There are certain foreign languages in some countries that are considered to be critical from the security point of view. The classification and listing of critical languages is different from country to country depending, besides Language and National Security, upon several factors.
Some critical languages include Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin dialect), Persian, Hindi, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Swahili, and Yoruba.
Famous quotes containing the words critical and/or languages:
“A third variety of drama ... begins as tragedy with scraps of fun in it ... and ends in comedy without mirth in it, the place of mirth being taken by a more or less bitter and critical irony.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“People in places many of us never heard of, whose names we can’t pronounce or even spell, are speaking up for themselves. They speak in languages we once classified as “exotic” but whose mastery is now essential for our diplomats and businessmen. But what they say is very much the same the world over. They want a decent standard of living. They want human dignity and a voice in their own futures. They want their children to grow up strong and healthy and free.”
—Hubert H. Humphrey (1911–1978)