most Spoken Languages In Asia Today
1. Mandarin Chinese
All of you may have heard of Mandarin Chinese. This is the most widely spoken language in Asia and is also the language of China - the leading country in APAC countries. There are about 1.200.000.000 people who speak Mandarin – 51% of Asia. Mandarin is one of the languages that is always on the list of the most useful and popular languages.
The great transformation of China's economy over the past few decades has made Mandarin the most widely spoken language in Asia.
Consider the quantum leaps this language is making, which lends credence to analysts' estimates that China will become the world's leading economy by 2050. .
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2. English
English is the official and commercial language of the world, not just the United States. Currently English is also widely spoken in the Asia Pacific region.
In fact, English occupies the second place among the most spoken languages in Asia. Currently, Asia has about 400.000.000 English speakers – about 17% of the population. To say that English is the “language of the world” is just an expression. In Asia, English is the leading language after Mandarin and is likely to remain in this position in the future.
3 Indonesia
Although not widely spoken, Indonesian is still a contender among the most spoken languages in Asia. Currently, it occupies the third place in the ranking.
In Asia, there are about 240.000.000 Indonesian speakers – about 10% of the total population. As a standardized form of Malay, Indonesian is sure to evolve over time in the future.
4. Japanese
Japanese is another contender for the most spoken languages in Asia with 120.000.000 people, about 5% of the total population. The Japanese economy is famous for its advances in science and information technology. In this respect, Japanese has earned a niche in the Asian market and is likely to do so in the future.
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5. Filipino
Historically the Filipino language is derived from Tagalog. It is the official language of the Philippines and surrounding areas. Filipino is spoken by 4% of the Asian population or about 90.000.000 people. Currently, this language is increasingly influential and rapidly increasing in the field of learning and education.
6. Korean And Vietnamese
These two languages are combined because both are spoken by about 80.000.000 speakers or 3% of the total Asian population.
Although a small number compared to other languages, Korean and Vietnamese are likely to prosper in the future due to the strong influence of Korea and Vietnam.
7. Thai
Siamese is commonly known as the national and official language of Thailand. At the same time, this is also the first language of the majority of Thai people. In Asia, Siamese is spoken by about 60.000.000 people, representing 2% of the total population.
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8. Burmese and Malay
Burmese and Malaysian are the two languages that occupy the lowest position in the list of most spoken languages in Asia. Currently, these two languages have less than 2 speakers, representing about 30.000.000% of the total population of Asia. The reason for this is simple because the regions of Malaysia and Burma are small
Although there are many languages spoken around the world, the Asia region is still home to a diverse number of languages. They have the potential to grow and spread with the increase of immigration and the removal of trade barriers between peoples and nations. It won't be long before Asian languages can rule the world with Chinese Mandarin leading the way alongside English and Indonesian. So to gain a foothold in business in Asia, businesses need to be aware of the importance and vitality of each of these languages for business growth.
Nguyen Trung Khang - Talented interpreter and translator, passionate about translation
Nguyen Trung Khang is a talented interpreter and translator, with many years of experience in the field of translation and linguistics. He graduated from Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, majoring in Linguistics in 2015.
After graduating, Mr. Khang participated in a professional interpretation and interpretation training course at the University of Foreign Languages - Hanoi National University. He achieved a high-level certificate in interpreting and interpreting, and was also awarded a master's degree in linguistics.