Language learning comes with unique challenges; however, learning some languages is easier for fluent English speakers to become proficient in than for other language speakers.
In this article, there are 10 languages that English speakers can learn quickly.
1. Norwegian
Like English, Norwegian, or “Norsk,” is a Germanic language, which makes it easier for English speakers to learn. It shares quite a bit of vocabulary with English, and unlike some Germanic languages, the pronunciation of most Norwegian words is fairly straightforward.
2. Spanish
Spanish is relatively easy for English speakers to learn because many English words stem from Latin, the same as Spanish. Spanish also uses the same alphabet as English, and many words are pronounced as they are spelled.
3. French
French is easy for English speakers because of the large vocabulary it shares with the English language. It is important to note that nearly thirty percent of English words are of French origin.
4. Italian
Many English speakers are familiar with Italian words due to the global popularity of Italian cuisine and culture, providing a built-in vocabulary base. Additionally, Italian shares Latin roots with English, resulting in numerous cognates that ease vocabulary acquisition.
5. Portuguese
Just like the English language, the Portuguese language uses the same Latin alphabet, with only a few additional accented characters to learn. The two languages share numerous cognates due to their common Latin roots and historical influences, making vocabulary acquisition easier.
6. Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a Germanic language, and its vocabulary is strikingly similar to that of the English language. It is interesting to know that Afrikaans have no verb conjugations (i.e., throw, threw, thrown) nor grammatical genders.
7. Swedish
One reason Swedish is one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn is the large number of cognates the two languages share. For instance, “grass” is gräs in Swedish — a clear cognate. Swedish also has relatively simple grammar rules and is in a similar word order to English.
8. Dutch
Like English, Dutch sentences generally follow a subject-verb-object order. For example, “I eat an apple” in Dutch is “Ik eet een appel”—almost identical in structure. This grammatical similarity significantly reduces the learning curve, enabling English speakers to form correct sentences more quickly and confidently than with many other languages.
9. Indonesian
If you’re interested in learning an Asian language, Indonesian has several qualities that make it a logical choice for English speakers; for instance, it is one of the only Asian languages that use the Latin alphabet.
10. Swahili
Swahili words often sound just like they’re spelled, and the pronunciation is relatively easy for English speakers to pick up. It’s said to be the easiest African language for English natives to learn, partially because of the surprising amount of loan words taken from English, like penseli (“pencil”) and mashine (“machine”).
In conclusion, learning a new language can be a rewarding journey, and choosing one that is similar to English can make the process smoother.
