Spanish

Native Speaker: 471 Million

After Mandarin, Spanish stands the second among the most native languages which includes around 21 countries speaking this language in the western and eastern hemispheres and also runs close with English. There are many dialects of Spanish spoken across Europe, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, but the language originated in the Castile region of Spain.

If only to look at native speakers, Spanish has its nose in front of English with about 471 million speakers. If you want a language that will open up whole continents to you, Spanish is your best bet. As with all the languages on this list, the politics of language and associated identity are highly disputed: ask Catalan or Quechua speakers if Spanish is their local tongue and you will get a very different answer.

A few facts about the Spanish language:

• One of the names for Spanish in Spanish is Castellano and the name originates with the language’s origins in the Castile region.
• In the US, Spanish is the second most spoken language.