Want to know what are the easiest languages to learn for English speakers?
Here are a couple of things to think about. A 2012 survey conducted by the European Commission revealed that 61% of the British could not speak a second language. In 2013, tests were conducted in 12 European countries to see teenagers’ ability to learn the first foreign language taught in their schools – for England, that foreign language was French, Apparently, English students placed at the bottom with just 11% considered as independent users in writing and 9.2% ranked top in French reading.
On the other hand, studies show Brits are finding jobs abroad more. This and the advancement in globalization and growth of foreign economies, prompts more and more people to learn a second language.
Are you looking for the easiest languages to learn for English speakers? We have a list for you.
Easiest Languages to Learn for English Speakers
Below is a list of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers. According to Effective Language Learning, one will only need 575 to 600 hours to learn them.
English speakers will find it easy to do learn the following and convert them to English Translations
- Afrikaans. Afrikaans belongs to the same language family as English – West Germanic. The grammar structure is easy, logical and non inflective. There are no verb conjugations or genders. Its vocabulary shares many words of Germanic root words that are familiar in English.
- French. The French have influenced in big part the modern English. In the English language, there are about 8,000 words that derived from French. Examples are colour, excellent and identity. French vocabulary is more familiar to English speakers than any other romance language.
- Spanish. Reading and writing in Spanish is not a complex task. Because the words are generally written the way they are pronounced. There are only 10 vowels and diphthong sounds (compared to English, which has 20) and the only unfamiliar phoneme is ñ, making pronunciation a breeze. Spanish is not only one of the easiest languages to learn, it is also one of the most attractive. It holds official status in 3 continents. While 37% of employees surveyed by the Telegraph rated it as a useful language to learn.
- Dutch. Dutch comes from the same language family as English. Hence, its structure and syntax is very familiar to English speakers as well. Pronunciation and vocabulary share similarities with English, and has adopted many English loan words.
- Norwegian. What makes Norwegian easy to learn are its consistent pronunciation and easy grammar. Its syntax and word order are also very similar to English.
Call Language Direct for help in translation and interpretation of any of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers – and over 189 more.
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