Which language is easiest for an English speaker to learn: Arabic Therefore, from a linguistic perspective, Norwegian and English have quite a lot in common. Finnish is an interesting language to feature on this list because most people may assume that it would belong to the Indo-European family. In fact, Italian vocabulary is widely used in English, and youre probably already familiar with more Italian words than you may realise, from those relating to food, such as gelato and panini to others like diva, solo, finale or fiasco.. So if youre curious about the easiest languages to learn, Ive got 10 great suggestions to help you out. Daily practices will help you to form your language learning into a habit. Table of Contents 7 Easiest Languages To Learn 1. Afrikaans - the easiest language to learn for both English and Dutch speakers Afrikaans, the same as English, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, is a Germanic language. Swedish 5. The Greek victory inspired various revolts staged by Greek cities under Persian control, and while the Persian army was still recovering, the Empire lost much of its Baltic holdings, including Macedonia as a whole. Of course, as with any language, there will be lots of new vocabulary to learn, but if you need to spend any amount of time in Southeast Asia, its an excellent second language to have under your belt., Swahili is a Bantu language and another very useful second language to have, as its widely used in East Africa, including in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. As one of the intonational languages of the world, Persian vocabulary changes meaning depending on the rise and fall of your voice. You already know more than youre aware of in terms of vocabulary too. Likewise, some words get added onto names as a term of endearment, respect, or politeness. That's mostly because it's a Germanic language - just like English. Spanish also uses the same alphabet as English, and many of the words are pronounced just as they are spelled., Another benefit of Spanish for English speakers is that the sentence structure is not only similar to English, but its also not as strict as it is in English, which means there are often multiple ways a sentence can be put together.. You may come across a challenge or two, like mastering Portuguese pronunciation and nasal sounds. The main reason for this is because of the use of the Cyrillic script. This location of spoken Persian in Iran is where another term is used for the language. What are the easiest languages to learn for Hebrew speakers? And with the right resources, you can learn these easy languages even faster. Many popular world languages have very different grammatical structures to English. Name: Easiest Languages To Learn For English Speakers, According To Experts: Top 10 Being able to speak another language can actually. I have read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, Online English self-study + private lessons, Online Spanish self-study + private lessons, 15 of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers - ranked. To do so, its time to journey back in time to the roots of many countries in the Middle East Persia itself, and the Persian Empire. In terms of vocabulary, youll learn new Swedish words very quickly. This Scandinavian language is grammatically easy and has only nine verb forms, including the passive, which is familiar to English speakers.It has a lot of Germanic-based vocabulary and unique speaking patterns, which are quick and soft. And that will make your learning process a whole lot easier. Of these, Spanish and Italian are the easiest for native English speakers to learn, followed by Portuguese and finally French. What is the easiest language to learn for French speakers? Learning Mandarin Persian language will help you in learning Traditional Persian Language in an effective way. Similar in many ways to Norwegian, Swedish is yet another Germanic language that is a little simpler for native English speakers to learn. Or, easier than other languages, to be more precise. Secondly, Indonesian is a phonetic language, so most words are pronounced the same way theyre spelled. Its one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with around 534 million speakers scattered all around the globe. Some people even think it is one of the sexiest languages in the world. We are no longer in Scandinavia, but a little further south in the Netherlands. The rhythm of Italian when you are in a conversation also makes it a little easier to grasp for beginners. Learn about the best language resources that I've personally test-driven. Afrikaans is the native language of South Africa and is widely spoken all over the country. It is thought that the language may begin to rise in popularity, though, since it is featured on the popular language immersion app, Duolingo. Afrikaans is a beautiful language that is surprisingly easy to learn for native English speakers. In addition, Swahili, Farsi (Persian), Pashto and Kurdish are languages that an Arabic speaker can get the hang of without much effort. Like Welsh, Gaelic is another language that comes from Britain and so is very close geographically to England. Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn, so it's logical why it is the second-largest language worldwide.. Tigrinya. Chinese is a very difficult language to learn (whether Mandarin or Cantonese) due to the use of tone and of course the unfamiliar script. And the same goes for Italian grammar. Some writing systems require writing from right to left, as opposed to the left to right method that Germanic languages (English, German, etc.) Although the lack of grammar rules might sound appealing, it can be a bit confusing, but its not hard to get used to. The following are some of. However, this pattern repeats itself in all writing and speaking, so once you get used to it, it becomes fairly simple! It has Dutch at its core but it is also intertwined with other dialects and indigenous languages from Africa. In fact, Dutch sounds a bit like a mix of English and German. Along the same line, LingQ is another great option, as well as Luvlingua for Farsi lessons. Nevertheless, with lots of practice and a desire to learn, it is more than achievable. they frolicked in a field on a warm summers day) comes from the Dutch word vrolijk which means happy and cheerful. Some of the easiest languages for Americans to learn include Spanish, French, and Italian. And if you want vocabulary courses that helps you learn Farsi words, Memrises courses are helpful. Top 8 is spanish hard to learn for english speakers 2022 Before delving any deeper into this fascinating language, its important to talk about the difference between Persian and Farsi, as we will be encountering both words as we continue. They share many words with English, but it's that common vocabulary . Easiest Languages To Learn For English Speakers, According To Experts Although the pronunciation may take some time to master, Swedish grammar rules and sentence structure are not overly complicated., There are, of course, a few trickier aspects to learning this Scandinavian language, such as getting used to its three extra vowels. In fact, you probably already know how to order so much more. What could be easier? Learning a language is a lifelong skill and you will be learning it forever but guess what? On one hand, its not an overly complicated language to learn, as the pronunciation isnt difficult, and much of its vocabulary is borrowed from other languages, including English, Spanish and Malay. Spanish pronunciation is another advantage. For all its challenges, though, it is a worthwhile language to learn with some interesting conventions. However, whilst it is very close to England, that does not mean the languages are similar. (Good choice! For scheduling 1-on-1 conversation sessions with native Persian speakers, you absolutely should have an italki account. . Some languages do not use the alphabet as we know it. Here are nine of the easiest languages to learn for Spanish speakers: 1. This is one of the reasons why Persian speakers sound so melodic when pronouncing words aloud. If the writer wants to focus on a particular market, then a language spoken in that market is a better choice. Instead, think of it more as a head start if you decide to pick up the other one. We love hearing from our readers. This is partly because Swedish and English are Germanic languages, so they have similar sentence structures and even some shared vocabulary. Thanks to the similarities to the English language, you already know quite a lot. Many people are put off learning new languages that require a different alphabet, such as Greek or Arabic. Practice little but often and you will likely find that things stick in your head much faster and more easily. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. But yes, Swahili is also categorized as a less demanding language to learn. In fact, everything from the pronunciation to the vocabulary may vary, depending on which type of Portuguese you are learning. For this reason, it is considered a macro language because its reach is vast and extensive. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Cognates are when a similar-sounding word has an identical meaning. This makes it a very unique language to write, speak and hear. 5 Easiest Languages To Learn For Arabic Speakers - Justlearn Many Japanese language apps teach users the various fascinating aspects of Japanese culture whilst also teaching the Japanese language. That is what makes it so wonderful. For example, if you are learning Korean, find yourself some Korean movies or TV shows to watch. Swedish grammar is another advantage. The Finnish language often uses just one word to say a whole sentence, which can be confusing for those used to the complex sentences of the English language. Some words are identical in Dutch and English water, lamp, warm, just to name a few. Get my exclusive language learning content delivered straight to your inbox. However, if you are looking for a modest challenge then Swahili is a great language choice for you. Danish 3. In addition, there are many English words in French vocabulary . The stress placed upon words and sounds is also important. . For instance, Good morning, translates to Goeie moarn in the West Frisian dialect., Unfortunately, since Frisian is only spoken and understood by about 500,000 people, theres little reason to learn it, unless you intend to relocate to the Dutch province of Friesland or Germanys Saterland or North Frisia regions., Dutch, like Frisian, is closely related to English. If the grammar structure of the language you are learning is similar to your native language, it will undoubtedly be easier for you than if it were not. The only verb ending that needs to be used is -r!). There are a number of different dialects of Georgian, depending on where you are speaking it, but the most common is the one spoken in Georgia itself. Welsh is a reasonably difficult language to get to grips with for native English speakers, even those English speakers who have lived in Wales for their whole life! Don't worry, we've got you covered with our top 15 hardest languages to learn for English speakers. The German language is thought to take slightly longer to learn than this. Less than 22 percent of the U.S. population speaks a language other than . One of the best ways that you can learn a language is to fully immerse yourself in all aspects of it, including different types of media in that particular language. Italian 3. Nevertheless, learning a new language takes time. Although there are differences when it comes to pronunciation, vocabulary and idioms, Dutch speakers can quite easily understand Flemish, and vice-versa., Dutch is spoken by around 24 million people worldwide, and is worth learning if you have plans to live and work in the Netherlands, or one of the other countries where its an official language, such as Suriname, Aruba or the Dutch Antilles., Like English, Norwegian or Norsk is a Germanic language, which makes it easier for English-speakers to learn. But compared to the languages with different writing systems and strange grammar concepts, learning basic Swedish is a piece of cake. We find evidence of this languages changes in many inscriptions as it changed throughout three primary eras: Old, Middle, and New, between 525 BC and modern times. First of all, Indonesian is one of the few Asian languages that use the Latin alphabet. Italian: Italian is the easiest language for Spanish speakers to learn. Physical and cultural differences, Youll find all of this straight after the list! This makes learning new vocabulary much easier because the letters are ones that you are already familiar with and you can figure out how to pronounce something with relative ease. The Best Language For A Writer To Learn - ilovelanguages.com For instance, to change a singular word to plural, all you have to do is repeat the word or add an extra one. The main reason why English speakers find it quite easy to learn is the large number of cognates. Some of them are members of the Germanic family of languages so they share quite a bit of vocab with English. This was the empire of Cyrus the Great, of Darius and Xerxes, and of the elite forces who fought the 300 Spartans within the pass of Thermopylae during the Greco-Persian Wars. If you prefer the feeling of a book in your hands while learning a language, you are not alone. "Italian and Portuguese are equally easy for Spanish speakers. can take anywhere. 120 words, extremely simple grammar. You wont have to spend a lot of time developing reading skills. In terms of learning hours, it is thought that it takes you around 575 to 600 hours to learn Spanish to an intermediate level (this is more than enough to converse fluently in the language). Once again, similarities in vocabulary make things a whole lot easier. This is just one of many cognates that the two languages share. These two words look almost identical, but notice the very small differences of the and the . From online lessons to books, here is a full discussion of where to look for help when you want to learn this new language. Check out our article on the best way to learn a new language here. Compared to Korean and Japanese, grammar is much easier to learn, mostly because their writing systems make learning challenging. Norwegian grammar is generally pretty straightforward, so it wont take you long to take a hang of it. In their Latin script, they also include an additional nine letters, which look a lot like letters you are familiar with, but still require memorization and learning in order to fully understand and use them. Cudoo also offers 3 levels of Farsi (at $12.99 each) which is a helpful starting point. Of course, you also have the masses of Italian words that the English language has borrowed, such as pizza, pizzeria, stiletto, umbrella, and even words like dilemma and ditto! Ethiopians also speak the Tigrinya language; however, most are from the Tigray area (specifically in Eritrea). Regardless of what you choose, youre probably going to have a smooth learning process without too many difficulties. The word order, syntax, and structure of Portuguese when writing and speaking are similar to English and other Romance languages. The Romanian language is a beautiful amalgamation of Russian sounds and Italian sounds, resembling each of them in different ways. After Xerxes assassination in 465 BC, the litany of the last Achaemenid kings made strides in Persias cultural phase. Feel free to get in touch about anything. This has meant that Italian culture and the language have stayed very much alive in these places. By the way, why not check out our list of the best apps to learn French? Sure, they will likely be dubbed, but it will be extremely beneficial as you will already know what is going on and you will have a chance to hear the language in a familiar setting. . For example, tonal languages can be difficult for someone who has no prior experience of tonal languages (for example, most of us English speakers). Benefits of Learning Persian & Farsi | Lead with Languages The letters can be learned and memorized, as can pronunciations, but the tone can take a little while for native English speakers to get right, especially if you have no native Mandarin speakers around to hear your tone and correct you if needed. Amharic Amharic is the first language of Amharas, an ethnic group from the Highlands of Ethiopia. Also, waffle, those delicious breakfast-dessert foods, comes from the Dutch wafel. However, something that may soothe the pain of all these complex grammar rules is the fact that in Hungarian there are only three verb tenses to learn: the past, the present, and the future. You need to find a good teacher or quality online language lessons. On the bright side, it is phonetic, which means it is spelled how it is said and vice-versa. We approve.) Portuguese 4. Language types and writing systems It is known as the "daughter language" to Dutch (it shares 90 to 95% of its vocabulary with the language. Members of this language family tend to have complicated grammatical rules and more than double the amount of vowels that the English language uses. Italian 7. Portuguese is spoken by around 234 million people around the world. Though it might seem like a complex and daunting language to delve into, particularly with the different alphabet that it uses and the right-to-left reading and writing method employed, if you take some time, it can be a rewarding and surprisingly simple process! So if you're curious about the easiest languages to learn, I've got 10 great suggestions to help you out. However, for someone who has a tonal native language such as Thai, they may find it easier to learn other tonal languages an example of this is Vietnamese. There are some challenging aspects of learning French though. It shares many similarities with English, especially when it comes to vocabulary. With Tagalog spoken as a native language by around 45 million people, learning it or at least some of the basics, will make your stay in the Philippines a lot easier., So there you have it, the 15 easiest languages for English speakers to learn. Swahili does share some cognates with the English language such as gereji which means garage and friji which means fridge. Learning a language becomes fun and easy when you learn with movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talks. If you are learning Spanish, get some Spanish music on or tune into a Spanish soap opera. These grammatical constructs are often difficult to grasp for many languages but the simplicity of Norwegian grammar makes it a little easier. If you enjoy learning the language, it will be "easy." The language sounds like musica. For lessons based on Persian script and how to write the Perso-Arabic alphabet, Learn Persian Alphabets by Drawing is a great app for all ages, and it is free. Nowadays, Latin script is used, which is why native English speakers find it a little easier. This is because there may be similar cognates and some loan words that you will recognize. The Persian language uses the Arabic script, something that native English speakers are unfamiliar with. Just like Norwegian, Swedish, and English, Dutch is a Germanic language. Finally, its time to take a brief look at the complexities of the Persian language and what makes it work, in terms of grammar, syntax, and pronunciation. It will take you a little longer to understand the Italian spelling system, but its actually very consistent. Other languages may have unique and new sounds, compared with the sounds you know from your own language and alphabet. "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.". Indonesian. If you want to learn Persian online, there are many great options available to you right at your fingertips. We also participate in other affiliate advertising programs for products and services we believe in. Although it doesn't seem so at first, Norwegian is one of the easiest languages for English native speakers. You probably have so many Spanish words in your ear. From this period, we primarily have the remains of religious Pahlavi or Zarathushti texts that described Persias new religion, Zoroastrianism. Verb conjugations are logical, for example. The EasyPersian site offers lessons based on the alphabet and script. Although this may come as a surprise, learning Indonesian is considered relatively easy for English speakers. Italian is yet another beautiful language, much like Portuguese and the other Romance languages. But since Norwegian and English have a lot of similarities, if you decide to take Norwegian lessons, you shouldnt come across too many obstacles. Top 5 Easiest Languages to Learn for Chinese Speakers Dutch is practically Englishs first cousin. The Easiest Languages to Learn for English Speakers It's spoken in South Africa, Namibia, and a few other countries. Here, the native name of the language is known as Farsi. Its spoken in Brazil and Portuguese, and although there are differences between the two, you can still get around in every Portuguese-speaking country. It is similar in many ways to other languages that native English speakers find easier to learn, such as Spanish and French. 2023 Enux Education Limited. Furthermore, Portuguese and English have a lot of shared words. Continue with Recommended Cookies. In comparison, a language that is not in your language family may be more difficult to get to grips with. Its also gaining global popularity, and more and more people are looking for online Swahili lessons. Founder of Linguatics. Persian is the easiest, and there is little dialectal difference compared to Arabic where each type is basically its own language, though as always in language learning, personal interest trumps everything else. Read up on the cultures associated with the languages to see which sound most fun to learn about. That being said, perhaps that is a good thing. Although Frisia no longer exists, Frisian, which actually consists of three main dialects, is still in use in parts of the Netherlands and Germany., English and Frisian share many similarities in terms of sentence structure and vocabulary. Danish is mostly spoken in Denmark, although its also a protected minority language in Germany. Although every foreign language comes with its own unique set of challenges, the reality is that some languages will simply be easier for fluent English speakers to become proficient in. Some shared cognates include katt which of course means cat, busk which means bush, and our personal favorite (because it is so simple but looks so much more pleasing to the eye than our boring spelling) sn which means snow. For example, everyday German words like Wasser, (water) Apfel, (apple) and Fisch (fish) are very similar to their English equivalents. The multi-state system set up by Cyrus continued, including tax districts, infrastructure, communications, and transportation, all important to sustain such a massive expanse. With its roots in Old Norse, it can be a fascinating language to study, and fluency in Norwegian will give you greater access to the countrys rich literary culture and mythology., Although Spanish is a Romance language rather than a Germanic language, its fairly easy for English speakers to learn because many English words stem from Latin. Yes, I would like to be contacted about special events, newsletters and program information. Resources for learning Spanish are also very easy to come by, since it is so widely spoken all over the world. 10 Hardest Languages to Learn for English Speakers. Learn more at www.rosettastone.com and start your first lesson today! Thats why Norwegian words like morgen, glass, and papir sound so familiar. This selection may also come as a surprise, but Indonesian has several qualities that make it a logical choice for English speakers. The Norwegian sentence can be translated word for word in the exact order as it would be said in English. On the other hand, the sentence structure and verb focus of Tagalog is quite different to that of English, which makes it the most challenging language on this list. You may think, how will that be similar to English, its on a different continent altogether? but actually, Afrikaans is derived from none other than the Dutch language, and we all know how similar Dutch is to English. This language was invented by a few linguists who were also great global citizens. That is, Farsi is Persian, particularly the type that is spoken within Iran and parts of Afghanistan, and the term Farsi is not used for dialects in other countries of the Middle East. Under Xerxes, Persia took over large parts of Northern and Central Greece in the 480s BC, and the Empire was only shaken by the conquest of Alexander the Great by 330 BC. Language vs Dialect: Whats the Difference? Learn Persian Language on the App Store For example, the word frolic meaning to play and move around cheerfully (e.g. easiest languages to learn for persian speakers It is something you can keep on developing over time and once you have learned a second language, you will have an appetite for learning more, which will become even easier when you have more languages under your belt! There are dialects of French even here in the States and of course, in Canada. The 5 Hardest Languages to Learn For Spanish Speakers (or Not?) These things will help you to stay focused and will motivate you to keep going, even when there are days where the learning is less enjoyable. More tutorials, interactive lessons, and activities are found via ANU Persian Online, an official portal with many educational options. Hungarian is a language with a reputation for being notoriously difficult to learn. However, when you have that down, the rest will come relatively easily, especially since there are so few of them (No, really! And whether you find a certain language difficult or not also depends on your previous experience. And with the Sasanians, a new Persian dynasty emerging after 200 AD, Modern Persian was able to form. Norwegian 4. Korean has a reputation for being notoriously difficult for a native English speaker to learn. Get 70% off + 10 languages + 14 day free trial. Though Persia does not exist as a nation today, per-say, it does live on in the Middle Eastern countries that were created because of it. For example, a high pitch means new information, a low pitch provides old information, low to high is used for contrast, and varying low and high tones brings doubt.