What Language Should I Learn?

magnifique<\/i>! French is one of the most widely-spoken romance languages, second only to Spanish. And there are plenty of reasons to learn French, whether you\u2019re in it for the fun, the travel opportunities, or work.

Case in point: there are 29 French-speaking countries worldwide (thanks to French colonization). Beyond that, French is considered the language of culture\u2014unsurprising, considering France\u2019s influence over culture (and cuisine) around the world.

The downside is that pronunciation can be tricky compared to other languages; words don\u2019t always sound like they appear. Still, French is an amazing language for anyone who wants to feel a little more cultured\u2014so give it a try!

French-speaking countries to visit:<\/b> France, Belgium, Switzerland, Morocco, Ivory Coast, and French-speaking Quebec (in Canada)","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-French-Fast"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Learn French Fast","id":1627495,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-French-Fast","relUrl":"\/Learn-French-Fast","image":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/20\/Learn-French-Fast-Step-10.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Learn-French-Fast-Step-10.jpg","alt":"How to Learn French Fast"},{"title":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language","id":12024,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","relUrl":"\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","image":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/70\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg","alt":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language"}],"minimum":0,"image":"Speak-French-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","image_url":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/83\/Speak-French-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/-crop-460-329-439px-Speak-French-Step-1-Version-2.jpg"},{"number":2,"text":"You should learn Spanish.","meaning":"Based on your answers, you should learn Spanish. Learning Spanish is a great investment\u2014it\u2019s one of the most-spoken languages in the world and the third most used on the internet.

It\u2019s obviously the language of Spain and is widely spoken in the Americas, but it\u2019s also spread to Africa and Asia\u2014all due to Spain\u2019s colonial expansion hundreds of years ago. There are a total of 21 Spanish-speaking countries and even more with a significant number of Spanish-speaking people.

Spanish is also one of the romance languages: languages directly derived from Vulgar Latin. And, since both Spanish and English use words originating from Latin, there are plenty of similar-sounding words between the two\u2014not to mention that Spanish pronunciation is usually quite straightforward. So, what are you waiting for? Vamos! (Let\u2019s go!)

Spanish-speaking countries to visit:<\/b> Spain, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Colombia, Argentina (and many others)","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-Spanish-Fast"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Learn Spanish Fast","id":2850873,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-Spanish-Fast","relUrl":"\/Learn-Spanish-Fast","image":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/fd\/Learn-Spanish-Fast-Step-16.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Learn-Spanish-Fast-Step-16.jpg","alt":"How to Learn Spanish Fast"},{"title":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language","id":12024,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","relUrl":"\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","image":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/70\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg","alt":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language"}],"minimum":0,"image":"Learn-Spanish-Fast-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","image_url":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/fb\/Learn-Spanish-Fast-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/-crop-460-329-439px-Learn-Spanish-Fast-Step-5-Version-2.jpg"},{"number":3,"text":"You should learn Japanese.","meaning":"Japanese isn\u2019t widely spoken outside of Japan\u2014but if you\u2019re interested in Japan and want to travel there, Japanese is absolutely the language to learn!

Studying Japanese can help familiarize you with Japanese culture, cuisine, customs, and technology; as you learn, you\u2019ll understand Japan better as a whole. And, should you visit Japan, the locals may appreciate your efforts to speak the language, making it easier to bond with the people you meet!

Sure, Japanese is a whole other alphabet to master, but once you get the hang of it, you may have an easier time with other languages; Japanese uses some Chinese characters and has similar grammar to Korean. So, embrace the challenge and give Japanese your best shot. We believe in you!

Japanese-speaking countries to visit:<\/b> Japan - it\u2019s the only country with Japanese as the national language, although there are large bases of Japanese speakers in Brazil, the U.S., Australia, and Thailand.","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-Japanese"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Learn Japanese","id":20806,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-Japanese","relUrl":"\/Learn-Japanese","image":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/ca\/Learn-Japanese-Step-10-Version-2.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Learn-Japanese-Step-10-Version-2.jpg","alt":"How to Learn Japanese"},{"title":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language","id":12024,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","relUrl":"\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","image":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/70\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg","alt":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language"}],"minimum":0,"image":"Say-Hello-in-Japanese-Step-10-Version-3.jpg","image_url":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/99\/Say-Hello-in-Japanese-Step-10-Version-3.jpg\/-crop-460-329-439px-Say-Hello-in-Japanese-Step-10-Version-3.jpg"},{"number":4,"text":"You should learn German.","meaning":"Based on your answers, you should learn German! If it isn\u2019t totally obvious from the name, German is a Germanic language\u2014and so is English. That means German can actually be a little easier for English-speakers to grasp than some other languages, and many German words sound similar to their English equivalents.

On the other hand, German grammar is where things can get challenging, with four cases, three genders, and many irregular verbs to learn. Still, if you don\u2019t mind that (or really enjoy studying grammar), then there are plenty of benefits to knowing German!

For one thing, you can visit Germany (and other countries in Europe) and speak like a local. Plus, German is actually a pretty popular language in the world of business\u2014and knowing it makes other Germanic languages like Dutch and Scandinavian easier to learn, too.

German-speaking countries to visit:<\/b> Germany, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Read-Basic-German"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Read Basic German","id":548988,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Read-Basic-German","relUrl":"\/Read-Basic-German","image":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/5f\/Read-Basic-German-Step-12.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Read-Basic-German-Step-12.jpg","alt":"How to Read Basic German"},{"title":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language","id":12024,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","relUrl":"\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","image":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/70\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg","alt":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language"}],"minimum":0,"image":"Speak-German-Step-13-Version-2.jpg","image_url":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/7a\/Speak-German-Step-13-Version-2.jpg\/-crop-460-329-439px-Speak-German-Step-13-Version-2.jpg"},{"number":5,"text":"You should learn Mandarin Chinese.","meaning":"Mandarin Chinese is the second most widely spoken language in the world\u2014which is one of the many reasons why you should learn it! Of course, Mandarin is actually a set of Chinese dialects rather than a standalone language, and that can make it tricky for English speakers to get the hang of, but it\u2019s well worth the extra brainpower.

If you\u2019re business-savvy, knowing Mandarin is definitely a plus. Lots of businesses with international ties value having Mandarin-speaking employees! And, of course, if you get bitten by the travel bug, knowing Mandarin might help you explore Mandarin-speaking countries.

Good luck, future Mandarin speakers! You have a challenge ahead of you, but you\u2019re totally up for it\u2014we have absolute faith in you.

Mandarin-speaking countries to visit:<\/b> Singapore, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-Mandarin-Chinese"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language"}],"link_data":[{"title":"The Best Way to Learn Mandarin","id":157126,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-Mandarin-Chinese","relUrl":"\/Learn-Mandarin-Chinese","image":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/15\/Learn-Mandarin-Chinese-Step-13-Version-2.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Learn-Mandarin-Chinese-Step-13-Version-2.jpg","alt":"The Best Way to Learn Mandarin"},{"title":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language","id":12024,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","relUrl":"\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","image":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/70\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg","alt":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language"}],"minimum":0,"image":"Learn-Mandarin-Chinese-Step-5-Version-4.jpg","image_url":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/db\/Learn-Mandarin-Chinese-Step-5-Version-4.jpg\/-crop-460-329-439px-Learn-Mandarin-Chinese-Step-5-Version-4.jpg"},{"number":6,"text":"You should learn Arabic.","meaning":"Arabic has come a long way over the centuries, and now it\u2019s the official language of the Arab League\u2014a coalition of 22 countries, including Egypt and Jordan. Not to mention that most texts in the Islamic faith are written in Arabic, and many Muslims speak it.

Based on your answers, you should learn Arabic, too! It\u2019s becoming an increasingly widely spoken language, and being fluent can definitely help you visit Arabic-speaking travel destinations.

Arabic is definitely a challenging language for English speakers to learn; it has an absolutely enormous vocabulary and an alphabet that\u2019s completely different from the English one. Still, there are a few similarities between English and Arabic, including the fact that they both use linguistic forms (nouns, verbs, and so on). So, take the plunge and study this rich, fascinating language!

Arabic-speaking countries to visit:<\/b> Egypt, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Speak-Arabic"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Learn Arabic","id":127469,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Speak-Arabic","relUrl":"\/Speak-Arabic","image":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/4c\/Speak-Arabic-Step-16.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Speak-Arabic-Step-16.jpg","alt":"How to Learn Arabic"},{"title":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language","id":12024,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","relUrl":"\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","image":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/70\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg","alt":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language"}],"minimum":0,"image":"Speak-Arabic-Step-4-Version-3.jpg","image_url":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c1\/Speak-Arabic-Step-4-Version-3.jpg\/-crop-460-329-439px-Speak-Arabic-Step-4-Version-3.jpg"},{"number":7,"text":"You should learn Italian.","meaning":"Italian is spoken by over 63 million people, especially in the lovely country of Italy! While learning a new language is always a challenge, this language\u2019s Latin roots mean there are many cognates (words spelled and pronounced similarly to their English counterparts).

For example, there\u2019s concerto<\/i> (concert), foresta<\/i> (forest), intelligenza<\/i> (intelligence), televisione<\/i> (television), and many more. Brillante<\/i> (brilliant), right?

Plus, it\u2019s worth learning Italian if only for the fabulous food. Italian cuisine is a mainstay in so many different Western countries\u2014and once you learn the language, you can order dishes like pasta alla carbonara (bacon and egg pasta) or pasta all\u2019arrabiata (angry pasta) just like a local!

Italian-speaking countries to visit:<\/b> Italy, Vatican City, Switzerland, San Marino, and Croatia","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-Any-Language"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Learn Any Language","id":67111,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-Any-Language","relUrl":"\/Learn-Any-Language","image":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/77\/Learn-Any-Language-Step-09.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Learn-Any-Language-Step-09.jpg","alt":"How to Learn Any Language"},{"title":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language","id":12024,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","relUrl":"\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","image":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/70\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg","alt":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language"}],"minimum":0,"image":"Learn-to-Speak-Italian-Step-9.jpg","image_url":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/eb\/Learn-to-Speak-Italian-Step-9.jpg\/-crop-460-329-439px-Learn-to-Speak-Italian-Step-9.jpg"},{"number":8,"text":"You should learn Dutch.","meaning":"Based on your answers, you should learn Dutch\u2014the language spoken in the Netherlands. Dutch is actually considered one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn, more so than French, Spanish, or any of the romance languages.

That\u2019s because Dutch is a Germanic language, and so is English! The two languages are more closely related than others, with similar verbs and relatively simple grammar. So, if you want to learn a new language without much of a struggle, Dutch is the way to go.

By the way: Dutch and English aren\u2019t the only Germanic languages. Other languages that are relatively easy for English speakers include Norwegian, Swedish, and\u2014no surprises here\u2014German.

Dutch-speaking countries to visit:<\/b> The Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Speak-Basic-Dutch"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Speak Basic Dutch","id":1414011,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Speak-Basic-Dutch","relUrl":"\/Speak-Basic-Dutch","image":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/05\/Speak-Basic-Dutch-Step-16.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Speak-Basic-Dutch-Step-16.jpg","alt":"How to Speak Basic Dutch"},{"title":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language","id":12024,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","relUrl":"\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","image":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/70\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg","alt":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language"}],"minimum":0,"image":"Speak-Basic-Dutch-Step-16.jpg","image_url":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/05\/Speak-Basic-Dutch-Step-16.jpg\/-crop-460-329-439px-Speak-Basic-Dutch-Step-16.jpg"},{"number":9,"text":"You should learn Portuguese.","meaning":"Based on your answers, you should study Portuguese! It\u2019s spoken in Portugal (naturally) as well as in countries in the Americas, Africa, and beyond.

It\u2019s also a romance language, meaning it\u2019s derived from Latin, the same as Spanish, French, and a few other languages\u2014and learning one makes it way easier to learn others. So, by learning Portuguese, you\u2019d also be getting a leg up if you decide to study another romance language!

The main challenges of Portuguese are its different dialects; European versus Brazilian Portuguese can sound quite different and use different vocabularies. On the other hand, Portuguese has some similar pronunciations to English, which can be super helpful when you\u2019re learning.

Portuguese-speaking countries to visit:<\/b> Portugal (and the Azores), Brazil, Cape Verde, Macau, and Mozambique","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Speak-Brazilian-Portuguese"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language"}],"link_data":[{"title":"A Beginner's Guide to Brazilian Portuguese","id":1356642,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Speak-Brazilian-Portuguese","relUrl":"\/Speak-Brazilian-Portuguese","image":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/fe\/Speak-Brazilian-Portuguese-Step-24-Version-2.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Speak-Brazilian-Portuguese-Step-24-Version-2.jpg","alt":"A Beginner's Guide to Brazilian Portuguese"},{"title":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language","id":12024,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","relUrl":"\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","image":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/70\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg","alt":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language"}],"minimum":0,"image":"Speak-Brazilian-Portuguese-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","image_url":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2f\/Speak-Brazilian-Portuguese-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/-crop-460-329-439px-Speak-Brazilian-Portuguese-Step-5-Version-2.jpg"},{"number":10,"text":"You should learn Hindi.","meaning":"Hindi is one of the world\u2019s most widely spoken languages overall\u2014with even higher numbers of speakers than languages like Spanish or French. And if you\u2019re someone who wants to visit India (or another Hindi-speaking country), it\u2019s definitely the language to learn!

Hindi can definitely be a challenge to learn, as most new languages are, but it\u2019s not as hard as you might assume. As an English speaker, you may struggle with the language\u2019s complex grammar system. On the upside, however, Hindi is a phonetic language, meaning words are generally pronounced as they appear!

Plus, learning Hindi means you\u2019ll be able to experience a world of thrilling Bollywood movies (since the film industry is absolutely enormous in India), not to mention accompanying songs and music. And Hindi has similarities to Urdu, so learning one makes the other easier to learn, too. In the end, learning a language just takes time and practice\u2026so let\u2019s get started!

Hindi-speaking countries to visit:<\/b> India, Fiji, and Nepal","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-Hindi"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Learn Hindi","id":1132705,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-Hindi","relUrl":"\/Learn-Hindi","image":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c1\/Learn-Hindi-Step-22-Version-3.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Learn-Hindi-Step-22-Version-3.jpg","alt":"How to Learn Hindi"},{"title":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language","id":12024,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","relUrl":"\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language","image":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/70\/Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Teach-Yourself-a-New-Language-Step-20.jpg","alt":"How to Teach Yourself a New Language"}],"minimum":0,"image":"Learn-Hindi-Step-12-Version-3.jpg","image_url":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d1\/Learn-Hindi-Step-12-Version-3.jpg\/-crop-460-329-439px-Learn-Hindi-Step-12-Version-3.jpg"}]" class="quiz_results_data"/><\/picture>","alt":"What TV Show Should I Watch Quiz"},{"title":"What's My Perfect Vacation Spot Quiz","id":14810696,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Perfect-Vacation-Place-Quiz","relUrl":"\/Perfect-Vacation-Place-Quiz","image":"<\/picture>","alt":"What's My Perfect Vacation Spot Quiz"},{"title":"What Should I Be When I Grow Up Quiz","id":14072241,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/What-Should-I-Be-when-I-Grow-Up","relUrl":"\/What-Should-I-Be-when-I-Grow-Up","image":"<\/picture>","alt":"What Should I Be When I Grow Up Quiz"}],"number":1},{"text":"I want to take more language-related quizzes!","result":"Cool! Here are a few language-related quizzes for you!","next_quizzes":[{"title":"Guess the Language Quiz","id":14852152,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Guess-the-Language","relUrl":"\/Guess-the-Language","image":"<\/picture>","alt":"Guess the Language Quiz"},{"title":"Which American Dialect Do I Have Quiz","id":14231648,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Dialect-Quiz","relUrl":"\/Dialect-Quiz","image":"<\/picture>","alt":"Which American Dialect Do I Have Quiz"},{"title":"Do You Understand Body Language Quiz","id":14912967,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Body-Language-Quiz","relUrl":"\/Body-Language-Quiz","image":"<\/picture>","alt":"Do You Understand Body Language Quiz"}],"number":2}]}" class="quiz_questionnaire_data"/>