foreign language learning

Best Language to Learn – What They Don’t Tell You …

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Many ‘experts’ rate the best language to learn by looking at
1) how hard or easy the language is to learn
2) how many people in the world speak the language
3) how many employers look for people that can speak the language

AND… looking at these factors, the following languages rank as excellent languages to study:

Arabic – The need for English speakers who speak Arabic and/or understand one or more Middle Eastern cultures is far greater than the supply. If you are pondering learning Arabic, I suggest you try a few free Arabic lessons online to see if it appeals to you.

Chinese – Mandarin Chinese is the first language of more people in the world today than any other language, with 1,197 million native speakers. (Source: http://www.ethnologue.com/statistics/size.) On the other hand, it is generally considered more difficult to learn. Before choosing to study Chinese, you may want to consider how demanding the rest of your course schedule and commitments are.

Spanish – The second most-widely spoken language on the planet is Spanish. Spanish speakers are widely dispersed with twenty-one countries having Spanish as their official language. Spanish is also generally considered an easy language to learn. Because you’ll find Spanish speakers everywhere, it is also easy to find Spanish instruction, including a wide variety of teaching methods.

These three languages: Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic come up on almost every list of languages recommended to learn.

Other languages frequently mentioned include (in no particular order):
Japanese
Russian
French
Esperanto
Korean
Portuguese

So What’s Missing??

Best Language to Learn Depends on YOU
An idea generally forgotten when talking about ‘best’ language to learn??

The best language to learn depends on YOU
– who your friends and family are,
– what interests you,
– whether you want to travel
– do you already have a career path mapped out
– where do you live

A good language is one you feel motivated and confident that you can learn. If the French teacher at your school exudes charm and enthusiasm, then you just might want to parlez le français. If your grandfather is Italian and you have distant relatives in Italy, learning Italian could be both easier, with a personal tutor, and wonderfully rewarding in increasing family bonds.

Maybe you have always wanted to visit the Great Wall of China (who cares why that idea seems so cool to you) and you’d like to have some ability to order food from a menu or ask directions while you are in the country. These are important factors that YOU have to think about.

So the best language to learn is one that you’d like to learn, whether you want to
– assist strangers you meet in their native language
– help yourself do better at your job
– travel to a distant land
– speak with relatives or friends in their native tongue
– get in touch with your cultural identity
– study overseas

Bon voyage!
Nelson Mandela Speak Foreign Language Quote

Related Post: Pimsleur vs. Rosetta Stone

learn Spanish

Why Learn Spanish

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Kate Kerns by Kate Kerns
We asked almost 1000 (okay 940 to be exact) people who were trying to learn Spanish, why they were trying to learn it. Here in random order are some of their answers.  Many of these responses were repeated and at the end we’ll tell you the top 5 (most common) reasons given for learning Spanish.

  1. I want to learn! I would like to be able to talk to my friends in their language. =)
  2. I’m retired and learning a language for fun
  3. Just want to learn
  4. To better myself
  5. Military
  6. Trying to learn to speak another language to help build my career path
  7. I’m learning Spanish for the foreign service exam.
  8. I want my kids to learn Spanish as we worship at a church that has both English and Spanish and I want them to be able to help in both languages
  9. My boyfriend is spanish and I would like to understand his friends
  10. I’m a student and i really love spanish language,and i realy would love to learn it
  11. Trying to impress a girl – lol
  12. Interested in communicating better with Mexican and Colombian friends
  13. Moving to Mexico
  14. I’m a teacher and have Spanish speaking students and parents
  15. I’d like to travel to Spanish speaking countries.
  16. I’m a medical student wanting to learn to speak to patients.
  17. My son is taking Spanish in school and I want to be able to help him.
  18. I need to learn Spanish for school.
  19. I will be relocating to an area that is predominantly Spanish-speaking and I would love to be able to communicate effectively.
  20. Many of the shipyard employees I interact with only speak Spanish.
  21. I’ve got a trip to Costa Rica coming
  22. Employers all want Bilinqual (Spanish) employees
  23. I’m surrounded by Latinos all day everyday and became very interested in the language. And I know they get a little annoyed when I ask them to translate so I want to learn on my own
  24. I’m a homeschooling parent.
  25. I’m an RN and would like to learn to communicate with my hispanic patients
  26. I am a PhD student required to learn a foreign language. I find it much easier to read and write some but very difficult to listen and understand Spanish.
  27. I want to be a translator when I retire.
  28. I want to be bilingual.
  29. I listen to shortwave radio, want to understand Spanish.
  30. Just for fun.
  31. Taking a trip to Mexico
  32. Many Spanish speakers at work.
  33. My 3rd graders are in Spanish immersion, and I want to be able to help them with homework.
  34. I want to teach my toddlers Spanish.
  35. I accidentally moved to Spain.       <————  FUNNIEST
  36. Spanish chicks are hawt!
  37. Grandchildren speak Spanish.A special woman could be your reason to learn Spanish
  38. I studied Spanish a long time ago.  Now I want to brush up before traveling abroad.
  39. Hospital chaplain with some Spanish speaking patients
  40. I love languages.
  41. I am getting a TESOL certificate and think it important to have cultural knowledge that can be learned by learning at least one other language .
  42. I travel to Guadalajara for work
  43. My company is expanding to South America and would like to become bi-lingual for career advancement
  44. I am Spanish, but I don’t speak it and want to learn.
  45. My daughter is marrying a Spaniard in Barcelona.
  46. My wife speaks Spanish.
  47. I’m a parent whose children are interested in learning Spanish.
  48. I live in Texas and would like to understand more Spanish.
  49. I’m in high school and have to learn a language.
  50. My future in-laws only speak Spanish.

Five Most Common Reasons for Learning Spanish

  1. I just want to learn a new language.
  2. I would like to speak Spanish because I have Spanish-speaking friends, family, co-worker or neighbor.
  3. I think speaking Spanish will help me do my job better.
  4. I plan to travel to or live in a Spanish-speaking country.
  5. I need to learn Spanish for school.

I was impressed by people’s natural curiosity and desire to connect with other people.  We communicate using language and people want to learn a new language to both enlarge their mind and increase their social circle and the depth of their relationships. 

What’s your reason to learn a new language? Please add a comment below.

Does Rosetta Stone Work and other questions I've asked while learning Spanish. This blog is mostly about learning Spanish, but has some useful information about learning any new languages in general.