Learning Languages easily: Top Languages to Learn
It is important to know how many speakers there are of a language before you decide to learn it. Usually, people choose to learn languages spoken by a large number of people. There’s no doubt that learning a second or third language comes with its own benefits. Bilingualism improves memory, self-control and decision making. It’s important to look at your interests, travel plans or opportunities, education, and career goals while choosing a language to learn. There are many good reasons why you should learn a new language.
Spanish always ranks high on the lists, and for lovely reasons. It is the official language of over 20 countries and the unofficial second language of the United States, where about 13% of the population speaks Spanish at home. It is the third most used language on the internet after English and Chinese. It is also the world’s most widely spoken Romance language, sometimes referred to as the Latin languages because they evolved from Late Latin.
French is known as the language of love, meaning it’s related to Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian. Learning French could also help make it easy to learn these other languages. It is the world’s second-most widely learned foreign language after English. Including France and Canada, French is the official language of 29 countries like Senegal, Switzerland, Rwanda, Togo, Belgium, Benin, Canada and so on.
Korean is the 18th most popular language globally. Korea continues to have heavy political and cultural influence worldwide, the language will only grow in importance. The logical approach to written Korean makes the language one of the easiest to learn to write. This is because of its easy-to-learn writing system (Hangul); the Korean Alphabet which is made up of only 24 letters. Beyond the cultural importance of K-pop and its other entertainment, some of the largest companies in the world are based in South Korea. A basic understanding of the language will undoubtedly come in handy for those looking to improve their value in the workplace or potentially find a job overseas.
Mandarin Chinese is the third most studied language in the world. It is consistently ranked as the most in demand languages by employers. China is expected to become the world’s biggest economy by 2032. In other words, you can’t go wrong with Mandarin if you’re still thinking about which foreign language to learn. To show you its usefulness as a language, it is one of the six official languages of the U.N. Mandarin Chinese was listed by American Express as one of the most important languages for business.
It is evident that English is the most popular language to learn in 116 out of 194 countries around the world. It is the most commonly studied language in Europe, by 96% of students. After English, the next most popular languages are French (15%), German (11%), Spanish (9%), and Russian (2%).
Geography plays a significant role in determining the most studied language in countries within the EU. Since English is one of the world’s most widely spoken languages, it facilitates global communication even in countries where English isn’t the official language. Many international organisations and companies use English as the language of choice when conducting business, this is why English speakers have a higher chance in many employment situations.
German is the fourth most used language online and is the world’s third most significant contributor to research and development. Therefore, knowing German can be essential to succeeding in these fields globally. It’s a funny language to learn, with endings tacked on to words to give them certain meanings. But it is also surprisingly an easier language to learn compared to some others.
Learning Russian has a lot of benefits and advantages. Russian is the eighth most common language in the world. It is also one of the official languages of the U.N.
Because of Soviet influence in the region, Russian is common throughout Eastern Europe, the Baltic states, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. This makes Russian a particularly useful language for anyone interested in a huge span of Europe and Asia.
American Express includes Russian on the list of essential languages for business. Plus, Russia has the world’s ninth largest economy. It is also important to know that Russian is one of the most difficult languages to learn. The grammar rules are complex and there are a number of elements to learn.
Arabic is spoken by over 274 million people, making it the 6th most widely spoken language in the world. There are plenty of places where your Arabic skills will come in handy and Arabic skills are in hot demand. The US State Dept identified Arabic as a “critical language” for national security because of the US security interests and its strategic business in the Arabian world. Arabic speakers are likely to find work in the government sector, also in international NGOs, journalism and more.
Arabic is widely spoken in many of the world’s wealthiest nations, speakers can also find work in science, engineering, business, architecture and more.
In spite of Japanese being with an unclear history, it is among the most important languages of the world. It is one of the most widely spoken languages, although its origin to it is quite unknown. For example, it mainly adopts “hiragana” and “katakana”. “Hiragana” means the native, simple Japanese words or alphabets while “katakana” means loan words or foreign words in Japanese. Japanese has about 40% of its characters adopted from Chinese languages. Other than in Japan, you will find Japanese-speaking persons in the US, Brazil, and the Philippines.
Tips to learn a language fast
1. Set goals for what you want to achieve. There are many words to learn and there are many different ways to study. It is important to set short-term and achievable goals.
2. Visualise and vocalise; watch movies in the language. Listen to music in the language, Read Books in the language, Learn about the culture, immerse yourself in it. Travel to a city where the language is spoken, it helps!
3. Get a language speaking buddy; remember practice makes perfect!
