Posted by French speakers who want to study another language may be curious about alternatives. The good news is that certain languages are not too difficult to learn.
However, we must first understand a little bit about the French language to determine which language is the simplest for French people to learn.
There are more than 300 million native speakers of French worldwide, and it is recognized as an official language in 28 other nations in addition to France. How close is it, however, and does this make learning other Romance languages simpler?
All Romance languages share similar grammatical patterns and vocabulary stems. The main distinctions between them are mostly lexical and phonological.
After Spanish and Portuguese, French is the third most popular Romance language, yet it is also the one that has evolved the most from Latin.
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7 Easiest Language To Learn For French Speakers
It will be simpler for students to pick up a language and culture if they are driven and interested in doing so. The extent to which it is spoken is another aspect. Here are 7 languages that French speakers find simpler to learn.
#1. Portuguese
Portuguese is another one of the languages that French speakers may learn the quickest. The vocabulary and syntax of the two languages are similar to one another.
For instance, Portuguese and French include gendered nouns and utilize the subject-verb-object (SVO) word order. Additionally, there are a lot of cognates that facilitate learning a new language.
Benefits For Learning French
It’s a nine-country language
Now almost 217 million individuals speak it if you consider Brazil and Portugal’s populations! Did you realize that people outside of Portugal also talk to Portuguese? The Comunidade dos Pases de Lngua Portuguesa, an association of nations where Portuguese is commonly spoken, has 9 members.
Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Cape Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and So Tomé and Prncipe are the members of this group.
If You’re Already Fluent In Spanish, French, and Italian.
Portuguese belongs to the Romance language family, similar to Spanish, French, and Italian. It will be simpler for you to learn Portuguese if you already speak one of these languages. Since all these languages have a common ancestor, you may discover some useful parallels in their grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
For instance, the Portuguese equivalent of hello is olá, whereas the Spanish equivalent is hola. The words for education are educazione in Italian, educazione in Portuguese, éducation in French, and educación in Spanish.
You would be able to tell that they all mean “education” since they all sound similar enough. In actuality, English is a language that has 60% of its vocabulary in common with French. You may find it easier to learn Portuguese if you do this!
There is little research on it.
You will stand out if you learn Portuguese. Since Spanish and French are two of the most popular second languages worldwide, they are taught in most schools. However, Portuguese is a unique language that is not often taught—at least not in English-speaking nations.
Although speaking Spanish or French with someone in your own country increases your chances of meeting them, learning Portuguese will allow you to tell a unique language that will set you apart from the crowd.
#2. Romanian
Romanian is not widely spoken; thus, it is not very popular as a second language, even though it may be one of the simplest languages for French speakers to learn. This makes it harder to discover materials (and native speakers to practice with). It is also more difficult to understand since it uses a case system.
Despite this, French speakers may learn it rather quickly because it is a lovely language. Other Romanian countries include Hungary, Israel, Serbia, Moldova, Ukraine, and Montenegro. 2 million speak Romanian outside of the country.
Benefits Of Learning Romanian
You Can Learn Romanian In No Time
Romanian is simple to learn; therefore, it stands to reason that it is also quick. You may easily become fluent in Romanian. The FSI described before only projects 580 hours, or 23 weeks, of study time. That settles the broad issue of how long it takes to learn Romanian. But you can do it much more quickly.
You may hasten your Romanian study if you use the appropriate strategies. You may quickly become fluent in Romanian by engaging in enjoyable activities, games, and immersion. Avoid letting the time commitment prevent you from taking advantage of the prospects Romanian may provide.
Discover Romania’s Wonderful Culture
Romania has a long history and many entertaining customs. You can do this like a native if you speak Romanian. You may ask locals in Romania for advice on places to visit, and things to do that aren’t usually accessible to tourists. Fluency in Romanian opens you additional chances and helps you find hidden treasures.
Study more Romance Languages
The fact that Romanian is a Romance language is not well known. Consequently, it shares a family tree with Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. Romanian is a wonderful place to start if you wish to study more than one foreign language.
Speaking Romanian well equips you with a wealth of grammar and vocabulary that will be useful while learning other Romance languages.
#3. Spanish
Spanish is the second most popular language in use today and is extremely close to French. There are numerous similarities between French and Spanish.
They both, for instance, use the Latin alphabet and have comparative grammar and syntax. Additionally, there are several cognates between the two languages.
Due to the many parallels between the two languages, learning Spanish is often simple for French speakers. As an added plus, Spanish is a phonetic language, unlike French.
It is simple to see why so many French speakers decide to learn Spanish as a second language in light of these factors.
Benefits Of Learning Spanish
Make Your Travels More Enjoyable And Intriguing.
There are 21 nations where Spanish is a recognized official language. Traveling across the beautiful countries of Spain and Latin America will be much simpler if you can communicate.
Your ability to communicate well in Spanish will be an invaluable tool for learning about the local cultures you will be visiting, which will greatly improve your overall travel experience.
Make Yourself More Appealing To Employers To Improve Your Chances Of Employment
A second language might assist you in getting access to career chances you might not have previously had.
Many occupations call for at least a rudimentary understanding of another language. In today’s interconnected world, your value as an employee increases with the number of individuals you can speak with. Your mastery of Spanish can increase your wage!
Get Ready For Study Abroad Opportunities
Numerous institutions, high schools, universities, and other organizations provide various exchange and study-abroad opportunities. It may be necessary for you to have completed a year or a semester of language study to take part.
You will have a huge advantage while studying abroad if you have learned the language before going to the nation, even if a study abroad program does not demand it. It will be simpler to meet people, do grocery and clothing shopping, dine out, and do many other necessary activities to help you enjoy your time abroad.
#4. Italian
Italian is another well-known and simple language for French speakers to learn. Italian is one of the simpler languages for French speakers to understand since it resembles French in certain aspects more than Spanish does.
Grammar in the two languages is quite similar. Compared to Spanish, Italian is more similar to French than Spanish, especially when considering how the past tense is formed and used. The passé composé is used in place of the preterite in French and Italian.
The major difference is how nouns are pluralized, which only requires a brief lesson. Like in French, the letter “s” is added in Spanish, while in Italian, the letter “e” or ” I ” is used instead. 5.
Benefits Of Learning Italian
Widens Your Options For Employment
It’s a well-known truth that more and more businesses are seeking bilingual workers. The workers and the company both benefit from multilingualism. You become more receptive to dialogue and beneficial for cross-border cooperation.
Strong cognitive abilities, improved idea formulation, multitasking, better listening, and superior problem-solving capabilities are all developed in bilinguals. By learning a new language, you may communicate with people more socially and inspire cooperation among your coworkers.
As It Is The Language Of Culture, History, And Art.
Italian is a language rich in history, art, and culture. Donatello, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci created works of art that profoundly altered the field of art. Archimedes rushed barefoot through the Italian streets while yelling, “Eureka.” Over 60% of the world’s artistic riches, according to UNESCO, are located in Italy.
There may be numerous little towns and communities that are exclusive to this planet, world heritage sites, and examples of the finest Italian philosophy, literature, archaeology, and art history.
Because Classical Music Is Also Spoken In It.
Italian is regarded as the musical language.
Music is always “forte” or “piano,” never loud or quiet. Italian is the language of opera and all musical terms. But how did Italian come to predominate in so much famous music? Italian composers are responsible for the earliest musical notation and marks, which were later applied to music from other parts of Europe.
#5. English
French was the dominant language in England for around 300 years, from the Norman invasion in 1066 until 1362, even though English is not a Romance language. As a result, several French terms made their way into the English language.
Given the extensive vocabulary exchange that occurs, learning English is often relatively simple for native French speakers. The grammatical structures of the two languages are comparable as well.
Of course, there are still a lot of difficulties for French speakers studying English. Since English is not a phonetic language and sometimes there are no feasible rules to follow, pronunciation is famously difficult. French also lacks a few sounds.
Despite this, there are many resources and practice partners accessible since English is such a widely spoken language. This will undoubtedly enhance language acquisition.
Benefits Of Learning English
Easy To Learn.
Relearning conjugation, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation in a new language are difficult. English grammar is simpler than other European languages, making it easier to master. There are two genders and one definite/indefinite article. So learning this language is easy. Vocabulary and pronunciation are difficult
Global Language
English is spoken in more nations than any other language, making it the most extensively used. Mandarin is still the most spoken first language. Commonwealth nations speak English. English is also the official language of diplomacy and a prevalent second language in Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway, and Denmark. Schools also teach English. 1 billion speak English, and 1 billion learn it.
It Aids Employment.
Many applicants make finding a job difficult. To get your ideal job, you need to stand out. Speaking a second language makes an application more desirable, particularly for high-level positions. It makes a person more employable by demonstrating that they have invested time and energy in studying a foreign language and can now express themselves well in English. Thus, it will distinguish them from other applicants without this value on their CV. Since English is the most common language in the workplace, companies want English speakers.
#6. German
There are numerous reasons why learning German might be simple, even if it isn’t the simplest language for French speakers to learn per se, owing to its closeness and use in the corporate sector.
German language and sounds will probably be familiar to any French speaker who lives in Alsace, so studying German looks like the natural option.
Although there are numerous differences between German and French, there are also some parallels, making it relatively simple for French speakers to pick up the fundamentals.
Benefits Of Learning German
Employment In Germany
Competent individuals from throughout the globe are drawn to Germany by its strong economy and favorable working circumstances. After the United States, Germany is the second most popular destination worldwide for job seekers.
Communicating
100 million people speak German in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. German is now one of the ten most spoken languages in the world and the mother tongue with the highest use in Europe.
The Original Works Of International Literature
Poets and philosophers are abundant in Germany. Those who like literature will want to read Faust by Goethe in its original form.
#7. Dutch
Dutch may be picked up pretty quickly by French speakers. Since it is Germanic, it is comparable to English and German, albeit you won’t have as much access to materials or native speakers to guide you.
Unlike French, Dutch grammar includes genders, but fortunately, this impacts sentences less. However, unlike German, there is no case system, making it in some respects simpler as well!
Benefits Of Learning Dutch
Earning Dutch is Generally Simple
Students of the Dutch language are sometimes shocked to learn how many Dutch terms they already know since the Dutch language generously sprinkles our lexicon.
In addition, Dutch is the closest cousin of our mother tongue; thus, many natural English speakers find it much simpler to learn Dutch than they would if they tried to learn Italian or Portuguese.
Go Exploring!
With 86% of the population able to communicate in English, the Netherlands is immensely English-friendly.
That shouldn’t be the reason you avoid using this mouthwatering language!
Aside from the Netherlands and its neighboring Belgium, Dutch is also widely spoken in Aruba, Sint Maarten, Curaçao, and Suriname.
What About Foreign Studying?
Even though the Netherlands offers 1,700 largely graduate-level programs taught in English, you may take Dutch language lessons open to international students, which can help you better understand Dutch culture.
Just of all the occasions, you will be able to take in more fully once you know the language!
Conclusion
Learning a new language is a great strategy to expand your horizons and improve your work prospects. The benefit of studying languages comparable to French is that you may build on what you already know, which will speed up your learning process.
