Gateway Languages

  • The Top 10 Languages
  • Gateway Languages
  • The Top 100 Languages
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    Languages by Number of speakers

    The number of people who speak a language natively (L1) is sometimes eclipsed by those who have learned it as a 2nd language (L2). It is generally agreed among linguists that 85% of the world can understand in one of the top 100 languages.











    Gateway Languages

    Certain languages are considered Gateway Languages in that they are used widely in areas which share multiple languages and people living in the area can be found to translate into the native language. For instance French is considered a Gateway Language for much of Africa. In fact there are more French speakers in Africa than in France.

    Unfolding Word is an organization that is working to provide Bible Study materials in as many languages as possible. They have identified 42 languages as Gateway Languages. These are listed on the following page