New digital map reveals Amsterdam’s linguistic diversity
What languages are spoken in Amsterdam? Who speaks them, and why do they matter? Linguist Eva van Lier (University of Amsterdam), together with the Buurtcampus of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, showcases the city’s rich linguistic landscape through a new digital map — a visual starting point for conversations about the value of multilingualism in urban life.
Check out the map for yourself!
The digital language map of Amsterdam shows which languages are spoken in which neighborhoods — from Turkish, Arabic, and Polish to Tem, Quechua, Yoruba, Twi, Panjabi, Dari, and Tigrinya. More than half of Amsterdam’s residents have a migration background, yet little is known about the languages they speak. Want to learn more yourself? The website with the map is available here: Languages of Amsterdam
Working with the neighborhood
The project was a collaboration between lecturers, researchers, and students from the University of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Research was conducted in partnership with the Amsterdam Public Library (OBA) and took place at the Buurtcampussen in multicultural neighborhoods such as Nieuw-West and Zuidoost.
“When we better understand which languages are spoken in specific neighborhoods, we can reach residents more effectively. While there is some content available in other languages, our research shows that the linguistic diversity at each location is often much broader.” Says Eva van Lier, Linguist at the University of Amsterdam
The Amsterdam Public Library told me they had been searching for information on the city’s linguistic diversity for years.
Exhibition Languages in the City
The new language map was recently unveiled during the opening of the exhibition ‘Languages in the City’ at OBA Geuzenveld. The exhibition highlights the many languages that play a role in the daily lives of neighborhood residents and library visitors. In addition to the map, visitors can explore multilingual books from the OBA collection and view language portraits created by local children. Visitors are also invited to contribute their own language portrait and story!
The exhibition Talen in de stad runs until October 16 at OBA Geuzenveld.