More than 450 million people speak some form of Chinese, though some forms are so different that two people speaking Chinese cannot always understand each ether. Hindustani is the native language of some 250 million people of India and other parts of Asia, though this language also is actually a group of many similar languages.

The most useful language on a world tour is English. It is the native language of only about 200 million people, but these English¬ speaking people are spread far around the globe. What's more, in almost every remote community, you will find some trader or teacher who knows English as a second language.