2017 Apr 18
Learning a new language can be a rather difficult and frustrating process for many. However, in our current fast-paced and diverse world, being multilingual is a great advantage. It is estimated that there are over 6,500 spoken languages in the world today. However, proficiency in certain languages is more advantageous and some are simply easier to learn. As such, we have listed the four languages which have great benefits and are easier to master!
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Spanish
For individuals who are highly proficient in English, the language of Spanish isn’t too difficult to learn. The language has many words that are similar to English, and is the fourth most spoken language in the world. Spanish proficient individuals can be found across the globe, so knowing the language can be a great advantage. Adjusting and learning the pronunciations and vocabulary can be daunting, and the spoken language is definitely easier to learn than the written. Yet, with the appropriate learning techniques and a healthy amount of exposure towards the language during your learning process, Spanish can be rather fun and easy to learn!
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Afrikaans
This may come as a bit of a surprise, but this West Germanic language can be quite easy to learn for English speakers. Although you may not run into many native Afrikaans speakers in Sri Lanka, it is truly a wonderful language to learn. After all, it is largely used within most African countries, particularly South Africa and Namibia. If you enjoy travelling the world and experiencing new places, learning Afrikaans can be an added advantage. Not known to many, the root of vocabulary within the language is rather similar to English. Furthermore, the language does not have verb conjugation and noun gender, making it much easier to grasp than many foreign languages.
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Swedish
The process of learning to speak Swedish is not as daunting as it seems! The word order will feel familiar to English speakers, and the verb conjugation is present but rather simple. Master the vowels of the language first, read aloud and try to gain as much exposure as possible, to become fluent in Swedish. Although the language is not as widely spoken as Spanish and French, it is the most spoken of North Germanic languages and it can definitely give you an edge when travelling abroad. The rich culture of Sweden is appealing to many, and learning the language is a definite way to start embracing it!
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French
There exist more than 75 million French speakers in the world today, making it an extremely advantageous international language. Many of us were encouraged to learn French during our lessons at school, and therefore may be quite skeptic, since it seemed particularly difficult. Undoubtedly, the gendered nouns and intense verb conjugation make French more difficult than some. Yet, the success of gaining fluency in French depends on learning techniques and exposure, which many of us didn’t receive at school. With a sufficient amount of training, constant practice, and decent exposure to the language, it can be rather easy to learn French. Moreover, the struggle will be worth it because of the worldwide reach French has. After all, French has been coined as the language of love, and will definitely help you broaden your horizons!
If you’re searching hoping to learn more difficult languages, then Japanese, Mandarin, and Hindi should be at the top of the list! These are some of the most spoken languages throughout the world, and are very advantageous for people living in Asia. Japanese and Mandarin can be tough to learn, but equally interesting and fun. Watching some Japanese animé can definitely be part of your journey. Likewise, Hindi is a beautiful language and can be learnt through much practice, with the help of some Bollywood movies of course! For Sinhala speakers, the ancient Sanskrit roots shared by both languages will aid in gaining proficiency.
As for the language of Sinhala, it has been repeatedly categorised as one of the hardest languages to learn. So if you are extremely fluent in Sinhala, it’s time to consider yourself lucky!
