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What Are the Easiest Languages To Learn?

calendar_todayJune 20, 2022
What Are the Easiest Languages To Learn?

Are you looking for a new language to learn? Learning a new language opens a gateway to a new world of experiences and new cultures. So what languages should you learn?

Here's a bullet-point outline of what you should look for when learning a new language :
  • How difficult is it? - You will need to assess how much time you are willing to spend.
  • What is your goal? - Do you want to work in Germany or do you want to travel to South America?
  • Your personal interest - If your partner speaks French, it might be worth learning French.
  • The cultural experience - What countries or cultures do you want to experience?

Now that you understand the fundamentals of what you should be looking for, let's cover the easiest languages for English speakers to learn and see which ticks your boxes.

Something to bear in mind- Some people find it much much easier to learn a new language than others!

Should I Learn Spanish?

Spanish is a very popular language to learn with 592 million speakers worldwide. It's also a very popular language in the United States with 53 million Spanish speakers.

It's not a hard language for English speakers to learn, with so many speakers worldwide, it leaves anyone with proficiency in the language a world of opportunity.

Spanish comes from Latin, and so does English! It's fairly easy to gain proficiency and it is similar to English in most aspects.

It's not a hard language for English speakers to learn, with so many speakers worldwide, it leaves anyone with proficiency in the language a world of opportunity.

After getting used to the gendered nouns and similar grammar rules, you will quickly get the hang of the language and after some 300 to 600 hours of proper learning, you will become proficient in it.

Spanish learning journey

Your Spanish learning journey will be made easier by the amount of great Spanish media out there. Here's a list of 10 great Spanish Netflix shows such as Monarca.

Countries like Mexico, Argentina and US all have large Spanish-speaking populations. Check out the infographic below:

Spanish learning journey

Do keep in mind! Much like American English and British English, there are differences between Latin American Spanish and European Spanish also called Castilian Spanish.

These differences aren't drastic but they are worth noting! Make sure you start off by only learning one of these.

Should I Learn Portuguese?

Portuguese is in a very similar situation to Spanish. Large swaths of Latin Americans speak Portuguese, in total 274 million people worldwide speak Portuguese in Europe and South America.

Multiple countries in Latin America have Portuguese as an official language or have large Portuguese-speaking populations, such as Brazil.

A few countries in Africa and East Asia also have Portuguese as an official language, giving ample opportunities to travel and explore these places.

Much like Spanish, Portuguese is very close to English and easy to learn for English speakers. It's also very close to Spanish, making either language easier to learn if you know one of them.

Dutch, Gernan and English Articles

Do keep in mind! It's the same situation as with Spanish. Much like American English and British English, there are differences between Latin American Portuguese and European Portuguese.

These differences aren't drastic but they're worth noting! Make sure you start off only learning one of these.

Should I Learn French?
Discover French

There are over 200 million french speakers across 5 continents. It's the language of film, fashion and the arts and if you're an English speaker it's not a difficult language to learn.

For starters, 45% of English words have a French origin. You will be surprised how many mundane everyday words stem from french like "le fruit". That's the result of the very long and interesting thousand-year history between England and France.

There's a long and fascinating history of how French influenced English as a result.

French does have a reputation for being difficult and that's because of its pronunciation. French has a lot of vowels and many of these will be new for English speakers. Mastering pronunciation will take time and practice but it'll become a breeze eventually.

France itself is a gorgeous scenic country featuring some of Europe's wealthiest and most historic cities. Cities like Paris and Marseille are centres for fashion, art and culture across the world and are incredible places to travel to, visit and experience.

France isn't the only country where French is spoken! Many countries also have French as their official language such as Canada in America, Belgium and Luxembourg in Europe and many countries in Africa like Madagascar.

Should I Learn German?

German is a complicated but ultimately logical language. It has gendered nouns, a lot of conjugation and strict syntax. German will appear as an impossible challenge when you start but once you chip away at the rules you will get the hang of it quickly.

Pronunciation is straightforward once you learn the alphabet and the pronunciation rules such as the umlaut however getting used to the numbers might not be as simple! Numbers are called out in reverse!

In English we say : "Twenty" + "Five"

While in German you say : "Five" + "Twenty" (fünf­und­zwanzig)

But spelling is also very straightforward once you learn the alphabet!

Germany is a beautiful country filled with opportunities for amazing cultural experiences like Oktoberfest! Alongside business or employment opportunities, many German cities are hubs for finance and tech in Europe.

Spanish Speakers Across Different Countries
Should I Learn Dutch?

Dutch is spoken in Belgium and the Netherlands. Dutch has its root in Latin and Germanic leading to many similarities with English!

Dutch is probably one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn.

For example, German has 3 articles: Der, Die, Das.

English has 1 article: The

and Dutch has 2 De and Het.

These articles are probably the hardest part for an English speaker to learn.

Also, similar to German, in Dutch the verb sometimes goes to the end which takes some getting used to but these are the only major hurdles in learning the language.

Consider Dutch, a German-Lite.

Portuguese Speaking Countries
Should I Learn Norwegian?

Like Swedish and other Scandinavian languages it's not a hard language for English speakers to learn. There are around 5.2 million native Norwegian speakers. Being a Germanic language it shares a lot with English so the basics are not hard to get used to.

However, unlike German it does not require verb conjugation according to person or number, making tenses easy to learn! Just like with Dutch (for the most part) word order does not differ from that of English so no verbs at the end of sentences either.

What You Need to Take Away

Hopefully, our list of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers showcased the opportunities that exist in learning new languages and exploring new cultures!

Learning new languages can help you learn and grow as a person. Discovering new places, experiencing new cultures and meeting new people leads to benefits across all walks of life, from professional to personal!

If you've decided on a language to learn find out how to go about learning it here, or if you want to learn a language online with a group and an expert tutor at an affordable price, be sure to join a LessonWise course here!