So what are the easiest languages to learn?

Many people ask themselves - what is the easiest language to learn - in hopes that they will get an easy answer. Well, let me tell you, the answer to this question does not exist. The answer depends on several factors such as native language, ability to learn a language, age, etc. However, in this article, we've compiled a list of the easiest languages to learn for native English speakers. Ready? Set? Go!

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1. Dutch

The Dutch language is something in between English and German language. Both English and Dutch have many ties to the German language. Since the pronunciation and the structure of the sentence are similar it should be very easy for English speakers to master the Dutch language.

2. Afrikaans

This may be the first time you hear about this language, but it is very similar to English (and also Dutch!). Afrikaans is spoken in South Africa and Namibia. Verb conjugation and noun gender are something that this language doesn’t have. The vocabulary is very similar to Dutch and German. When you put all these together you get a rather easy language to learn! However, the problem is that you may not have many chances to practice the language with a native speaker, except if you run into Charlize Theron and sweep her off her feet by speaking her native language!

3. French

Bearing in mind the fact that over one-third of the modern English language was influenced by French, I put this language in the third position. It is well known that William the Conqueror brought a lot of French words into the English language from the Norman occupation. English and French are very lexically similar to each other, perhaps more than with any other Romance language. Although the vocabulary is similar and easy to understand, advanced learners may have problems understanding the gendered nouns and the many verb forms. However, learning conversational French is quite easy.

4. Spanish

I consider Spanish to be fairly easy to learn because of the fact that you write the words as you pronounce them. However, learning Spanish can be rather challenging due to the many dialects that this language has. Gender, verb conjugation and irregularities are not the easiest things to learn. Putting all this aside, Spanish is worth the try since it has become one of the world’s most spoken languages.

5. Esperanto

This language was created as an artificial language in order to help people from different counties to communicate easily. That’s why this language is listed in our 5 easiest languages to learn. The reason itself indicates that this is a fairly easy language to learn because of its lack of irregularities, the regular spelling system and the simple grammar. Leo Tolstoy claimed that he learned Esperanto in a few hours. So why don’t you try it by yourself?

To sum up, learning a new language is a different activity for every person. Not everyone is able to acquire a new language in the same amount of time and effort. Some people have an inborn ability to learn and speak languages faster and better than other people. However, if you are willing enough and put your mind into it I believe that you can learn even the hardest language.

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Damian breen
Damian Breen Managing Director

Damian spent some 22 years living and working in various different countries in Africa and the Middle East, for several different leading international airlines, in senior country and regional manager roles.