Some endangered languages manage to thrive. Here’s how

February 20, 2020 by World Economic Forum Leave a Comment

(Hannah Wright

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Sean Fleming, Senior Writer, Formative Content

Most of the world speaks one of 20 languages.
Two-fifths of the world’s languages are poised to die out.
The UN says learning languages could help promote peace.

Of the more than 7,000 different languages in use around the world today, 41% are endangered. Some languages still thrive, however, when given the right conditions.

Endangered languages are those that are’t being taught or used by children in a community, according to Ethnologue, a research center for language intelligence that produces a regular index of the most and least spoken languages.

Dominant languages are the most widely taught. So, despite China’s population and status as a economic power, English has spread much further since it is studied by more people.

Number of countries in which this language is spoken — Number of countries that speak certain languages

Image: Washington Post/Ethnologue

Indigenous languages, spoken by the fewest people, are often among the most endangered. Some might have just 1,000 speakers.

Still, along borders, some endangered languages find ways to thrive, according to UNESCO. Some of these languages include Kiswahili across sub-Saharan Africa and Quechua in South America.

English is by far the most common studied foreign language in the world. — Languages studied around the world

Image: Washington Post

People in cross-border communities continue to use their languages daily through trade and communication. As a result, says UNESCO, regional traditions often remain intact, and local bonds can remain strong, promoting empathy and understanding.

Multi-lingual mother tongue-based education can foster further understanding. Currently, according to the UNESCO data, 40% of the world’s population cannot access education in a language they understand.

Progress in that area is being made. According to UNESCO, there’s a growing recognition of the importance of mother tongue-based multilingual education, especially in early schooling.

UNESCO says efforts in multi-lingual education can preserve indigenous heritage as well as “promote peaceful dialogue.”

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

© Unsplash/Abolhassan Neghabi The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically located waterway between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

Stranded seafarers remain trapped as Hormuz shipping stalls

July 24, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. As the Iran-US war continues, the key question remains unanswered about how shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will be managed in future – although the UN has reiterated that charging tolls for safe passage runs contrary to international law. Addressing the UN Security Council on Thursday, […]

© UNOCHA A humanitarian aid worker talks to a woman in front of a damaged apartment building in Kryvyi Rih, in south-central Ukraine.

World News in Brief: Aid for Ukraine, drone attacks in Sudan, DR Congo deaths, neurological disorders in the Americas

July 23, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. UN partners launched the Winter Response Plan to help 2.1 million people in Ukraine survive another cold season as the country grapples with the on-going Russian invasion. Tweet URL The UN’s office in Ukraine announced on Wednesday that its partners are seeking $358.4 million to provide heating assistance, shelter […]

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

World News in Brief: Sexual violence in DR Congo, deaths in Ukraine and Russia, crime in Southeast Asia

July 22, 2026

World News in Brief: Sexual violence in DR Congo, deaths in Ukraine and Russia, crime in Southeast Asia

© UNICEF/Oleksii Fili Local residents wander among debris following a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, on 19 July 2026.

Ukraine: Deadly Russian attacks severely damage aid warehouses

July 21, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Russian attacks and drone strikes killed at least two children and injured dozens more across Ukraine over recent days while severely damaging three critical aid warehouses, UN agencies reported on Monday. The UN aid coordination agency, OCHA, said attacks over the past days killed and injured dozens […]

Sweden: EIB invests €77,5 million to deepen Port of Gothenburg for next-generation ships

US-Iran war: UN chief calls for new diplomatic push following attacks on civilian areas

July 20, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN Secretary-General remains deeply concerned by the continuing deadly military escalation between Iran and the United States, his spokesperson said on Friday as attacks destroyed key civilian and military infrastructure across the Gulf region. “He is particularly concerned about attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran and […]

©UNIFIL /Kandice Ardiel UN peacekeepers in Lebanon examine remnants of a drone that detonated inside the mission’s Naqoura headquarters.

Peacekeepers step up support as families return to south Lebanon

July 17, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. With violence in south Lebanon significantly decreased since mid-June, UN peacekeepers there have returned to core functions such as protecting humanitarian aid and restoring critical infrastructure as families continue to return home. “The welcome reduction in violence allows our peacekeepers to do more of what we are […]

© NASA A satellite photo shows the strategically important shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz.

Gulf crisis: Guterres calls for de-escalation, warns against return to full-on war

July 16, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced deep concern on Wednesday over the continuing military escalation in the Middle East amid ongoing strikes by the United States and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz. The fighting has broken an interim truce established under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by […]

© UNICEF/Josue Mulala Girls play football at an event in DR Congo.

World Cup football’s other goal: Helping young people talk about mental health

July 15, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. When Dr. Sahira Al Nahari founded Shifā Art, a Saudi Arabia-based organization using art to create conversations around mental health, she noticed that men attending her therapeutic art workshops often felt uncomfortable opening up about their feelings. At these workshops, however, men often begin by sketching football […]

© UNFPA/Jonas Yunus Health workers in North Kivu, eastern DR Congo, prepare to treat patients as the Ebola outbreak continues.

‘This is a fire’: DRC Ebola outbreak is fastest-growing ever, warns WHO

July 14, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Infections of the Bundibugyo species of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have reached record highs and a majority of new cases are coming from “unknown chains of transmission”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday. Why this matters Speaking to reporters […]

© WFP/Maxime Le Lijour The majority of homes in Gaza are still barley habitable.

World News in Brief: Aid deliveries to Gaza restricted, UN prepares El Nino response, El Salvador eliminates disease

July 14, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is calling for greater humanitarian access to Gaza, warning that restrictions on aid deliveries, ongoing violence and funding shortages are severely limiting its ability to reach people in need. Tweet URL Reporting from a recent aid convoy mission, WFP Country Director for Palestine […]

Peak heat in Europe just broke historic 1970s records

July 13, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. This year marks the hottest June recorded for Western Europe and the second warmest globally, according to the latest report from a climate tracking service released on Thursday. “Heatwaves like this are what we expect to see in a changing climate,” said John Kennedy, head of climate […]

© NASA The Strait of Hormuz which separates the United Arab Emirates and Iran is a strategically important shipping route

UN chief urges Iran and US to ‘urgently resume negotiations’ as Gulf strikes escalate

July 13, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Renewed strikes and counterstrikes between Iran and the United States in the Gulf region have raised fears of a return to all‑out war, with Washington denying Tehran’s claim that it had closed the crucial Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. The US said it had struck around 140 […]

Peak heat in Europe just broke historic 1970s records

July 10, 2026

UN News Children collect water from a truck in a displaced persons camp in Gaza. (file)

Diplomats go virtual to witness Gaza displacement site up close

July 10, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Representatives from 12 countries carried out a “virtual diplomatic field visit” to a displacement site in the Gaza Strip and heard from some of the residents about their pressing needs, the United Nations said on Thursday. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Ramiz Alakbarov, and his […]

Commission seeks feedback on commitments offered by Sanofi over possible anticompetitive conduct regarding the promotion of a flu vaccine for vulnerable patients

July 9, 2026

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission invites comments on commitments offered by Sanofi to address competition concerns regarding a communication campaign that has possibly disparaged the only rival flu vaccine recommended for vulnerable patients with risk factors. The Commission’s investigation Sanofi, headquartered in France, is a multinational […]

US-Iran war: Renewed attacks in Strait of Hormuz prompts another global energy alert

July 9, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Renewed attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz unsettled energy markets on Wednesday and prompted calls from the UN maritime agency, IMO, for “maximum restraint and de-escalation”. Amid reports that three merchant vessels were hit along with Iranian targets, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned “reckless attacks” […]

When AI hurts people, who’s to blame? Global experts grapple with accountability

July 8, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Who is legally responsible when Artificial Intelligence causes harm? The issue took centre stage on Tuesday – day two of the first ever UN summit on AI governance, where leading experts warned of mounting evidence of human rights violations linked to the revolutionary technology. “Across 11 Global […]

UN News Humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip remain dire, with families in urgent need of shelter, healthcare and food.

Occupied Palestinian Territory: Aid restrictions in Gaza, ‘senseless’ infant deaths in the West Bank

July 7, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Ongoing restrictions and closures of border crossings continue to hamper delivery of critical supplies into the Gaza Strip, amid mounting concern for children there and in the West Bank, the United Nations said on Monday. UN teams in Gaza continued to collect food and fuel from the Kerem […]

About the author Sadia Khalid is a Scientist-Physician (MBBS, MD) at Tallinn University of Technology. She is driven by a commitment to advance public health and scientific understanding. With research interests spanning molecular medicine, infectious diseases, bacteriology, hepatology, and gastroenterology, she aims to contribute meaningful, evidence-based insights that support health, safety, and community awareness.

Heat, Flood, Fire: The Climate Crisis and the Body

July 6, 2026

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Sadia Khalid, a Scientist-Physician (MBBS, MD) at Tallinn University of Technologye. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on […]