The United States is home to a diverse array of cultures, ethnicities, and languages. It attracts visitors and immigrants from all around the world, so it’s easy to find people who can speak another language in addition to English. Census Bureau statistics show that 21% of Americans are bilingual. The team at Preply took a deep dive into this data by determining which cities have the most and least bilingual residents.

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The team defined bilingual as people who report speaking both English and one additional language “very well,” which would mean functioning at a fluency level in two languages. They created two maps to show the results. According to the team’s data, these cities have the most bilingual people in America:

• El Paso, Texas
• Los Angeles, California
• San Jose, California
• San Antonio, Texas
• New York, New York
• Houston, Texas
• San Diego, California
• Phoenix, Arizona
• San Francisco, California
• Dallas, Texas

In El Paso, the majority of the population speaks Spanish, which has been the case since 1965. Seven out of ten residents speak a language other than English. El Paso is located very close to the Mexican border, resulting in a high presence of immigrants, visitors, and family ties with Mexico. The same is true in Los Angeles, where nearly half the population is of an ethnic group that speaks Spanish. Overall, the most common second language spoken in the U.S. is Spanish, although you’ll find a wide variety of languages across the country.

As for the least bilingual cities, the team found that these 10 cities take the top spots:

• Detroit, Michigan
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Nashville, Tennessee
• Jacksonville, Florida
• Columbus, Ohio
• Washington, D.C.
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Seattle, Washington

Detroit may have the fewest bilingual speakers due to its shrinking population. It’s difficult to have diversity of cultures and languages in a small population. As industries shift location, sometimes you see certain populations follow. Detroit is known for auto manufacturing, but that industry has shrunk considerably since the city’s heyday. These statistics suggest that economics can have an impact on bilingual populations.

After Spanish, common second languages include Asian languages like Mandarin or Korean. There are so many benefits to becoming bilingual. Beyond being useful in travel, it can help people in work and social situations. Approximately 43% of the world’s population is bilingual, with people from all over the world learning English online. If the team created a worldwide map of bilingual locations, they’d find that speaking two languages in daily life is common in Switzerland, where 42% of the population speaks two languages on a daily basis. In France, however, only 20% of the population speaks a language other than French. Typically, bilingual people can speak English and live in and around Paris.

Overall, the most widely spoken languages in the world are Chinese, English, and Spanish, making it beneficial for anyone to learn these languages. Bilingual people are known to be good listeners, and evidence suggests they’re more creative! It’s a valuable skill to employers, and it can improve your memory and attention span.

Wide translation is a hallmark of a book and an author’s success and influence, indicating high readership and a place in the world’s cultural consciousness. The team at Preply shows us which novels have earned that honor with a map showing the most translated book from every country in the world (based on the author’s origin). This map offers a fascinating look into a vast world of literature, featuring timeless classics and some books with unexpected popularity.

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It’s likely no surprise to readers that the Bible is the most translated book, available in over 700 languages. After the Bible, the world’s most translated work is a charming children’s book from France. The Little Prince is an illustrated novel for young readers by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, available in hundreds of languages. The book’s themes of friendship, loss, loyalty, responsibility, and love resonate with children and adults alike all over the world.

North American favorites include Canada’s coming-of-age tale, Anne of Green Gables. The author L.M. Montgomery overcame a sexist literary world to prove her worth, with 36 translations of her novel, which has been widely popular since its release and has had staying power over many of her contemporary male peers. As for the United States, it may be surprising to learn that the most translated book is a 1980 self-help title, The Way to Happiness, written by L. Ron Hubbard, a sci-fi author and founder of the niche religion Scientology.

Moving on to South America, it’s not surprising that we find some beloved works of magical realism. This subgenre originated in South America, and some of its most translated works represent magical realism’s enduring legacy, including The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

As for Europe, home to many literary giants besides France’s Saint-Exupéry, we see a lot of representation of children’s novels. Italy’s Carlo Collodi penned The Adventures of Pinocchio. The world-famous wooden puppet who dreamed of being a real boy has a tale that’s been translated into over 300 languages. England’s most translated book is not a play by Shakespeare, but Lewis Carroll’s bizarre and imaginative tale, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. And, of course, Europe is the origin of world-famous fairy tales, penned by some of the most widely translated authors, including Jacob Grimm of Germany and Hans Christian Andersen of Denmark.

Africa is a massive continent packed with unique cultures, but the most translated African title is from Kenyan author Nagugi wa Thiong’o with The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright, a fable that explains why humans walk on two legs and what connects humans worldwide. While often associated with France, Albert Camus was born in Algeria and claims its most translated book, The Stranger. The same is true of Oxford professor and author J.R.R. Tolkien, the father of modern fantasy. He was born in South Africa and claims to have written their most translated title, The Hobbit.

Asia has its own diverse and ancient literary traditions, but its most translated novel was a more recent title from 1998. Turkey’s Orhan Pamuk wrote a novel called My Name is Red, translated into more than 60 languages. Meanwhile, contemporary Japanese author Haruki Murakami takes the number two spot with his novel, Norwegian Wood.

Lastly, the map zooms in on Oceania, where we find Australia’s most translated novel, The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough, and New Zealand’s The Whale Rider, which was adapted into a critically-acclaimed film about the Māori community.

A new map from the team at PA Requirements displays the locations in the U.S. where children are most likely to bully and be bullied. Unfortunately, bullying is a widespread issue in the United States, with more than a third of school-age children experiencing bullying last year. The study is based on data from the National Survey of Children’s Health. The map color-codes the percentage of children who have been bullied or engaged in bullying. The result is a map that gives us a full-color illustration of the depth and severity of the American bullying problem.

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The team found that children are most likely to be bullied in Montana. In that state, 55% of children were bullied at least once in the past year, a truly shocking number. Tragically, 3.6% of Montana children reported daily bullying. Wyoming and West Virginia followed Montana for the highest instances of bullying.

Overall, these 10 states had the highest rates of children reporting being bullied at least once in the past year:

1. Montana: 55.0%
2. Wyoming: 53.8%
3. Vermont: 50.5%
4. Utah: 49.5%
5. North Dakota: 49.1%
6. Maine: 49.0%
7. Wisconsin: 48.9%
8. Colorado: 48.7%
9. Idaho: 48.4%
10. South Dakota: 47.9%

Children are also most likely to be the bullies in Montana, which makes sense. A high rate of bullying can suggest a high number of bullies. Perhaps the victims go on to become the bullies. Studies suggest that bullying can be cyclical.

These 10 states have the highest percentages of children who have bullied someone else in the past year:

1. Montana: 25.7%
2. Wyoming: 24.2%
3. South Dakota: 24.2%
4. Maine: 23.0%
5. Iowa: 21.8%
6. Colorado: 21.7%
7. North Dakota: 21.6%
8. Vermont: 20.4%
9. Utah: 20.4%
10. Missouri: 20.3%

Bullying is damaging to a child’s development. It can occur in or out of school. The four forms of bullying are physical, verbal, cyberbullying, and social/relational bullying. Relational bullying targets the victim’s social standing and can take the form of malicious gossip and rumors or exclusion from social groups.

Adults around victims can help prevent bullying, and it’s up to these same adults to set a good example and create safe spaces for children at home and at school. Some of the top tips for the prevention of bullying include:

• Teaching children to recognize bullying and understand why it’s wrong.
• Helping children learn to confidently stand up to a bully by telling them to stop and walk away to get adult help.
• Encouraging children to talk to trusted adults about bullying.
• Fostering confidence in children by encouraging them to pursue their interests and be proud of who they are.
• Modeling good behaviors, like respect and kindness.

There’s no concrete way to completely eliminate bullying, but these strategies can help create an environment where bullying is stifled. Teachers, parents, daycare workers, counselors, and social workers should all be aware of how to recognize the signs of bullying and take steps toward prevention.