This map shows the favorite (and most learned) foreign language in each country

One? Two? How many languages did you learn during the lockdown?

The first year of the pandemic was an annus horribilis for language teachers. Schools closed, exchange trips abroad were canceled, and language meetups vanished.

It may seem crazy to learn a foreign language when airports are shut down. But learning a new language opens your heart to another culture, keeps your brain active and healthy, and helps you think and see the world in new ways.

That's why WordTips was curious to find out which nationalities were choosing which languages during the total lockdown, and they used Google to find the number of searches for 'learn ___ language' in each country from May 2020 to May 2021. The results are as follows...

Spanish and English learners dominate North America. However, people in the majority of these territories are more likely to search for Spanish lessons online. It may seem strange that Spanish-speaking countries in North America have high search rates, such as Guatemala: Spanish is the official language, but over a million Guatemalans speak one of the 24 local indigenous languages.

Japanese is on the rise in the U.S. and Canada, thanks to Japan's rich exporting culture of anime and manga.

In six of the twelve sovereign states of South America, the main language learned at home was English. But in Argentina, Italian dominates. Nearly two-thirds of Argentinians have Italian ancestry, and many refer to themselves as 'tanos', local slang for 'Italians'.

More than one in a thousand Peruvian internet users searched for Korean lessons last year, making it the primary language learned in Chile. Despite being far away with different cultures, Korean pop music has become huge in Latin America.

The pursuit of language studies was more intense in Eastern Europe than in the West. Ukraine has the highest search rate in the world for its native language. Although most Ukrainians speak it as their first language, Russian is the dominant and common language in many of its areas.

In Russia, however, the most searched language was English. Western Europeans tend to study English or Spanish. However, Portuguese is the preferred language to learn in Sweden.

This region is evenly split between English and Arabic learners. Arabic is the official language in all the countries where it is most studied in this region. However, there are large expatriate communities and minority cultures in many Arab countries, leading local inhabitants to study Arabic.

Japanese is the most sought-after language to learn in Australia and New Zealand. The Asian country is a neighbor to these lands, maintaining strong cultural and economic ties, with significant immigration between them.

Australian schools often teach Japanese, promoting cooperation and job opportunities in business, diplomacy, and tourism.

Africa is the only continent with countries wanting to learn French more than any other language. The African countries seeking French lessons are mostly former French colonies like Algeria and Morocco, as well as Botswana, Kenya, and Zambia.