Second languages for religious use

Some people use a second language because of their religion. For centuries after its

decline as an international language, Latin functioned as a religious language of

the Catholic Church. Muslims read the Koran in Arabic, regardless of whether they

live in an Arabic-speaking country like Saudi Arabia or in a multilingual country

like Malaysia. Jews outside Israel continue to learn Hebrew so that they can pray in

it and study the Bible and other sacred texts. In parts of India, Christianity is identified

with English, in Ethiopia with Aramaic. Though the language of religious

observances is specialized, it is nonetheless a form of L2 use for supercentral

languages. As this type of L2 learning is distinct from most classroom situations, it

will not be discussed further here, but it should not be overlooked, since for millions

of people it is the most profound use of a second language imaginable.