Book of Languages

We use language all day, every day—probably without thinking much about it. But if you stop and consider it, language is not only extremely important, it’s fascinating too! Use of language is one of the key things distinguishing humans from other animals, and nearly 7,000 languages are spoken around the world. Without it, we’d be hard pressed to communicate, express ourselves, or understand others. 

The Book of Languages begins with an introduction to why language is important, how it originated and how it changes. From there, the book profiles 21 of the world’s languages. Each two-page spread showcases a particular language and features colorful maps, flags, photos and illustrations to explore language’s history, and to show where they're spoken today. You'll learn to pronounce key phrases, write different alphabets and even count to ten. Rounded out with sections on non-verbal and animal language, this book will stimulate readers’ curiosity about the world and spark appreciation for language learning.

The languages included are grouped by family:

CONTENTS:

Hello!

     Why language is important
     A short history of language

Language facts
Language families
Speak my language!

Afro-Asiatic

• Arabic
• Hebrew

Altaic:

• Japanese
• Turkish
• Korean

Indo-European:

• Germanic:
  • English
  • German
  • Danish
  • Dutch
• Romance:
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
  • French
  • Italian
• Slavic:
  • Russian
  • Polish
• Indo-Iranian:
  • Hindi-Urdu
  • Bengali

Niger-Congo:

• Swahili
• Zulu

Quechumaran:

• Quechua

Sino-Tibetan

• Mandarin Chinese

Nonverbal Languages

• Sign Language
• Semaphore
• Morse Code
• Animal communication

Glossary
Index
Goodbye!