The geography of languages

Geographers are familiar with studying places in which English is not spoken as a first language. We study the economic, social and political geographies of a particular place, but may not think about the languages in which everyday communication takes place. Language is an important part of culture, and culture is transmitted through speech, song, writing, teaching in schools and religious practices. Human interaction also depends upon language. This article explores some of the ways in which geographers can think about languages and language use