At the Wall of Love in Paris, France, the words "I love you" are written in 250 languages.
Language is a way for people to communicate. It is one way people can share information. Language includes speaking and writing. When you say or write the word "hi," that means "hello" in the English language. But making gestures, or body movements, is part of language, too. When you wave to someone, that can also mean "hello."

Language has been around for millions of years. It was first used by early human ancestors. Writing came later. Humans started writing about 5,000 years ago. Language made it possible for humans to develop societies. Once people could communicate, they could live in groups and tell each other things.

Babies cannot speak right after they are born. However, they have an important ability. They are able to understand language. Children learn to speak without any special training. They do this by listening to other people speak.

Other kinds of language are different. They must be taught. This is true for writing and sign language, too.

Not All Languages Are Spoken

The main part of language is sound. Sounds can be combined into words. Words can be combined into sentences. Then sentences can grow into paragraphs. You can keep building and building.

Students in Laos, a country in Asia, learn some words of sign language.
Not all languages are spoken, however. Sign language is not a spoken language. Instead, hand movements stand for letters and words. Sign language is used by people who cannot hear. But many people who use spoken language also communicate through movements. For example, nodding your head up and down means "yes." You don't have to say "yes" at the same time to get your message across.

Most Countries Have One Main Language

There are thousands of languages. Some are more popular than others. The most popular languages are Mandarin Chinese, English and Spanish. These languages are spoken by millions of people.

Most countries have one standard, or main, language. This makes it easy for everyone in the country to understand each other. Some countries have more than one. For example, Canada has two main languages. They are English and French.

People Make New Words

Sometimes, two languages get mixed together and form a new one. This might happen when people who speak different languages are trying to communicate with one another. These mixtures are called pidgin languages.

People may speak the same language, but speak it differently. They might pronounce words in different ways. Or, they might use different expressions, or sayings. These different versions of the same language are called dialects. In the United States, there are many different dialects of English.

Languages don't just stick to themselves. They often blur together. Many languages borrow words from others. For example, people who speak English say "pasta." This word is from the Italian language. The word "karate" is used in English. But really it is a Japanese word.

Over time, languages grow and change. People make new words. They change and shorten existing words, too. "Cellphone" is an example. These handy devices were first called "cellular phones."

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