More than 6,000 languages are spoken in the world today. But some linguists believe that by the end of the century the influence of globalization and new technologies like the Internet will have most people speaking one language -- English. Other experts say that the most widely used tongues, like French, Arabic and Chinese, will remain in everyday use despite the growing popularity of English. While the experts disagree about the prospects for a global language, almost all are concerned that many more obscure tongues are on the verge of being lost forever. Meanwhile, some Americans believe that the United States is in danger of losing its native tongue and argue that English should be the nation's official language.

David Masci specializes in social policy, religion and foreign affairs. Before joining CQ Researcher as a staff writer in 1996, he was a reporter at CQ's Daily Monitor and CQ Weekly. He holds a BA in medieval history from Syracuse University and a law degree from The George Washington University.