If you have some time on your hands during the pandemic, you should consider taking up one of the 12 easiest second languages to learn for English speakers. While for centuries, knowing one language has generally been sufficient, today, post globalization, being able to speak just one tongue is no longer enough.
As someone who has grown up in Pakistan, I have been speaking two languages ever since I was a child. In my country, English is a mandatory language for multiple reasons. While the British may have left over 70 years ago, their impact still remains in the country, while learning English is also a prerequisite for anyone who wants to perhaps move abroad in search of better education and jobs. When your native language is only common in perhaps two countries in the entire world, learning a second language is a must for any chance of success.
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As an avid traveler, English has aided me significantly in being able to converse with people of various nationalities and ethnicities. And this should come as no surprise, as English is the most widely spoken language in the entire world. This may lead to people whose native language is English wondering why they are being expected to learn another language. Well, there are still dozens of countries out there where English is not a common language, and the majority of people do not speak it. If you know another global language, such as perhaps French or Spanish, you will have a much easier time communicating with people across the world, as speaking the local language leads to quicker acceptance.
And if that’s not enough, being able to speak a second language enhances both your memory as well as listening skills, and helps keep your mind sharp even in old age. In an age where many major countries are essentially melting pots, learning a second language will surely help. This is why many people in Europe also speak second languages, more of which can be learnt about in the 6 most common second languages in Europe.
While learning a second language is highly recommended when one is a child, due to a child being able to master multiple languages fluently, there is no reason why you cannot do the same in adulthood. Nowadays, there are a myriad options to learn a second language, including apps and websites which have millions of users such as Duolingo, Babbel and Rosetta Stone (NYSE:RST). While some of these apps are free, others require a paid subscription and have been credited with helping millions around the globe learn new languages.
It is also pertinent to mention here that there will soon be a time when learning new languages will become a hobby for some, rather than a necessity. And funnily enough, this time might be just around the corner. As technology advances, products are being developed and launched which can translate different languages in real time. Google is just one of the companies pioneering this research and as our understanding of how to develop such product grows, you can be certain that these products will eliminate the need of spending hundreds, if not thousands, of hours learning various languages.
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To determine our list, we have relied initially on the Foreign Service Institute’s recommendation of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers, based on the number of hours that you need to invest for each language. Where the languages have a similar number of hours, we have referred to other websites such as Babbel and CNN, to rank the languages. If you want to compare our list to an older version of the same, you should take a look at our 12 easiest new languages to learn for English speakers article. So let’s take a look at the languages that you should consider picking up as a native English speaker, starting with number 12:
12. Indonesian
While it’s not the easiest language to learn for English speakers, 900 dedicated hours will enable to gain some level of proficiency.
Pixabay/Public Domain
11. German
According to the Foreign Service Institute, German is the only language which an English speaker can master after dedicating around 750 words. The German for matchbox is Streichholzschachtel, so you can image this won’t be a walk in the park.
Pixabay/Public Domain
10. Romanian
While it may not be a very common language outside of Romania, mainly being spoken in Moldova and parts of Serbia, one of the reasons for learning Romanian is the fact that many Romanian language films have been critically appreciated.
Pixabay/Public Domain
9. Danish
6 million people globally speak Danish, and is derived from East Norse. If you learn one of the Nordic languages, you will find it easier to learn the others as well as they are all quite similar and open up the wonderful world of Scandinavia to you.
Pixabay/Public Domain
8. Swedish
As I mentioned, the Nordic languages are quite similar and Swedish, like Danish, is derived from East Norse as well.
Pixabay/Public Domain
7. Norwegian
I find it hard to believe that there could be a country more beautiful than Norway, and to be able to truly explore the country, learning Norwegian would be quite handy.
Pixabay/Public Domain
6. Dutch
Dutch is one of the most popular languages in Europe outside of the main languages (Spanish, French, Italian and German) and boasts 22 million speakers, with 5 million speaking it as a second language. If you speak English and have learnt some German as well, you should be able to learn Dutch fairly quickly as both of the languages form a great stepping stone for learning Dutch.
Pixabay/Public Domain
5. Afrikaans
Afrikaans has been derived from the Dutch language and is spoken widely in South Africa. Since its derived from Dutch, it makes sense that their rankings would be similar on the list of easiest second languages to learn for English speakers.
Pixabay/Public Domain
4. French
Learning French won’t just help in France, where the people are particularly disdainful towards tourists who don’t bother to learn at least the basics in French, but is also popular in Belgium, Monaco, Luxembourg and Switzerland as a native language.
Pixabay/Public Domain
3. Portuguese
You may thing that it is only spoken in Portugal but Portuguese is actually the sixth most spoken language globally with over 240 million speakers. Thus, learning the language has the potential to open around 240 million doors.
Pixabay/Public Domain
2. Italian
If you’ve read the book ‘The Broker’ by John Grisham, you’ll have realized like I did that Italian actually seems to be quite similar to English and hence, will be an easy second language to learn, not to mention the vast benefits of knowing Italian such as appreciating some of the finest artists in history.
Pixabay/Public Domain
1. Spanish
Topping the list of the 12 easiest languages to learn for English speakers is of course, Spanish. After Chinese and English, it is the most spoken language in the world with over 400 million speakers. Since both languages use the Roman alphabet, the common ground has already been built. Further, a vast number of words in English have an associated word in Spanish, thereby making it much easier to learn.
Pixabay/Public Domain
Disclosure: None. Easiest Second Languages to Learn for English Speakers is originally published at Insider Monkey.
