Which languages ​​are easy to learn Russian. Which language is easier to learn, especially after English? Italian is easy to learn

The first thing you should do is learn English. The second is German. Knowing English and German, you can learn French without any problems, since the lexical base will already be laid. But they will be of practically no use to you when living, say, in the UAE. And you won't be able to use them if you go to work in China or Uganda.

In China, only a few people can communicate in English, and in Uganda, knowledge of Swahili is especially urgently needed - less than 1% of the population speaks English here. We recommend assessing not the global prospects of the language, but its prospects for you, for your future life and work. How to do this, what languages ​​you need to learn and how to compare them with your own priorities? More on this later.

Which language to learn first

English. With rare exceptions, which only confirm the rule. It is the official language in more than 60 countries around the world. English is spoken by more than 1.5 billion people around the world. It is native to more than 700 million people. Look around - the best songs, scripts of TOP films, documents, instructions - all this is written in English. Knowledge of it significantly increases your chances of employment and your value as a qualified employee, no matter what industry you work in or what your responsibilities include.

5 reasons to learn English first:

• Opportunity to clarify in most countries of the world.
• Best for travel and business trips abroad.
• The opportunity to watch the best Hollywood films in the original.
• An advantage when getting an education and building a career.
• The opportunity not to encounter language barriers in everyday life.

It is the most popular language in the world. Moreover, it is universal and applicable in most situations.

Example: you want to go to study abroad, say, in Italy, but you don’t know Italian. Knowledge of English will allow you to choose a program in which you can use a known foreign language for learning as a base one. But if you only know German or French, then the chance of getting an education in Italy tends to zero.

But there are exceptions. They lie in the individual characteristics of each person. If English is not good for you, if you feel sincere hatred for learning it, if you don’t understand logic, there is no point in torturing yourself. Of course, if these are just your feelings, and not the mediocrity of the teacher and incorrectly structured preparation.

Example: singer Shakira knows many languages, but English was the hardest for her. Despite an IQ close to genius and phenomenal learning abilities, the Colombian native still does not speak English perfectly and prefers to sing and speak it only in extreme cases.

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What language should you learn as your second, third, or fourth language?

There is no need to guess here - it is important to be guided by desires, needs and the tasks facing you. Motivation is the basis for fast and successful learning. You must clearly understand why you need it and at what level you need to master it. It is recommended to formulate goals and only then begin to consider options.

Let's assume that after graduating from college you want to enroll in one of the Czech universities for a master's program. Then it’s worth learning Czech. Or in your city there is a factory owned by the Japanese - to make a successful career as a manager here, knowledge of Japanese is desirable. We know nothing about the tasks facing you. Therefore, we can offer only the TOP 7 languages ​​(besides English), which are most often chosen for study:

1. German.
2. French.
3. Spanish.
4. Chinese.
5. Italian.
6. Arab.
7. Norwegian.

Let's make a reservation that Scandinavian languages ​​are among the most complex in the world. If you are planning to move to Norway or Sweden but are having trouble learning Norwegian and Swedish, consider your options. It is no secret that Sweden is quite friendly towards emigrants who do not know the language. Moreover, children have the right to be taught in their native language: if there is at least one Russian-speaking child in the school, then they will definitely find a Russian-speaking teacher for him. Therefore, be sure to clarify the need for training.

TOP 5 most promising languages

If you do not set yourself the goal of moving or frequently traveling to a certain country, working in multinational enterprises and being in demand as a translator, then we recommend paying attention to the most promising languages ​​in the world. They may not be the most in demand and not the most popular at a given time. But if you don’t know which foreign language is better to learn in terms of its prospects in the future, this rating is especially for you.

Chinese

The most common in the world. No one doubts the prospects of the Celestial Empire in terms of economic and industrial development. Strong contacts with Russia, the USA and other leading economies of the world lead to the emergence of a mass of multinational enterprises where knowledge of Chinese is highly welcome. Chinese is made up of at least 10 radically different dialects. It makes sense to learn literary (it is also called Mandarin or Northern Chinese) - you can communicate in it with a speaker of any dialect.

Spanish

It ranks third in terms of prevalence among all languages ​​of the world. It is also one of the easiest to learn. It is used not only in Spain, but also in many countries that were once colonies. Not all of them are alike - for example, in Mexico they speak a special dialect of Spanish called Español mexicano. There are significant differences, but if necessary, you can speak classic Spanish with any Mexican and they will understand you.

German

Germany is one of the strongest economies in the world, one of the most developed and comfortable countries to live in. Therefore, the language has not lost its promise for more than a century. German is spoken not only in Germany, but also in Austria, Switzerland, and a number of other European countries. It is especially promising for employment and emigration to Europe.

Arab

It ranks 4th in terms of prevalence in the world. More than 240 million people speak it in different parts of the world. The difficulty is that the language has a lot of local dialects, and studying classical Arabic does not guarantee that you will understand them. However, you will be understood - you will be able to express yourself not only as a tourist, but also as a specialist.

Japanese

The official Japanese language is only in Japan, but it is in demand to varying degrees in at least 25 Asian countries. By the way, it has a minimum of similarities with Chinese; you should not combine the study of these two languages, mistakenly assuming their identity. From the point of view of prospects, it is worth noting the development of the state’s economy and the scientific industry. Japan is one of the world leaders in terms of GDP.

What foreign language should I learn to emigrate?

Naturally, this depends on the country to which you plan to emigrate. Our advice will be relevant only if you have not yet decided on your future place of residence.

We are guided by information about the most popular countries for emigration among Russians. What languages ​​should you learn according to this data:

• English – most often Russians prefer to emigrate to the USA. It is also in demand for admission to universities in the USA, Great Britain, Canada and a number of other countries under special programs and grants that cover tuition costs.
• German and French are ideal if you want to emigrate to these countries and stay there after completing your studies. Education in these countries is practically free (except for mandatory fees of 300-500 euros per semester).
• Italian is required for immigration to Italy. Interestingly, the level of English proficiency in this country is almost at the same level as in Russia. In general, Italians, unlike many Europeans, do not speak English well.

Also popular destinations for emigration are the Scandinavian countries - Sweden, Norway, Denmark. Russian citizens also willingly emigrate to European countries - to Switzerland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Serbia, and the Baltic countries. But according to surveys, less than 10% of Russians ready to emigrate plan to go to Asia.

What foreign language should a child learn?

Here again, it is important to be guided by the child’s living conditions. You shouldn’t choose the simplest language – choose the most promising one. At the same time, observe the child’s enthusiasm and desire to learn. If you see that he is absolutely indifferent to learning, change the tutor or place of study. If the result remains the same, it makes sense to choose another language to study. The most popular are English, French, German and Spanish. The native languages ​​of the parents (or one of the parents) should not be taken into account.

Which language is better to study as an additional language? It makes sense to pay attention to options with the simplest grammar - Italian, French.

Teachers disagree on whether a child should even learn two languages ​​at the same time. It is important to monitor the condition of children - they should not be overloaded. You shouldn’t take away their childhood, guided only by your own ambitions and the desire to get a well-rounded child prodigy. Observe the child’s attitude towards the educational process - his desire is extremely important.

The easiest and most difficult languages ​​to learn

The starting position is important here: for example, knowledge of English will significantly simplify the study of languages ​​of the Latin and Germanic groups. Your native language is also important. It's no secret that the easiest languages ​​for Russians to learn are Ukrainian and Belarusian, Bulgarian and Serbian. However, they cannot yet be called promising in a global sense. Therefore, we note the easiest European ones to study:

• English.
• Italian.
• Spanish.
• French.

Spanish is considered to be the simplest language - it is characterized by simplicity of spelling, grammar and pronunciation. As it is heard, so it is written, there is no need to be afraid of making mistakes. Ideally, if you know English - Spanish has a very similar vocabulary, and learning will proceed as quickly as possible. The second and third places are Italian and French, respectively. English is more difficult, but also quite accessible.

It is from him that all dialects were formed, so even if you move to a country where pure language variations are not practiced, you can quickly adapt. In the classic version it is also easiest to trace the logic of word formation and sentence construction. It is often clearer and more pleasing to the ear. Almost always it is literary and official for the preparation of documents.

Conclusion

Learn the languages ​​that you need and are interested in. Without necessity there is no motivation, and without sincere interest there is no desire. Both of these components form the basis for successful learning. There is no point in studying when the process only causes you tension and irritation. You must genuinely enjoy learning. You must understand why you are studying this particular language, what prospects it opens up for you, and what it allows you to do in the future.

If you don’t know which languages ​​are worth learning right now, try to look into the future. Figure out where you want to live and what you want to do. Choose English as a base and master it at a decent level. If you already speak English, move on to others. But be careful - only some people are able to study French and, say, German at the same time. In other cases, separate training is required.

Which foreign language to study: TOP-5 most promising

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.

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Study order

Much depends on how many languages ​​you already know, what language group, whether the grammatical structure is similar, etc. It also matters for what purpose you need this or that language: hobby, work, etc. Today we will look at this aspect, how a Russian person learns foreign languages, we find out what comes easiest to him.
Senior lecturer and methodologist at the Institute of Philology and History of the Russian State University for the Humanities, Candidate of Philological Sciences Nikita Petrov believes that for a Russian-speaking person, foreign languages ​​are divided into five groups, the last of which includes the most difficult to understand.

According to Petrov, who developed a mnemonic technique that helps in learning languages, the easiest way for a Russian person to master the Slavic languages ​​and Esperanto. At the same time, the specialist clarifies that Slovak and Polish are easier to master after mastering Czech. Petrov included Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian in the second group of foreign languages, and also added Latvian. The third section includes English, Dutch, Lithuanian, Yiddish, French and other Romance languages ​​not included in the second group. It is noteworthy that, according to the author of the mnemonics, English is easier to learn after French, and Dutch is better with prior mastery of English. Whereas Petrov recommends mastering Yiddish after German and Slavic languages.

In the fourth group, according to the degree of ease, he included German and other Germanic languages, Hebrew, Greek, Altai and Indo-Iranian languages. The fifth group includes all other languages ​​of the world. There is also a caveat here: Nikita Petrov advises starting to study Persian and Hebrew after Arabic, and Korean and Japanese after Chinese.

In addition, in his opinion, when mastering any foreign language, you first need to master the alphabet, reading rules, and several dozen of the most common words and expressions. Then turn to basic grammar and vocabulary on basic everyday topics. Afterwards you can start reading the adapted texts and discussing them. Upon completion of the grammar course, Petrov recommends choosing additional lexical topics taking into account profession, interests, etc. And the crown of studying a foreign language should be reading works of fiction in the original and easy communication with native speakers.

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 the same 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. And, of course, it is important to liberate yourself, free yourself from psychological pressures and barriers, because there is no foreign language that would be completely inaccessible for mastering. Polyglots are sure: the main thing is to remember the core of the language - basic vocabulary and frequently used grammatical and syntactic structures, and then everything will go like clockwork.

It would seem that the answer should be obvious - the easiest way would be to learn English. For beginners, however, it is unlikely to be elementary - if you took your first steps in it at school, you simply don’t remember how much agony pronunciation, irregular verbs and numerous exceptions to the rules cost you.

Oddly enough, experts recommend mastering German first; learning English after that will be an easy task. In addition, with knowledge of German, it will be much easier for you to learn all the Scandinavian languages, as well as Dutch (if for some reason you suddenly want to master it).

Which language is easier to learn first?

If we talk about you and me, native speakers of Russian, then, of course, we will quickly master the languages ​​of the Slavic group. These are Ukrainian and Belarusian (although why teach them?), then in increasing difficulty are Bulgarian and Serbo-Croatian, and the most difficult, but within the normal range, will be Czech and Polish.

European languages ​​are the next among those that Russian people can easily master. If your goal is to speak as quickly as possible, then choose Spanish and Italian. You will have to tinker with German grammar, as well as with the pronunciation and spelling of French.

Scandinavian, Turkic and Finno-Ugric languages ​​are the next level of complexity for Russians. Hebrew, Arabic and oriental languages ​​(Chinese, Japanese) close the ranking.

What is the best language to learn as a second language?

English for beginners will not be such an easy task, but after it all European languages ​​will become a little easier, which cannot be said about, for example, Eastern languages ​​- you have to learn everything all over again. It is worth learning German for the sake of subsequent mastery of Czech, Polish, English and Scandinavian languages.

Forewarned is forearmed

Don't let the difficulties scare you: learning foreign languages ​​is not easy in any case, no matter which one you choose. In addition, your desire, ability for languages, and the amount of time you are willing to devote to studying are of great importance. The complexity of grammar or pronunciation is a purely subjective concept, based on the opinion of the majority. It is quite possible that you are a genius at reproducing unfamiliar speech out loud or have a phenomenal memory, and therefore are able to master any grammar.

Do not be afraid of anything - any language will be conquered by those who have a strong desire for knowledge!

Read about how to choose a foreign language to study.

Unfortunately, there is no universal answer to the question of which language is easiest to learn. Firstly, it depends on what your native language is. Secondly, it depends on whether you already speak any foreign languages. Thirdly, on your motivation: are you enthusiastic enough to start regular exercise?

But let’s assume that we are talking about a Russian-speaking person who is determined to learn a foreign language.

The easiest way for a Russian speaker to learn one of the languages ​​of the Slavic language group: Eastern (Ukrainian, Belarusian), Southern (Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian) or Western Slavic (Czech, Polish, Slovak).

Next come the Romance languages: French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish and others. To simplify the learning process, many experts even recommend studying English after French. Dutch, for example, is best studied after English, and Yiddish after German.

Thanks to the complexity of Russian grammar, it is quite easy for Russian speakers to master other languages, but there are stumbling blocks for us too. Thus, Turkic (Turkish, Azerbaijani, Tatar, Uzbek and others) or Finno-Ugric (Hungarian, Finnish, etc.) languages ​​are not easy for Russian speakers. It’s not easy for foreigners (not just Russian speakers) to speak Chinese. At the same time, apparently, the most difficult thing is not to memorize hieroglyphs or cram grammar - all this is quite understandable - the most difficult thing for foreigners is to cope with spoken language. The tone system of pronunciation and the huge number of dialects make it difficult to interact with native Chinese speakers. It takes students several years to simply learn to understand Chinese speech. Many never reach the level of fluency in the language.

However, in some ways, dividing languages ​​into simple and complex is nothing more than a convention. Polyglots say that after mastering three foreign languages, you can say that you will receive all the rest as a gift. At the very least, learning them will be very easy for you. In addition, it makes sense to focus primarily on the demand for languages ​​in general and the need for these languages ​​specifically for you. Any language will be easy to learn when you are motivated, but not easy if you don’t fully understand why you are learning it.

There is also an opinion among scientists that the main thing in learning foreign languages ​​is to acquire basic knowledge: the most popular grammatical structures and a minimum lexical set. Everything else, as they say, is a matter of technique, or rather, your perseverance and perseverance.

Teacher's advice:

Learning a foreign language becomes easier when you practice it a little every day. Each language has its own special sound. The more you listen to the language, the easier it becomes. Reading helps strengthen your grammar and your vocabulary, so read every day. It doesn't matter if you listen to the news or music, or read a book, magazine or website, the most important thing is a little bit every day.

Learning a language becomes easier when you practice a little every day. Every language has a different sound and the more you listen the easier it gets. Reading improves your grammar and vocabulary so read a little every day too. It doesn't matter if you listen to the news or music, or read a book, magazine or website, the important thing is to a little every day.