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Amodern language (also known as aliving language) is anyhuman language that is currently in use as anative language.
The term is used inlanguage education to distinguish between languages which are used for day-to-day communication (such asFrench andGerman) anddeadclassical languages such asLatin andClassical Chinese, which are studied for their cultural and linguistic value.[1] For example, theModern Language Association tracks student enrollments inAncient Greek versusModern Greek, orBiblical Hebrew versusModern Hebrew, separately.[2]
SIL Ethnologue defines aliving language as "one that has at least one speaker for whom it is their first language" (see alsoLanguage § Linguistic diversity).[citation needed]
Practices inlanguage education vary significantly by region. Firstly, the languages being learned differ; in theUnited States,Spanish is the most popular language to be learned, whereas the most popular languages to be learned inAustralia areGerman,French,Italian andMandarin Chinese. Also,teaching methods tend to differ by region.Language immersion is popular in some European countries, and not used very much in theUnited States.
Modern languages are taught extensively around the world; seesecond language acquisition.English is taught as asecond or foreign language in many countries; seeEnglish language learning and teaching.
International auxiliary languages are by definition not associated with a particular country or geographic region.Esperanto is probably the best-known and most widespread.Interlingua, a much less popular, but still growing auxiliary language, is likewise spoken mainly inNorthern andEastern Europe and inSouth America, with substantial numbers of speakers inCentral Europe,Ukraine, andRussia. Constructed languages from more recent years with sizable user communities areKlingon,Toki Pona andInterslavic.
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