Best Languages To Learn: Our Top 5 Picks

Thinking of the best languages to learn? What are the most spoken and easiest to learn languages? Learn about important languages to create personal success? If you have the same question, you are on the right blog.

Nowadays, most people, especially the younger generations, want to learn a second language or even a third language because of globalization. The desire of learning a language may be caused by the influence of your favorite movie or series and favorite singer or band. For a deeper reason, people want to learn for business, travel, and academic purposes. Whatever the reason might be, learning new languages will not do you any harm. In fact, it will really do you good in the long run

What Are The Best Languages To learn?

With 6,500 languages spoken around the world, choosing among the most useful languages to learn can be overwhelming. This variety of languages is what makes our world beautiful because of the diversity every language can offer. Although some of these languages are not that widely spoken, this does not diminish their importance.

Learning a new language is not only learning different words for the same things but learning another way to think about things. Out of all the languages around the world, which of those are the best languages to learn? What is the top language worth studying for? If you are wondering what are the best languages to learn, here is a list for you:

1. English

learn english language top language to learn according to Ling - english speaking people holding flags

English is undoubtedly one of the most influential languages by far. It is the official language of 67 different countries. It is usually taught and learned as a second language in most of the countries worldwide making it one of the most important among any other languages. English is spoken by over 75% of the world’s population. Even if you do not try hard, you will find yourself learning English effortlessly because aside from being the most influential academic and business language, most of the online content on the internet uses the English language.

 

2. Mandarin Chinese

best languages to learn chinese

Being familiar with the words nǐhǎo and xièxiè is not surprising because Chinese has a very huge influence not just in Asia but around the world. Mandarin is lingua franca or the official of spoken in mainland China. Being able to learn Mandarin Chinese will not only make it easier for you to order from your favorite Chinese restaurants but it will also be very important for business.

With China being one of the fastest-growing economies, learning Mandarin will be useful for international business matters. It has 1.3 billion native speakers so if you are looking for a language that is widely spoken in most part of the world, this is the language you are looking for.

 

3. Spanish

spanish language

Childhood will not be complete without being part of Dora the Explorer’s adventure. This is basically one of the most popular shows among kids while they are growing up not just in Spanish-speaking countries but also across the world. Spanish has 460 million native speakers. Spanish is the (or an) official language of 18 countries in America, Spain in Europe, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and Equatorial Guinea in Africa. Most of these countries are famous for different travel destinations.

Spanish movies and series like La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) are also popular on different movie streaming sites nowadays. So if you love to travel to these countries and watch different Spanish movies and series, this can be a great choice for you.

 

4. Arabic

arabic script caligraphy

As trades continue to expand to and from Arab nations, learning Arabic can be a worthwhile investment. Arabic is the official language of 28 countries spoken by 315 million native speakers. If you wish to be part of the growing economies in the Middle East and Africa, Arabic is the perfect language to consider.

 

5. German

german

German is the official language of Germany and it is also the most widely spoken language in Europe. Because Germany has been the most dominant economy in Europe, learning German will be an essential language to learn for international business and diplomacy. German has 105 million native speakers and 80 million people in the world who are non-native speak this as their second language.

 

These are the 5 best languages to learn but in terms of the number of speakers, there are also other languages that you might want to consider like Hindi, Japanese, Portuguese, Bengali, French, and Russian. Imagine being able to speak in a different language. Isn’t it amazing and exciting? You will be able to discover more not just about the spoken language but also about their culture and traditions.

 

What Language Should I Learn For My Future?

learn languages with Ling most useful languages to learn

With the demands of globalization, people plan their future to meet global standards. Many people consider going abroad to explore and find success. Are you one of those people? If you are, you might want to learn other languages that will surely bring you a kickstart for your future success. So ask yourself, “Which language should I learn for my future?”. This blog will not give you a concrete answer to that question but will help you find the answer to that question by considering the following factors:

 

1. Professional Gains

Considering what language is most spoken is not a really great idea. You will not be talking to all of these people so why bother? What you should think about is the professional gain that might help you get your dream job. Most of the jobs abroad will not really require you to speak their native language but hey, there is nothing to lose if you try to learn a foreign language. Who knows? The employers might be impressed if you know a little bit of their language.

 

2. Usage

There is a reason behind every goal. This what keeps you motivated in learning a foreign language. You should ask yourself why you want to learn a certain language. Is it because you just want to understand the lyrics and subtitles from your favorite song and movie? Is it because you want to communicate with people while you travel? Is it a requirement for your academic subject as a student? Is it because it is important for the job that you have applied for?

Remember, learning will not be easily transformed into fluency. Comprehending, writing, and speaking are different skills. If it is just for leisure purposes, learning through books or online tools may be enough but if you wish to use it for a professional reason, you should really make an effort to learn it accurately. Knowing the reason why you want to learn will give you a definite answer to what language you should learn

 

3. Cultural Preferences

Some people want to learn new languages because of the influence of other cultures in their personal life. If you are an anime lover, you want to learn more about Japanese. If you love watching Korean dramas, you want to learn more about Korean. If you love traveling to European countries you want to learn more about German or French. The desire to learn a new language can be based on your cultural preferences. If you enjoy their culture and you want a deeper understanding of the country’s tradition, learning its language is one of the important things to consider.

 

In choosing which language you should learn, think about these three factors. Do not reply with your decision on the number of speakers of the languages because it will mean nothing in the end if you may not be able to use it for yourself. Learning a language is not easy so why spend waste your time learning something that isn’t close to your heart?

 

Most Useful Languages And What You Can Do With Them

Language learning requires time, energy, and motivation. Choose what language to learn not because it is a popular language but because it is an important language. Make sure that the language you will choose to learn is useful in reaching your desired success. But what makes a certain language useful? There are many tells what useful languages to learn. Here are the following:

  • Usability
  • Geographic location
  • Versatility
  • Career opportunities
  • Number of speakers

Now that you have learned the different factors that define the usefulness of a certain language, let us now move on to the Top 5 Most Useful Languages To Learn and What You Can Do With Them.

1. Arabic

It is a language widely spoken in many of the wealthiest countries in the world. It is also one of the official languages of the United Nations. Because of these reasons, Arabic speakers can land many job opportunities like business, Engineering, Architecture, Science, Journalism, international NGOs, and more. Being able to learn and develop Arabic skills will really step you up to your game.

 

2. Mandarin Chinese

Aside from being the most widely spoken language in the world, did you know that Mandarin Chinese is listed by American Express as one of the most essential languages for business? This just simply means that Mandarin Chinese will not only help you communicate with the 1.3 billion Mandarin speakers but it will also open doors to massive job opportunities. As a matter of fact, there are countries where Mandarin is taught as an elective subject in school so the demand for Mandarin language teachers is also high. If you are looking for a language that will give you the benefit mentioned above, this is the language to learn.

 

3. French

French, as we all know, is considered the language of love. It is spoken by more than 280 million speakers: 78 million of them are native speakers and the remaining are non-natives. It is also one of the official languages of the United Nations. Being spoken in 29 countries and 84 states, French speakers will open doors to French companies not just in France but in all the countries where French is being spoken. Of course, being one of the largest economies and destinations for foreign investment, France is an ideal economic partner so learning to speak French will really be an advantage.

But what if you are not business-oriented? Do not worry, there are still lots of opportunities where French may come in handy. If you like to pursue fashion, Paris, France is the “Fashion Capital of The World” so learning French is useful when talking to designers, models, and even just with random people whom you’ll meet at different fashion events.

If you want to go back to being a student and want to pursue their Master’s Degree in prestigious universities, there are different French universities that will grant you scholarships that will definitely change your whole life. Of course, it is impossible to survive in these French universities without knowing French. Also, we all know that French countries play a big role in world history so French may also come in handy for historians.

 

4. German

As mentioned above, German is the most widely spoken language in European countries. Germany has a strong economy and one of the top trading partners of the U.S. With that being said, it can be easily concluded that it also opens business opportunities for German speakers.

 

5. Hindustani

Most people are not that familiar with this because it is a group of mutually intelligible languages of Hindi and Urdu. It is spoken in Northern India and Pakistan with an estimated 260 million native speakers of Hindi and 69 million native speakers of Urdu. Be familiar with this language because India is seen as the world’s fastest-growing large economy so it can definitely find you a place in global success.

 

What Is The Easiest Language To Learn For English Speakers?

easiest languages for english speakers
Best Languages To Learn | Most Useful Languages And What Can You Do With Them

Nothing beats the comfort brought by your first language but nowadays, many people are trying to learn at least one language. Of course, if you are one of those people, you would want to learn the top languages which most of the people want to learn. For native English speakers, it is easy to access different online language learning materials because most of the contents are in English.

It may be challenging to learn a language but with the right materials and motivation, nothing is impossible. If you feel scared to learn a language, you can start with the easiest languages that even non-native English speakers will find easy. There are factors that will make it easy for you to learn a new language. Here are the following factors:

  • Native language
  • Exposure to foreign languages
  • Grasp of grammatical structures
  • Pronunciation
  • Strength as learner
  • Motivation

 

Now that you have learned the factors, let us now discover the easiest language to learn for English speakers.

1. Dutch

learn dutch

Dutch is the closest language to English. This language is a member of Germanic languages where English and German are included.

AlphabetDutch and English use the Latin alphabet.
PhonologyDutch and English have similar sound systems and intonation patterns.
GrammarDutch also follows the basic Subject- Verb – Object like in English but there are differences in the positioning of adverbials. Unlike English, Dutch does not use the auxiliary do in questions or negatives but the verb system has similar tenses to English.
VocabularyEnglish and Dutch have the same roots which explain why there are lots of shared vocabularies between these two languages.

 

2. Spanish

learn spanish

Spanish and English are both international languages and one of the United Nations official languages. It is the two most spoken languages in America and they have the same language family.

AlphabetEnglish and Spanish use the Roman alphabet.
PhonologyDialects and accents are similar to English.
GrammarSpanish has all the parts of speech we learned in English.
VocabularyEnglish and Spanish have the same words and same spelling cognates. Approximately 40% of all words in English have related words in Spanish.

 

3. German

kid learning german

English is 26% Germanic language. This is why German can be easily learned by English speakers.

AlphabetGerman has the same 26 letters as the English alphabet.
Phonology40% of German words sound is similar in English. Both have similar sounds, stress, and intonation
GrammarGerman has consistent verb tenses. Tenses used in English and German to convey a particular meaning have a significant lack of correspondence…
VocabularyGerman and English share many cognates.

 

4. Italian

italian

Italian, as we all know, is the easiest Romance language that came from Latin roots.

AlphabetItalian alphabet has the same 26 letters as English, although the letters. Letters j, k, w, x, and y are considered foreign and are only used in important words
PhonologyDifficulties or both listening comprehension and production of natural-sounding speech result in a tendency to ‘swallow’ weak vowels in English.
GrammarItalian has different grammar compared to English. Italian has 5 inflected tense forms: the present, simple past, imperfect, future, and conditional.
VocabularyEnglish and Italian share many words derived from Latin.

 

5. Norwegian

Norway flag

Norwegian is also a member of Germanic languages just like English.

AlphabetNorwegian have the same 26 letters in English, some are only used in “loan words”. The letters c, q, w, x, and z are almost never used in Norwegian words.
PhonologyThere is more than one correct way to pronounce words because of the different accents in Norway.
GrammarNorwegian grammar is straightforward and has only one form of each verb per tense.
VocabularyNorwegian shares quite a bit of vocabulary with English.

 

After Knowing The Best Languages To Learn, What’s Next?

After knowing the best languages to learn, the language you should learn, the most useful languages and the easiest language to learn by English speakers, what will be your next step? Why not level up your game? Start learning languages now, through Ling App. This will give you a meaningful and convenient language learning experience. It will also give you language tips just like this. Just like what is stated above, with the right tool and motivation, nothing is impossible.

 

Learn Languages Ling App

“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” Just like what Charlemagne said, learning a new language will expand your horizons for a deeper understanding of other cultures. Now that you know the best languages to learn, start learning languages now!

“What language should I learn?” is a common question that many people have searched online. Take this short quiz to know which language is best for you to learn! 

If you are reading this article, you may want to learn a new language but don’t know where to start. There are many points to consider when choosing a language to learn. This quiz takes into account a number of aspects that you should consider when selecting a language for your learning plan, from your hobbies to your learning style.

“What Language Should I Learn?”

[show-quiz id=”6206″ title=”Which language should you learn?”]

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