Many who decide how to learn a language and are faced with a choice - a foreign language school or independent studies are wondering what the top easiest languages in the world to learn look like? Similar questions are asked by many ordinary people and specialists, both those who are planning to take up learning a language and professional linguists.
In this article we will discuss a number of characteristics that usually determine how easy a particular language is to learn. It is worth noting right away that the most important thing in the process of learning a foreign language is the motivation of the learner and the fact whether you like speaking this new language for you. These factors determine which languages are the easiest for you. Spanish, French, Esperanto or... Chinese. If you take up learning a language that is deeply uninteresting to you, then learning it may seem difficult and tedious to you, even if in fact it is not. Learning a foreign language, like everything else in learning, should include interest and pleasure, otherwise there will be little use. Of course, you can find additional factors that will make learning a non-native language easier for you. Read the material below, and then decide for yourself which languages are the easiest for you. 
According to the State Department, the easiest languages for residents of English-speaking countries are those that require approximately six hundred hours of classroom instruction (we mean more or less proficiency in the language). Specifically, these are the languages of the Germanic and Latin language groups. However, the German language itself requires more time, about seven hundred and fifty hours: the grammar of the German language is very complex. 
English
The English language is considered quite simple: it has no cases, word agreement, or genders. English grammar is also quite simple. English is also widely spoken and spoken almost everywhere. Words in English are short, verbs are inflected exclusively for the third person. Native speakers of this language are quite calm about the language mistakes of foreigners, since the number of people learning English as a second language is very large. Thanks to all this, English is one of the easiest languages in the world to learn.
It is estimated that there are about 60 English-speaking countries in the world, i.e. Without knowledge of English today it is difficult to get a job, so it is gaining enormous popularity in preschool institutions. The main English-speaking countries today are the UK, the USA, Canada (without Quebec), Australia and New Zealand. English is also one of the two official languages of India, and in addition it is spoken in most southern island states and African countries. 
French
French is not difficult either. Many French words are similar to English words. French is widely spoken throughout the world. It is not difficult to find opportunities to learn and speak French. Considering these factors, it can be argued that French is also one of the languages that are easy to learn.
People who learn French are called francophones. There are 18 countries in the world where French is spoken. The main French-speaking countries are France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada (Quebec). In 14 African countries this language is the only one or one of two official languages. 
Italian
The Italian language is also simple, it has no cases, its pronunciation is quite simple, the vocabulary has roots in the Latin language, in other words, it will be familiar and close to those people who speak one of the languages of the Indo-European group.
Learning Italian will be useful for those who at least know or have studied Latin, one of the two official languages in the Vatican City State. Italian is the language of music. True, the Italophone world is not very large in its area: the language is widespread only in Europe and only in four countries: Italy, Vatican City, San Marino and Switzerland. Small Italian-speaking minorities outside Europe live in Argentina (Oriundi). 
Spanish
The easiest language for a foreigner to learn is Spanish. Its vocabulary is similar to English, the spelling is very simple (the way it is written is the same way it is heard). Spanish is similar to Italian and is quite widely used. It has very simple grammar and pronunciation. Spanish ranks 3rd-4th in terms of prevalence, number of speakers and its use in speech after English, Chinese and Hindi; It is spoken by about 0.5 billion people, most of whom live overseas. The record holder for the number of Spanish speakers is not Spain, but Mexico! In Mexico, the number of Spanish speakers is 130 million. The largest Spanish-speaking countries are Spain (in Europe), and overseas Mexico (in North America) and Argentina (in South America). 
Portuguese
Portuguese can also be considered an easy language. At least there is no one who would not watch Brazilian soap operas, which were once popular among our grandmothers. Pronunciation is almost the same as Spanish, except that Portuguese is a bit sibilant, unlike its East Pyrenean cousin; This is if we talk about the classic (European) version, which is widely used not only in Portugal itself, but also in African countries: Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome, Goa, Angola and Mozambique. Portuguese is the sixth most popular language in the world, despite the fact that the population of this country is only about 10 million, which is even less than the population of Moscow. The Brazilian version differs significantly from the standard (for example, there is no sound "sh"). Although these languages are similar to each other, the Spaniards do not always understand their neighbors, so the Portuguese sometimes have to write what they say.
Those who learn Portuguese are called Lusophones (from Lusitania; the ancient name of Portugal). There are about 1/4 billion native speakers of Portuguese (250 million native speakers) 
Esperanto
You will probably be very surprised, but Esperanto holds the palm in terms of ease. In it, as in the Spanish language, “how it is heard is how it is written.” This language is artificial, which is why it is so simple. But the bad thing about it is that it is still spoken by relatively few people (about 2-3 million worldwide) - compared to languages such as Spanish, French or English. However, if you speak Esperanto, other Esperantists will be very friendly towards you.
Esperanto is NOT the official language of ANY STATE IN THE WORLD! That is why, knowing and studying it, you can find friends absolutely anywhere. Linguists have conducted studies that to master spoken language, just a month is enough, and to know it perfectly - from 3 months to six months, while the basics of English will have to spend at least a semester or a year. I will add that next year, at the end of July, this language will celebrate its anniversary - 130 years since its birth! Recently, a petition appeared on one of the websites to make Esperanto the official language of the European Union! Absolutely anyone can sign it, including you! 
Resume
An additional set of conditions that can make the language easier for you personally:
1) Is the new language similar to your native one? If the chosen language is similar to yours, has a similar vocabulary (vocabulary of words) and grammar, then this language will be easier for you personally. For example, a person who speaks Arabic will learn Farsi more easily than Spanish, even though Farsi is considered a very difficult language.
2) Do you personally like to study? If the answer is yes, any language may turn out to be simple - or at least interesting. And this circumstance will help you learn the language faster.
3) Availability of additional resources. With their help, you can achieve more effective and faster results. Additional resources include books on vocabulary and grammar, audio, the possibility of conversations with native speakers of a given language, and so on.
The material is based on an article by Frantisek Langer.
What is good for a Russian is death for a German. However, in linguistics everything is not so simple, and this law also applies in the opposite direction. In almost any language, Russians have sounds that cannot be reproduced on the fly. Some of them take months to master.
Traditionally it is believed that the most difficult language is Chinese. In practice, mastering pronunciation is not particularly difficult for people with good hearing. Of the sounds that our speech apparatus is not used to making, the most difficult in this language is the sound “r” - something between “zh” and “r”. Chinese is composed, first of all, of its tones, of which there are from 4 to 9 (in the Cantonese dialect). The Vietnamese language has even more tones - about 18. If we talk about European languages, in particular about German, then the most difficult ones for a Russian person are ä, ö, ü. But learning to pronounce them is not difficult, since in our speech there are words, when pronounced, we involuntarily make similar sounds, for example, in the words “muesli” or “honey”.
The beavers wandered along the log
French, with its nasal consonants and the “r” sound, is a little harder to master. What is the norm for France (elegant grazing), Russian speech therapists are trying to correct. In our country, people who were unable to pronounce a hard “r” were called burrs, and the tongue twister about the Greek who stuck his hand in the river, and about beavers on a log, is one of the exercises designed to help in producing this sound. In some dialects of German, this gradation also sounds, but more booming - such as the famous “French little sparrow” by Edith Piaf. Among the English, the letter “r” is not pronounced at all, but is only indicated by a sound more similar, as in Chinese, to “w”.
The East is a delicate matter
Eastern culture is very different from Slavic, and the Semitic language family is just as sharply different. For example, it contains sounds that have no exact analogues in Russian. These include, in particular, guttural ones, pronounced not with the mouth, but with the throat. Hebrew has four, as does Arabic. In the territory of modern Israel, they were practically reduced, but among those Jews who were born in Arab countries, they are found. The same can be said about some Caucasian languages with their guttural sounds, for example, Adyghe, Chechen, etc. You can imagine these sounds if you remember a trip to the ENT. The very “a” that he forces us to say by pressing the root of the tongue with a spatula is precisely the laryngeal one. The harshness of the sound of Arabic speech, which seems not very melodic to many Slavs, is due to the presence of such throat sounds. Interdental sounds, in which the tip of the tongue is located between the upper and lower teeth, are also a novelty for Russian people, but in some European languages they exist, for example, in English. Arabic back-language words, also found in the languages of the northern peoples, are also very difficult to pronounce. The famous Baikal is the Yakut Baigal, modified by the Russians for ease of pronunciation, where the “g” is just the back lingual.
From the clatter of hooves, dust flies across the field
Onomatopoeia with the clatter of horse hooves and clicking of the tongue is just entertainment for Russian people. But there are peoples for whom such sounds are the norm of speech. Those who watched the film “The Gods Must Be Crazy” will remember how one of the main characters and all his Aboriginal fellow tribesmen spoke in a language that sounds very strange to us. Khoisan languages. They are spoken by only about 370,000 people in southern Africa and Tanzania. They are common mainly among the inhabitants of the area surrounding the Kalahari Desert. These languages are gradually dying out. The clicking consonants are called “kliks”, and their number sometimes reaches 83. In addition to the Khoisan languages, kliks are also found as the main components of speech in Bantu and Dahalo. With desire and patience, a Russian can master any language, including Khoisan. It's just a matter of time.
When you are faced with the task of learning a language, you often wonder which language is the easiest? TravelAsk decided to make a small selection.
How the easiest languages were determined
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs classifies simple languages as those that require approximately 600 hours of study. Of course, we are talking about quality ownership.
First of all, they classify the languages of the Germanic and Latin language groups as light. However, German itself will be more difficult: on average, in order to sufficiently master it, you need to spend about 750 hours studying. The grammar here is quite complex.
But do not forget that the degree of difficulty is still individual for everyone and in most cases depends on personal motivation and interest.
English language
English is considered one of the simplest languages. Judge for yourself: its grammar is not so complicated, it has no cases or gender, and words do not need to be coordinated. And the words themselves are quite short and concise. Add to all this its widespread use: it is spoken almost everywhere. Well, native English speakers who live in different parts of the world are completely calm about the mistakes of foreigners.
French
The French speak as if they sing, don't they? But from the outside it seems that one cannot approach him, such a pronunciation... But, according to experts, it only seems so. After all, many words in French are similar to English. In addition, the language is very popular and is used in many places.
Spanish
Spanish is perhaps one of the easiest languages to learn. It is very similar to English, and its spelling is much simpler: I write as I hear. Many native Russian speakers who memorize vocabulary spellings from the first grade will only envy this rule)
Well, Spanish is quite popular, and its pronunciation is simple. So does grammar.
Italian
Another language included in our rating is Italian. There are no cases, the pronunciation is quite simple, the emphasis is fixed. Well, the language itself has Latin roots, so it will be familiar to many people. It is also related to Spanish, so if you want to become a polyglot, then choosing similar languages will help you achieve your goal in a shorter time)
Esperanto
Well, Esperanto is considered the easiest language to learn. Some may even be surprised by the existence of this language, but yes, it exists. And do you know why it is the simplest? Because it was developed specifically as a second language for every person, it was even called that way initially - international or language for humanity. According to various estimates, from one hundred thousand to ten million people speak it.
Esperanto grammar is very simple, there are no exceptions at all. And, of course, its undoubted advantage is that it is neutral, since it is not tied to any state. Perhaps its only drawback is that it is not as widespread as English).
You may need a foreign language for admission. Or maybe you just want to know him, but you just can’t decide.
We want to tell you that there is no answer to this question, and here's why.
Motivation for learning a foreign language
The best foreign language to learn is the one with which you will be most successful. Motivation is one of the most important factors influencing success in language learning.
If you're learning a language because you want to get ahead in life, say for university or a future job abroad, you'll be motivated by your goal.
But if you need a spoken language to get around the world, you're unlikely to settle on a specific language from a specific country.
Language for school
Many students are required to take the world's most popular language as part of their curriculum. What is the best language in this case?
While some may choose languages that are considered easy to learn, the best foreign language is really the one that has the most overlap with other subjects where you study.
French, German and Greek are good languages for science and philosophy. If you love contemporary art, you may need Spanish. Italian may be the best choice for students interested in music. An engineer may need Japanese.
Language for business
I understand why job seekers would want to know which foreign language is best for a successful career. Language can do a lot for your resume and open up international business opportunities you never knew were possible.
After English, is French, Spanish or even Chinese suitable for career advancement? Research says any of the above languages can stand alongside Arabic. But it also depends on the chosen career.
In the US, Spanish is the second most spoken language after English. If you think you will have Spanish-speaking clients or colleagues, then this is the language for you. But if you work, for example, with Brazil, then you need Portuguese. If you want to sell your product in the Middle East, this is Arabic. In Asia, it's Chinese.
And although it is useful to know all these foreign languages, there is one universal language - English. So why do you need to choose which language to learn?
Because if you speak Spanish, French or Chinese to your future business partners, managers or clients, you can gain a lot more experience. Understanding culture is key to business success, and culture comes with language.
So what is the best foreign language to learn for your career? It all depends on how and where you see your career!
Languages that are difficult to learn
When people decide to learn a foreign language for their work or study, they are often less interested in learning the language than in how they can use it.
Russian, Arabic and Chinese are often considered difficult languages to learn for native English speakers. If you choose this language, then only because it is necessary.
But the difficulty of a language is relative, because a person still knows how to speak it.
Languages that are easy to learn
Simple language means you spend less effort learning the mechanics, which frees you up to focus on communication, which helps you reach a more advanced level.
An easy language might be Romance, Spanish or French, so you don't have to learn a new alphabet. But when choosing a language that's considered easy for English speakers, it's important to consider that if you don't love its dynamics, you're still doomed to fail. Dutch is similar to English and is therefore considered one of the simplest languages. That doesn't make it the best foreign language for everyone.
Foreign language for your life
The best foreign language is the one that makes the most sense to you in your life. What are your interests and your career? Do you like challenges, or would you prefer a language that is easier to learn?
When thinking about why you want to learn a language in the first place, determine which foreign language fits best into your lifestyle. We are all unique and each has its own conditions.
Auto-training on writing and promoting a book from scratch from Itzhak Pintosevich " !" Write professionally!
How many people, so many opinions
Not everyone agrees with such a breakdown of the groups of foreign languages that are easiest and most difficult for a Russian person. Thus, Anna Kravchenko, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Translation at Moscow State Linguistic University, is sure that there is no such thing as consistency and ease in learning foreign languages. According to her, each of us has our own abilities and mentality. However, she believes that after mastering three foreign languages, the fourth and subsequent ones are easier to master, since a person has his own system for studying them.
The head of the department of theoretical and applied linguistics at the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian State University for the Humanities, Sergei Gindin, also notes that there are no general rules in the sequence of mastering foreign languages and their accessibility for Russian-speaking people. Only relative ease is possible between two similar languages. For example, someone who has studied French will find it easier to learn Spanish, which also belongs to the Romance group.
Another specialist in foreign languages, simultaneous translator Dmitry Petrov, who has been hosting the popular “Polyglot” program on the Kultura TV channel for several years, believes that a certain complexity of the Russian language gives us, its native speakers, a big advantage when learning foreign languages. Whereas an Englishman has a much more difficult time in this regard.
However, for Russians there are languages with categories that are not found in Russian. For this reason, it is not so easy for Russian-speaking students to master Finno-Ugric and Turkic languages, which have a different logic. But Dmitry Petrov emphasizes that the difficulty of any foreign language is mainly a myth and, if desired, you can master any. Moreover, it is quite acceptable to study two languages at once. He also calls not to be afraid of an accent, since every person in the world, even in their native language, speaks with some kind of accent. For example, in Great Britain there is a classic version, the so-called Royal English, which is spoken by announcers, some politicians and the Queen during working hours. Otherwise, there are dozens of absolutely incredible dialects and accents, including London.
However, many believe that when learning a foreign language, one should be guided not by ease, but by its relevance. As you know, currently English is such a language, and a significant part of Russians study it. But the future is not his at all. Thus, Gennady Gladkov, who heads the department of language training and the Bologna process at MGIMO, is confident that in 50 years the most relevant language in the world will be Chinese, which will overtake English due to the growth of the population and economy of the PRC.
It is generally accepted that Chinese is one of the most difficult foreign languages for Russian speakers. However, those who dared to master it claim that this is not so. In particular, it is not at all necessary to know more than 80 thousand characters; most Chinese do not know them. For example, to read, it will be enough to master only one thousand of them.
