Language insights

Discover the Easiest Language to Learn & Make Your Life Different

Mark Blackwood 02 Oct 2020
Discover the Easiest Language to Learn & Make Your Life Different

You might have already heard about the easiest languages to learn as you tried to look for new experiences or might have probably needed it for your new employment. Still, not many people know that it always depends on a native language or linguistic family that includes several branches. German or Dutch might be easier for English speakers. The same relates to most Slavic languages, which may sound challenging for any Western person and vice versa. No one will force you to choose a particular language but you may find the easiest language to learn from English and continue from there, knowing well why something is too difficult or way too easy! 

Still, as for mastering any linguistic tasks, there’s no perfect formula that might help in every situation. But living in a suitable environment that does not fit your linguistic group might be more beneficial than mastering something with a confusing textbook. Dedication, hard work, and motivation pay off. Minor differences in grammar and spelling usually appear even more challenging than starting with a totally new language like Japanese. As always, your mileage may vary as they say, when you seek that easiest language to learn in the world. Take it with a grain of salt and explore opportunities that appear during the process. 

What Makes a Language Easy to Learn?

Before we dive into the world of various languages and scenarios that would make things easier when studying, it’s good to understand what factors help overcome educational challenges and approach chosen options in most efficient way. 

Your native language

As the practice shows, your native linguistic background plays a major role in choosing what master next. For example, if your native background is Spanish, start with Portuguese or take a second look at Italian or French. A reason is that these choices are close to Spanish regarding their parental group, while French shares a bit of everything. 

Motivation

Choosing easiest foreign language to learn or hardest one may be great idea if you show enough motivation while studying and discover the social background and culture of a foreign land. Just believe in yourself because your readiness to work hard is the most important element of success.

Some other languages

If you already speak a foreign language, it’ll make it easier for you. If you’re a Dutch person who already speaks German, approaching English would be a perfect choice but even if you plan on learning some Greek or Latin, do not panic ever. 

Social background

Some people just find it easier to start with something foreign because they have parents or grandparents who are half-something. As a rule, it brings up a different mental state that helps when approaching certain grammar rules and pronunciation differently. 

Chance to live in foreign environment

If you have chance and may live in a country where foreign dialect is spoken, it’s great advantage since one can hear natives and proceed by listening! 

Time allocated for studies

Nothing will work without dedicating at least some time and patience as you study. Do not forget that it’s never a walk in the park even with the easiest language to learn but if you make the first step, also choose a fitting learning method and continue from there! 

What is The Easiest Language to Learn for English Speakers?

Anything belonging to West-Germanic branches like German, Dutch, or even Afrikaans is easier. Yes, this particular South African choice represents interesting mixture of Dutch spoken in the Netherlands and, which is not surprising, English. After mastering it, you can understand Dutch natives and might get a high-paid job in South Africa or any branches of the world’s top corporations that operate with the African continent. 

Looking for the easiest language, also try Danish, Norwegian, or Icelandic, which represents a great example of the Old Norse and lets you read the majority of the ancient Viking texts. However, if you are not interested in learning more about Icelandic Sagas, you might choose French or Spanish, which won’t be too hard. The trick is paying attention to similar-sounding words and focusing on how it sounds. 

What Are Easy Languages to Learn for Spanish Natives? 

In this particular case, things become a little bit different because Spanish relates to the Romance group where Latin is in the background. It also includes Italian, Portuguese, French, and, as its name implies, Romanian. Therefore, most native Spanish speakers often choose Catalonian, which represents an interesting mixture of Spanish and French. 

When looking for easiest languages to learn for Spanish speakers, the only exception is the Basques, which stands alone and represents an exception in linguistic terms. Catalan, however, maybe not your best choice since there are major phonetic and grammar differences. The presence of three additional vowels alone makes it almost unbearable. Finally, learning Italian would be an interesting choice if you do not mind trying something unusual and as emotional as Spanish. 

Read also: How to choose the best USCIS translation service with USCIS acceptance guarantee? 

Some Language Recommendations for Chinese Speakers

While most people in the Western part of our planet think that learning Chinese or Japanese might be way too hard, let us approach this issue differently and find out which is the easiest language to learn for those who come from China. Not surprisingly, Japanese and Korean come close because there was historic exchange in terms of vocabulary and expressions that have eventually found their place in this group. Since approach of Chinese people differs, it would be sufficient to assume that learning any dialect would be seen as different task. If one would take Vietnamese as an example, there would still be certain learning differences and challenges because of tonal specifics. Now when an average Chinese person would start learning Dutch or German, there would be not much difference since it depends on course material or time dedicated to learning. 

Now Arabic would be the hardest choice for any person from the Asian countries because of its different tonality and linguistic background. The most challenging option that comes next is English, which is more of a mental issue. When researching what are the easiest languages to learn for Chinese people, some even name various types of Mandarin like Gan or Wu, which are not even considered as dialects by professional linguists and are not mutually-intelligible. It only proves that those choices that are always heard locally are not that easy to master because they pose a difference to what one hears and uses daily. It explains why choosing something bizarre often appears easier, which is, once again, a mental issue.

Read also: Fast and accurate Arabic document translation services from professional linguists.

What Are Some Other Languages That Are Easy? 

  • Dutch

Unless you are ready to choose Frisian, Dutch is considered as one of the easiest choices to learn for most Europeans. It is only natural that Dutch is still used as the maritime navigation standard, which is why we encounter Dutch words when dealing with sailing and traveling. A reason why Dutch is often approached as the easiest language in the world is that it is closely related to Indo-European family, especially Germanic group.

Read also: Pick a Dutch translation service to get a translation of your documents quickly and correctly.

  • Spanish

If you do not plan to deal with pronunciation issues and want to communicate without effort, consider Spanish as an option that may make it easier to speak. Writing correctly is another learning matter though. Just do not let it worry you as you learn and listen. 

  • Japanese

We know that it might come as a surprise for most people but learning it must be approached as a way of learning more about the country's culture and starting thinking differently. It is also great choice for those who like to challenge themselves and try new things. After all, easier does not mean close to what you know well. Just take Icelandic school children that find seemingly close Danish as true menace as they learn it, thinking about which language is the easiest to learn. Coming back to Japanese, it is enough to tell that it gets “bad press” but Japanese pronunciation is not that hard. 

  • English

Since it might be literally everywhere and you get tons of great learning materials, it is hard not to mention some benefits that make it much easier than trying to learn Welsh or Greek. 

Read also: Get accurate Czech translation services from Czech language experts.

Language Learning Essentials

The most important part of learning anything foreign is choosing a fitting method that’ll work for your time and resources. Some languages (like tonal Chinese) require listening to an existing audio or video material before starting with grammar. Likewise, Spanish is a language with a different speed, which is why it is crucial to adapt before learning how to read or find out about these odd Spanish tenses. After in, asking what’s the easiest language to learn means that a person is planning to achieve something fast and without much effort! Start listening as you flip through the textbook! It may be simple children’s shows that you are familiar with or even world-famous movies with subtitles that you read while hearing the language and catching up with a translation. 

Do not forget about language learning apps with flashcards and interactive elements that can be a good way to start and test the waters as you make your foreign language choice. There is no need to hurry because you can start with two languages at once and see what works best for you! Still, communication with native speaker is essential, if possible, and seeking someone who could correct your mistakes and tell you what is not right. Of course, it’ll never substitute professional teacher but gives good start and feel of the language! Most importantly, such an approach takes away any fears and proves that learning different language is, firstly, a way of communication and discovering something new.

Read also: How to avoid misunderstandings with the help of the best translation services online?

What Language Should I Learn As a College Student? 

It all depends on your personal preference, linguistic background, and university major. If you are an Engineering student, Dutch would be good choice. If you plan studying Healthcare and Nursing, learning French is crucial because most medical organizations implement French as the language of choice. As for IT specialists, the choices are endless but learning Chinese would help with different financial and marketing operations and outsourcing in Asian countries. It is good to base one’s language choices upon professional interests or career plans. Research possible employment choices at the world’s top companies or think about studying abroad where even the basic language knowledge will be of great assistance. 

Useful information: If you need a proper engineering translation for your company then use our engineering translation services.

Nevertheless, it does not mean that you cannot choose some language that you feel passionate about because motivation and love for particular country might do wonders and help you out with the most complex grammar. So when you ask which language should I learn, the answer should be the one that inspires you and makes you feel better. Even if you find it difficult, you do not have to stop by learning one language. After all, knowing at least one is key to many doors and way to discover another part of the world. 

 

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