Other Languages
Other languages found in South America include Hindi and Javanese in Guyana and Suriname; Italian in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Venezuela and Colombia; and German in certain pockets in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia and Paraguay. Welsh remains spoken and written in the historic towns of Trelew and Rawson in the Argentine Patagonia. There are small Croatian, Polish and Russian-speaking communities in Brazil, Chile, Peru and Argentina. There are also small clusters of Japanese-speakers in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Ecuador. Arabic speakers, often of Lebanese, Syrian or Palestinian descent, can be found in Arab communities in Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Paraguay and less frequently in Chile. The Rapa Nui Language is a Polynesian origin found in Easter Island, Chile and Maori is also found in Easter Island.
In most of the continent's countries, the upper classes and well-educated people regularly study English, French, German or Italian. In those areas where tourism is a significant industry, English and some other European languages are often spoken.
Read more about this topic: Languages Of South America
Famous quotes containing the word languages:
“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)
“The very natural tendency to use terms derived from traditional grammar like verb, noun, adjective, passive voice, in describing languages outside of Indo-European is fraught with grave possibilities of misunderstanding.”
—Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897–1934)