Several experiments have proven that learning a second language is naturally difficult. Learners have no other options to escape those complexities. But, the level of difficulty varies depending on your target language. We have narrowed down a list of the 5 easiest languages to learn for English speakers.
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What Makes a Language Easy to Learn?
Your native language:
People speak thousands of languages worldwide. But, all of them have come from a few language families. For example, English has come from a West Germanic language family. From this aspect, any Germanic language will be easier to learn for English speakers. In contrast, a language from a different root will be harder for them to learn.
Your familiarity with other languages:
You can learn your familiar languages effortlessly. For example, if you have Spanish speaking friends or co-workers, you can learn this language comparatively easier. Perhaps, they speak with other Spanish speakers frequently in front of you. So, you are already familiar with Spanish conversations. As a result, the fear of learning Spanish will not affect you.
Your pronunciation:
Languages from the same family usually have similar sounds. So, learning a language will be easier if it already sounds like your mother tongue. That’s why English speakers can learn Dutch fluently. Moreover, people with excellent pronunciation skills can learn any language easily. If you are an active listener and can copy a sound after hearing it, you don’t have to face many difficulties.
Your talents as a language learner:
Some people have natural skills for learning languages faster. They can easily grasp the grammar and phrases of a language and can apply them instantly. If you are one of them, learning a new language will not be laborious. As an English speaker, your learning can be oversimplified if your target language has the same grammatical structure. Besides, your talent also plays a big role here.
5 of the Easiest Languages to Learn for English speakers:
1. Spanish:
Spanish is a prevalent language with 559 million speakers. It is spoken in 20 countries in the world. The origin of this language is Vulgar Latin, a dialect of spoken Latin. Both English and Spanish have the same alphabet. You will even notice many similar words because of their Indo-European roots. Moreover, English and Spanish have the same capitalization and punctuation, and pluralization methods. So, most native English speakers can comfortably learn Spanish.
2. Italian:
Italian is the official language of Italy and is also spoken in Switzerland, Vatican City, San Marino, Albania, Croatia, Monaco, Uruguay, and Slovenia. About 62 million people in the world speak Italian. The language originated from Latin with many intact features. It has the same alphabet as English. Besides, both languages have many common words. Their parts of speech are also the same which makes Italian an easy language to learn for English speakers.
3. French:
French is spoken in 29 countries as the second language. About 275 million people speak French around the world. It is a Romance language which evolved from Gallo Romance. Both French and English use the same alphabet. Many French words are already included in English vocabulary. In the case of grammar, both languages have the same parts of speech. So, French can be an easier language to learn for English speakers.
4. Portuguese:
Portuguese is also a widespread language spoken by 200 million people in the world. It is the official language of ten countries at present. The root of this language is Latin. So, it uses the same Latin alphabet as English. Many Portuguese words are even used in English. Both languages have the same terminology and syntax. Besides, their grammatical rules are the same in many cases. For these reasons, English speakers can easily learn Portuguese.
5. Dutch:
Dutch is the official language of six European nations. It is spoken by 23 million people in the world. It is a West Germanic language like English. So, Dutch is the easiest language to learn on this list for English speakers. Both languages have the same alphabet. Many Dutch words are already used in English. Dutch words are easier to pronounce for English speakers. Both languages have many grammatical similarities, particularly in the verb system. So, you don’t have to struggle a lot to learn Dutch.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which is the most challenging language to learn for English speakers?
Mandarin Chinese is the most challenging language for English speakers. It is harder for people who are native to Latin-based languages because of the complex writing method and subtle tonal nature. Research from FSI reveals that an English speaker takes at least 88 weeks to learn the language.
2. Why is learning a second language so hard?
Our brain takes time to build a new cognitional structure for acclimatizing to a new language. Besides, many learners fail to keep their learning consistent which is unavoidable for effective learning. For many other reasons like these, learning a second language is tough.
3. How quickly can you learn a language?
Your learning progress depends on several things, including your native language, learning capabilities, and the learning environment. According to FSI, most learners usually take 480 hours at least to learn a new language.
4. Can you learn two languages simultaneously?
Yes, you can. Our brain can manage to learn two languages at once. Many language learners have already done it successfully. But, you need to double your effort in the case of learning two languages at the same time.
Final thought:
English speakers can fall into trouble while learning a second language. But, they have to go through fewer difficulties in order to learn a language relevant to English. You can learn the above languages under native tutors. This online learning platform provides high-quality language learning resources and guidelines to master these languages.
Rhydian Choi 
Kim Marks