Languages Facts for Kids
Weird and wonderful language facts
Japanese uses three different writing systems — hiragana, katakana, and kanji — and a single piece of writing might mix all three. Children in Japan spend years at school learning the thousands of kanji characters.
Scientists believe that the language you speak can influence how you think about time, colour, and space. For example, some languages have no words for 'left' or 'right' and instead always use compass directions.
Latin is often called a 'dead language' because nobody grows up speaking it at home, but it is still used in science, law, and medicine every day. Many scientific names for plants and animals are written in Latin.
Some communities use whistle languages to communicate across long distances in mountains or forests. Silbo Gomero, a whistled form of Spanish used on the Canary Island of La Gomera, is recognised by UNESCO as a cultural heritage.
Portuguese is spoken on every continent and is the official language of nine countries, including Brazil, Portugal, Angola, and Mozambique. Brazil alone accounts for more than 200 million Portuguese speakers.
Sumerian, spoken in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), is considered the world's oldest written language, with records going back over 5,000 years. The Sumerians invented a writing system called cuneiform, which pressed wedge-shaped marks into clay tablets.
Research suggests that people who speak two or more languages may be better at multitasking and switching between tasks than people who speak only one language. Being bilingual gives your brain a constant workout.
The Korean alphabet, called Hangul, was scientifically designed in the 15th century by King Sejong the Great so that ordinary people could learn to read and write more easily. The shapes of the letters are based on the position of the mouth and tongue when making each sound.
Russian is one of the official languages used on the International Space Station, alongside English. Astronauts from many countries learn basic Russian before flying to space.
Young children can learn a new language far more easily than adults because their brains are still developing and are incredibly flexible. Most language experts say that the best time to learn a second language is before the age of ten.