The Germans Have Illinois Surrounded

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- There are at least 38 million Americans who speak Spanish in the United States.

Those figures are based on a 2011 Census study. The number is likely higher now.

So, it stands to reason that, besides English, Spanish is the second-most common language spoken in Illinois.

It's the second-most common language in 43 of the 48 continental United States.

What about languages besides those two?

In Illinois, Polish comes in at No. 3, according to Slate Magazine.

That makes us unique, as Illinois is surrounded by German-speaking states.

Slate dug into more data and came up with a bunch of interesting language-themed maps.