1. Languages with large numbers of speakers:
* English: Spoken by over 1.3 billion people worldwide, English has become the dominant language for international communication and business.
* Mandarin Chinese: With over 1 billion speakers, Mandarin is the most spoken language in the world.
* Hindi: Spoken by over 600 million people primarily in India, Hindi is part of the Indo-Aryan language family.
* Spanish: With over 500 million speakers, Spanish is the official language of 20 countries.
* Arabic: Spoken by over 400 million people across the Middle East and North Africa, Arabic is a Semitic language.
* Bengali: With over 250 million speakers, Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh and a major language in India.
* Portuguese: Spoken by over 250 million people, Portuguese is the official language of Brazil and Portugal.
* Russian: Spoken by over 250 million people, Russian is the official language of Russia and several other countries.
* French: With over 300 million speakers, French is the official language of France and many former French colonies.
* German: Spoken by over 130 million people, German is the official language of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
2. Languages with significant influence in the world:
* English: As the dominant language for global communication, English has a massive influence on international trade, media, and technology.
* French: French has played a significant role in global culture, diplomacy, and literature.
* Spanish: Spanish is widely used in many regions of the world, particularly in Latin America, and is becoming increasingly important in the US.
* Chinese: As the language of the world's largest economy, Chinese is gaining increasing global influence.
3. Languages with vibrant cultural and literary traditions:
* Japanese: A rich literary and artistic tradition, Japanese is spoken by over 125 million people.
* Korean: With a unique cultural heritage, Korean is spoken by over 77 million people.
* Italian: Known for its art, music, and cuisine, Italian is spoken by over 68 million people.
* Arabic: With a long history of literature and poetry, Arabic is a major language in the Middle East and North Africa.
4. Languages experiencing rapid growth:
* English: English continues to spread globally, particularly in regions like Asia and Africa.
* Spanish: Spanish is experiencing significant growth in the United States.
* Chinese: With China's growing economic influence, Mandarin is becoming increasingly popular around the world.
It is important to remember that "modern" can be interpreted in various ways. There are also many other languages not mentioned here that are important to their speakers and cultures.