Technology and World Languages

The First System of Language

2690 BCE

Egyptian is the first system of language and it evolved circa 2690 BCE along with Sumerian. These hieroglyphs were discovered in the tomb of Seth-Peribsen (2nd Dynasty) in Umm El Qa'ab.

The Rosetta Stone

196 BCE

The Rosetta Stone was created in 196 BCE but not discovered until 1799 CE. It contains ancient Greek, Demotic, and Hieroglyphic texts.

Invention of the Printing Press

1440

The invention of the printing press is significant in the acquisition of other languages because it mass produced printed material. Although it was originally invented to mass produce the Bible, the production of the Bible in more than one language allowed for readers to use the printed Bibles to study languages.

First Airplane Flies

Dec 17, 1903

Orville and Wilbur Wright had the first successful flight of an aircraft heavier than air. The plane stayed airborne for 12 seconds. This marked a significant turn for traveling technology, and people began visiting foreign lands and bringing their native languages with them.

Evolution of the Internet

1980

The evolution of the Internet began with the development of computers in the 1950s. However, the first commercial internet service providers did not emerge until the late 1980s. Through the Internet, language learners have been able to access information about the language they are learning, translate it to their native language, and practice with other speakers of the learned language.

Evolution of Online Learning

1984

The Electronic University Network was established with the goal of expanding university courses to the world wide web. This set the framework for online learning and allowed people to learn foreign languages away from the traditional classroom setting.

Evolution of Videotelephony (Video Chat)

2003

Videotelephony combines videography with telecommunications. Although projects in this field have been in the works since the 1920s, modern video chatting technologies are modeled after progress made in 2003. This is significant because it allows people to communicate with each other across vast distances, so people in two different countries can talk to each other. Websites like TalkAbroad allow language learners to make conversation appointments to practice with natives.

Evolution of the Smartphone

2007

While plans for smartphones have been in the works since the 1970s, the modern smartphones we use today are modeled after the first iPhone which came out in 2007. This is significant for reasons like the Internet and video chatting, but it is also significant because it is small and instant, so you can instantly translate something from one language to the next.