* No official census tracks first languages: The UK census focuses on the language spoken at home, which doesn't always align with someone's first language.
* Defining "first language" is complex: Some people may have learned multiple languages from childhood, making it difficult to pinpoint a single "first" language.
* Continuous migration: Britain has a long history of immigration, constantly introducing new languages.
However, we can say that there are hundreds, if not thousands of different first languages spoken in Britain. This includes:
* English (the dominant language)
* Other European languages (French, German, Polish, Italian, etc.)
* Languages from the Commonwealth (Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, etc.)
* Languages from Asia and Africa (Mandarin, Cantonese, Yoruba, etc.)
* Indigenous languages (Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish Gaelic)
The exact number is constantly changing, making it difficult to provide a definitive figure.