Final answer:
There are approximately 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, but half could be lost by the century's end due to globalization. Humans can learn any language, but many indigenous languages are declining swiftly.
Step-by-step explanation:
The current estimate of the number of languages spoken across the planet is approximately 7,000. Among these, a few are spoken by a very large population, with about a dozen languages having more than 100 million speakers each. In contrast, many other languages are endangered, with some having only a handful of native speakers remaining and no written form. Notably, experts warn that up to half of the world's living languages could be lost by the end of the 21st century due to globalization.
The dynamic nature of language evolution, where new languages form in isolated populations, is being threatened by the increasing interaction between world populations, leading to the abandonment of less widely spoken tongues in favor of more dominant languages.
It's fascinating to note that humans are born ready to learn any language and usually master at least one from birth. However, the survival of many of these languages of the world is uncertain due to factors like globalization and policy changes that impact multilingualism. For instance, in Australia, the number of indigenous languages has dropped dramatically since European settlement, which indicates a global trend of diminishing linguistic diversity.