What makes a language... a language? - Martin Hilpert
787,960 Views
10,873 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
Outside of China, Mandarin and Cantonese are often referred to as Chinese dialects, despite being even more dissimilar than Spanish and Italian. On the other hand, speakers of Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, which are three distinct languages, can usually communicate with each other in their native tongues. So, when is speech considered a dialect versus a language? Martin Hilpert investigates.
Think of a feature in your language use that reflects where you grew up, and how the people around you, including your friends and family, were talking. Describe the feature. Does it have to do with pronunciation, is it a special word or construction, or does it have to do with the way words are put together? When you use it, would other people be able to figure out where you come from?
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Martin Hilpert
- Director Luísa Holanda, Hype CG
- Narrator Addison Anderson
- Storyboard Artist Luísa Holanda
- Animator Murilo Jardim
- Art Director Luísa Holanda
- Hype Producer Taíla Soliman
- Composer Gabriel Maia
- Sound Designer Gabriel Maia
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
- Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
- Associate Editorial Producer Cella Wright
- Production Coordinator Abdallah Ewis
- Script Editor Alex Gendler
- Fact-Checker Jennifer Nam
