Learning a new language is no easy task. It calls for commitment, determination and motivation. But some languages are just easier to learn than others. To make your journey to multilingualism easier, I’ve sourced five easy languages to learn; tackle these as a first step and move on to Mandarin Chinese or Finnish once you feel confident enough!
1. English
It’s the most widely spoken language in the world, making practice possible. It has short words, no gender or word agreement and verbs only change in the third person. There are about 360 million native speakers, but about two billion people speak it – that’s 30 percent of the world population!
2. French
French has over 100 million native speakers and is – as the official language in 28 countries – spoken on almost every continent. This means you can practice French almost everywhere you go. And you should: French belongs to the Romance language family, which means that for English speakers, the vocabulary will look pretty familiar. Linguists estimate that the two languages have more in common than any other members of that group, and that up to a third of all words in the English language were influenced by French.
3. Spanish
It’s heavily influenced by Latin and Arabic, spoken as it’s written and has fewer irregularities than other romance languages. It’s also estimated that by 2050, USA will become a bilingual state – English and Spanish. ¡Viva Los Estados Unidos!
4. Italian
Found in Italy, Switzerland, Malta, and Argentina, as well as 25 other countries, about 70 to 125 million people speak Italian worldwide. It has similar grammar to other Romance languages but fewer verb forms than French or Spanish. And you already have a headstart with spaghetti, pizza and Ferrari!
5. Swahili
Swahili is a Bantu language, heavily influenced by Arabic in particular, as well as English, French, German and Portuguese. It does not use verb conjugations, instead relying on roots and affixes to express verb tense and subjects. Over 140 million people speak it and it can be found throughout East Africa (particularly Tanzania and Kenya). After Arabic, Swahili is the most widely used language on the continent; it’s also considered to be a window to African culture.
Sure thing! Let's delve into each of the languages mentioned in the article and provide comprehensive information about them.
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English:
- Widely spoken worldwide, with approximately 360 million native speakers and around two billion people using it.
- English has a relatively straightforward grammar compared to many other languages. For instance, it lacks extensive gender or word agreement, and verb conjugations are relatively simple, primarily changing in the third person.
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French:
- Over 100 million native speakers and recognized as an official language in 28 countries across different continents.
- Falls under the Romance language family, sharing similarities with English. Linguists suggest that a significant portion of English vocabulary is derived from French, making it somewhat familiar for English speakers.
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Spanish:
- Influenced by Latin and Arabic, spoken as it's written, and has fewer irregularities compared to some other Romance languages.
- Predictions indicate that by 2050, the USA might transition into a bilingual state, primarily using English and Spanish.
-
Italian:
- Spoken in Italy, Switzerland, Malta, Argentina, and 25 other countries. Approximately 70 to 125 million people speak Italian globally.
- Grammar-wise, it aligns with other Romance languages but has a comparatively smaller number of verb forms than languages like French or Spanish.
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Swahili:
- A Bantu language heavily influenced by various other languages like Arabic, English, French, German, and Portuguese.
- Notable for its unique structure: it doesn’t rely on traditional verb conjugations but rather employs roots and affixes to convey tense and subjects.
- Spoken by over 140 million people, primarily in East Africa, particularly in Tanzania and Kenya. It holds significance as a gateway to understanding African culture and is widely used on the continent, following Arabic.
Each language carries its unique intricacies, benefits, and challenges. English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Swahili all offer distinct advantages for learners based on their linguistic backgrounds, geographical availability, and cultural connections. Learning any of these languages can provide a gateway to a diverse range of cultures and open up new opportunities for communication and understanding.
FAQs
Dutch and Spanish are probably the easiest languages for native English speakers to learn, but Dutch isn't particularly useful so Spanish would be your best bet. French and Portuguese are also up there in terms of usefulness and ease of learning.
What is the number 1 easiest language to learn? ›
And The Easiest Language To Learn Is…
- Swedish. ...
- Spanish. ...
- Dutch. ...
- Portuguese. ...
- Indonesian. ...
- Italian. Foreign Service Institute Estimate: 24 weeks (600 hours) ...
- French. Foreign Service Institute Estimate: 30 weeks (750 hours) ...
- Swahili. Foreign Service Institute Estimate: 24 weeks (600 hours)
Dutch and Spanish are probably the easiest languages for native English speakers to learn, but Dutch isn't particularly useful so Spanish would be your best bet. French and Portuguese are also up there in terms of usefulness and ease of learning.
What's the hardest language to learn? ›
1. Mandarin Chinese. Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. Mandarin Chinese is challenging for a number of reasons.
What is the easiest language to learn on duolingo? ›
18 of the Easiest Languages for English Speakers to Learn
- German. Hours of Learning: 900. ...
- Indonesian. Hours of Learning: 900. ...
- Malay. Hours of Learning: 900. ...
- Italian. Hours of Learning: 900. ...
- French. Hours of Learning: 750. ...
- Spanish. Hours of Learning: 750. ...
- Romanian. Hours of Learning: 600. ...
- Portuguese. Hours of Learning: 600.
We've used data from the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) to rank them from the easier to the somewhat more challenging.
- Frisian. ...
- Dutch. ...
- Norwegian. ...
- Spanish. ...
- Portuguese. ...
- Italian. ...
- French. ...
- Swedish.
The 3 hardest languages to learn include Mandarin, Arabic, and Russian. However, with the right strategies, overcoming these obstacles and succeeding in international markets is possible. One critical method is to invest in language training for yourself and your team.
What is the most useful language to learn after English? ›
The 7 Best Languages To Learn
- Spanish. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language after Mandarin, and not a surprise at the top of languages to learn. ...
- German. ...
- Arabic. ...
- Mandarin. ...
- Portuguese. ...
- Russian. ...
- French.
Dutch, Frisian, and German stand as the nearest kin to English, with Frisian holding the strongest resemblance. The syntax, lexicon, and phonetics of both Frisian and English demonstrate their shared lineage.
What is the hardest language to learn for non English speakers? ›
Swedish. When it comes to non-English speakers learning a new language, Swedish is one of the trickier languages to get to grips with. They often use extremely long, complex compound words such as “arbetsmarknadsdepartement” (department of employment) and have an additional three vowels (ӓ, ӧ and å) to learn.
7 most difficult English words that will let you forget what you wanted to say
- Rural. ...
- Sixth. ...
- Sesquipedalian. ...
- Phenomenon. ...
- Onomatopoeia. ...
- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. ...
- Worcestershire.
By the time a learner reaches the advanced level, they will have mastered all the grammar rules and a wide range of idioms to help them express themselves creatively in their written work. It usually takes around 1,200 hours to reach this level of fluency.
Which language is most spoken in the world? ›
What is the easiest language for American to learn? ›
3 of the Easiest Languages for English Speakers to Learn
Depending on your goals and interests, you may want to choose a second language to study based on how easy it is to learn. Dutch, Spanish, and French are the easiest languages to learn if your first language is English.
Is Rosetta Stone better than Duolingo? ›
The main difference between Rosetta Stone and Duolingo are that the lessons from Rosetta Stone are better for visual learners, whereas Duolingo's language platform is geared more towards beginners.
Is Duolingo alone enough to learn a language? ›
If you want to just learn basics of a language and dabble casually, Duolingo is completely fine on its own. If you're determined to master a language though, you should only use Duolingo to get you started and take an actual language program or practice with a native speaker to bring you the rest of the way.
What is the 10 easiest language to learn? ›
10 Easiest Languages for English Speakers to Learn
- Afrikaans. Like English, Afrikaans is in the West Germanic language family, once thought of as a Dutch dialect. ...
- French. Ah, the language of love. ...
- Spanish. ...
- Dutch. ...
- Norwegian. ...
- Portuguese. ...
- Swedish. ...
- Italian.
1. Chinese — 1.3 Billion Native Speakers. Numbers vary widely — Ethnologue puts the number of native speakers at 1.3 billion native speakers, roughly 900 million of whom speak Mandarin — but there's no doubt it's the most spoken language in the world.
What is the hardest language to learn 1 to 10? ›
Unbabel Translates the 10 Hardest Languages to Learn, So You Don't Have To
- Mandarin. Mandarin is spoken by 70% of the Chinese population, and is the most spoken language in the world. ...
- Arabic. ...
- 3. Japanese. ...
- Hungarian. ...
- Korean. ...
- Finnish. ...
- Basque. ...
- Navajo.
