Though many are spoken in small, rural villages, youll hear a large range of them in the countrys largest city and commercial capital, Lagos, especially as more rural migrants come to find work.According to data from Ethnologue, a reference work documenting the worlds living languages, the countries with the largest number of spoken languages include Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Nigeria, India and the United States, all with more than 300 unique tongues spoken within their borders.
To understand how that language diversity impacts daily life, we sought out locals and expats in their most populous cities where residents are most likely be exposed to a number of languages on a daily basis and asked them what its like to live in a place where so many cultures and communities coincide everyday. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Not only does Papua New Guinea (PNG) has the worlds highest number of spoken languages (more than 800), it also has the highest language diversity index in the world; its incredibly likely that two randomly selected people in PNG would have different native languages. The diversity springs from the countrys geography of deep valleys and tough-to-navigate terrain, which kept hundreds of customary societies and clans separate for centuries. Safety is a top concern here, however, and precautions like not driving alone must be taken to avoid gang violence and organised crime. Dil kaya kare jab kisi ko kisi se payar ho jae originalsong downloadStill, that shouldnt deter people from experiencing life in PNG, said expat Clara Raven, who moved from London nearly two years ago. While the lifestyle may not include spontaneous drives within the city, it does allow for weekends away to some of the worlds most beautiful beaches and mountain hikes throughout the countrys 19 very different provinces. You will also commonly hear Tok Pisen, Raven said, which is a pidgin English and one of the countrys four official national languages (which also include English, Hiri Motu and Papuan New Guinean sign language). Its very easy to understand, and its constantly evolving as a language, she added. Most expats live in European-style apartments, often paid for by their employers, in the areas of Ela Beach, on the water on the citys south side, and Paga Hill, on the west side of the peninsula. Jakarta, Indonesia The most populous city in Southeast Asia, with 11 million residents, Jakarta attracts expats from throughout the region for its economic opportunities. As such, its common to hear a number of the more than 700 languages spoken in Indonesia. The country has a similar geographic diversity to PNG in fact, they share an archipelago province and is made up of more than 17,000 islands, which contributes to the sheer number of dialects. Its refreshing; you get to meet people who are not of the same background as you, said Jakarta native and grandson of Chinese immigrants Peter Richie Putra. A lot of cultures are mixed with one another and thats a good thing. Though its easy to find street food around the city, go-to hubs include Sabang, Bloc M and Pecenongan Street, where youll find everything from Indonesian fried rice and Chinese steamed buns to Middle Eastern martabak pancakes. For those on a budget, its also common to rent a single room in a boarding house, known colloquially as kos-kosan. If you are prepared to step out of your comfort zone, you will have a great time and be so much the better for it, he said. The countrys official language is Indonesian, and it helps to at least have a rough grasp of it in order to communicate in Jakarta. I often hear people say that Indonesian is an easy language to learn. Its not. The truth is that Indonesians will let you butcher their language in the interests of communication, McGuire said. The result is that you can get away with very basic Indonesian. Most, if not all, Indonesians will be thrilled that you had a go at their language. ![]()
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