Top Foreign Languages To Learn

Choose To Learn A Foreign Language Wisely

"What are the top foreign languages to learn?" is probably the most frequent question I get asked by people who just start to learn a foreign language.

The assumption behind this question is usually that learning any language is an endlessly tiring task. For many, it's a lot like asking "Which mountain should I climb first? The Everest or the Kilimanjaro?" But what if I told you that you can master any language you set out to learn within 6 to 12 months? Would the choice of languages still be a problem?

You may be working on one or even several languages already, then it's good that you know which languages you want to master. But if you don't, you might be tempted to ask questions like "which are the top foreign languages to learn", and "which language is the most useful?", "which one should I start off learning?"

Some might tell you "of course it depends on what your goal is". But I'm sure that's not the answer you'd like to hear.

If you have asked those questions, I'd imagine that you don't have a particular desire for a specific language but just want some general advice. Or you just want to be able to pick up any language as fast as you can.

What if I tell you the difference between them is negligible once you apply some proper techniques? What if learning any language is just as easy as learning another? Which one would you pick then?

The truth of the matter is, you shouldn't just listen to someone who's had a good or bad experience with a certain language. Just because someone else can't handle Chinese doesn't mean you can't. Everybody, based on their background and social experience, has different affinity and levels of exposure to different languages. By the way, did you know that Chinese is one of the easiest languages, as far as the complexity of a language is concerned.

The reason why many people find learning Chinese such a traumatizing experience is because it is not like other alphabet-based languages. Asking a native English speaker to switch to a tonal language all of a sudden is indeed very demanding.

But for a new-born baby, speaking a tonal language with little grammar could be easier than speaking a precise alphabet- based language with a huge vocabulary and stringent grammar rules such as German.

All those being said, the top foreign languages to learn are:

Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Arabic, Russian

Those include the official languages of the United Nations. Since you're reading this, I assume your command of English is already beyond "basic". As for German, let's face it, 25% of the European population speak it; it is the 2nd most popular internet language. The reason it is not listed in one of the official United Nations language is more political than anything else, i.e. it should be one of the top foreign languages to learn.

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