Are languages important in conservation?

Language allows people to communicate their experiences of nature, and to construct and to share their knowledge (locally and internationally) about the world around them. Our use of language helps us make sense of the world and shapes how people understand, reason and value the natural world. It can include the history of people, the area and how people, can / use to interact with the natural world historically.

Modern language are used in science communication strategies to deepen ecological literacy. 

English is one of the most widely used languages in the world (1.5 billion users). Globally, there are 263.6 million Portuguese speakers and 559.1 million Spanish  speakers, Russia has 255 million native Russian speakers. Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken Chinese dialect, with 1.1 billion speakers. It's the most spoken language in China, Taiwan as well as Southeast Asia and around the world. French is widely taught in school and has 309.8 million speakers globally.

The loss of an indigenous language can also mean the loss of cultural connections to the flora, fauna, and places it represents.

Here are some other things to know about languages in conservation:

• The number of conservation articles published in non-English languages has increased significantly in recent years, in some cases at a similar or faster rate than English-language articles.
• Language preservation - The Lingua Libre project is a tool for preserving endangered languages. Speakers can record words, phrases, or sentences in their own language, and the content is free.
• Lusophone nations (Portuguese speaking world), includes Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and Portugal. Spanish and Portuguese are both 'Romance' languages and they share similarities with the other Romance languages, like French and Italian, and some say it's relatively easy for English speakers to learn.

Can you put the languages and number of speakers in order, with most widely spoken at the top.