Language and Communication

Getting Ready

Discuss the following questions with a partner.

1. Look at the ways to say Hello in the different languages above. Which ones do you know?
   Answer

   Nǐ hǎo! is Chinese, Konnichiwa! is Japanese, Bom dia! is Portuguese, ¡Hola! is Spanish, Guten tag! is German, Bonjour! is French, Zdravstvuite! is Russian, Annyong ha shimnikka! is Korean, Aloha! is Hawaiian, and Namasté! is Hindi.

2. How many languages can you speak? Which languages would you like to learn?
   Answer

   Encourage students to give details and reasons.

3. Which are the most popular languages to study in your country? Why are they popular?
   Answer

   English is a popular language to study because it is often used for international communication, but other popular languages include Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Hindi, and Portuguese, which have the greatest numbers of speakers on Earth.