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Easiest language?

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starlagurl	Mar 18 2009, 03:35 PM Post #1
Rolling Stone Group: Local Expert Posts: 14509 Joined: 5-November 07 From: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Member No.: 103914	What's the easiest language for a native English speaker to learn? -------------------- My most recent blog: A trip to Toronto that turned into a trip to Niagara

mmbcross	Mar 18 2009, 04:20 PM Post #2
Tripper Group: Local Expert Posts: 2002 Joined: 4-June 06 Member No.: 2195	It certainly isn't Welsh! -------------------- .

polydemic	Mar 18 2009, 07:50 PM Post #3
Tourist Group: Members Posts: 586 Joined: 14-July 08 From: Seattle, Washington, USA Member No.: 212482 Nominate me as a Local Expert	I found Spanish easy to learn because of the simple sentence structure & many similarities between Latin-based words. Another, I believe, is Dutch because it's one of the languages closely related to English. I never learned it but bought a phrase book before visiting the Netherlands. example: Wat is dit? = What is this? -------------------- All the earth is my home and each nation a different room in the same house.

jeremystravels	Mar 18 2009, 08:08 PM Post #4
Commuter Group: Local Expert Posts: 613 Joined: 26-July 08 From: Dayton, Ohio Member No.: 217489	QUOTE(polydemic @ Mar 18 2009, 08:50 PM) Another, I believe, is Dutch because it's one of the languages closely related to English. I never learned it but bought a phrase book before visiting the Netherlands. That's funny because, as a native English speaker, I was thoroughly confused by Dutch the most! -------------------- Local Expert for Ohio, USA Next Countries: May 2010: Banff National Park - Canada Planning RTW in 2010-2011 for Asia and South America - coverage here

sianeth	Mar 19 2009, 06:51 AM Post #5
Jet Setter Group: Local Expert Posts: 2643 Joined: 9-June 07 From: Edinburgh, Scotland Member No.: 60100	I've heard German is meant to be the easiest, as the structure of the language is supposedly quite similar... probably like Dutch. From my personal experience I'm tempted to say French though.

sianeth	Mar 19 2009, 06:51 AM Post #6
Jet Setter Group: Local Expert Posts: 2643 Joined: 9-June 07 From: Edinburgh, Scotland Member No.: 60100	QUOTE(jeremystravels @ Mar 19 2009, 01:08 AM) QUOTE(polydemic @ Mar 18 2009, 08:50 PM) Another, I believe, is Dutch because it's one of the languages closely related to English. I never learned it but bought a phrase book before visiting the Netherlands. That's funny because, as a native English speaker, I was thoroughly confused by Dutch the most! I second this!!

rbisset	Mar 19 2009, 07:51 AM Post #7
Planet Pioneer Group: Local Expert Posts: 2215 Joined: 3-May 06 From: Guildford, UK Member No.: 692	QUOTE(sianeth @ Mar 19 2009, 11:51 AM) I've heard German is meant to be the easiest, as the structure of the language is supposedly quite similar... probably like Dutch. From my personal experience I'm tempted to say French though. French? Hell No! -------------------- My Travelogue Rich

mmbcross	Mar 19 2009, 09:50 AM Post #8
Tripper Group: Local Expert Posts: 2002 Joined: 4-June 06 Member No.: 2195	Does anyone know anything about Esperanto? It seems to have died out as an international language. -------------------- .

starlagurl	Mar 19 2009, 10:43 AM Post #9
Rolling Stone Group: Local Expert Posts: 14509 Joined: 5-November 07 From: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Member No.: 103914	http://www.travelpod.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=6295 -------------------- My most recent blog: A trip to Toronto that turned into a trip to Niagara

ScottWoz	Apr 8 2009, 11:25 AM Post #10
Rolling Stone Group: Local Expert Posts: 6745 Joined: 24-December 04 From: Burma to Cambodia Member No.: 124	Enjoy the 'Spanish' conjugations! -------------------- Woz.. Living on a string of one-way tickets - currently kicking about in: southern Cambodia

rbisset	Apr 9 2009, 04:53 AM Post #11
Planet Pioneer Group: Local Expert Posts: 2215 Joined: 3-May 06 From: Guildford, UK Member No.: 692	Bahasa Indonesian/Malay is supposed to be very easy to learn. -------------------- My Travelogue Rich

raniroo	Apr 9 2009, 05:34 AM Post #12
Sightseer Group: Local Expert Posts: 946 Joined: 25-September 06 From: Sydney Member No.: 19411	French (although I read much better than the basic words I know), spanish (similar to french as it is latin based). I found Thai hard to learn (more in terms of the 5 different pitches used!) -------------------- If you really look like your passport photo, you need the holiday! "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

ScottWoz	Apr 9 2009, 10:10 AM Post #13
Rolling Stone Group: Local Expert Posts: 6745 Joined: 24-December 04 From: Burma to Cambodia Member No.: 124	I'm struggling with Thai right now. Getting there of course but it's the tones that are killing me. Found Spanish far more easier. It's still great fun though.. -------------------- Woz.. Living on a string of one-way tickets - currently kicking about in: southern Cambodia

aopaq	Apr 10 2009, 02:59 AM Post #14
Tripper Group: Local Expert Posts: 1919 Joined: 31-May 06 Member No.: 893	QUOTE(ScottWoz @ Apr 9 2009, 11:10 AM) I'm struggling with Thai right now. Getting there of course but it's the tones that are killing me. Found Spanish far more easier. It's still great fun though.. I can concur as I am experiencing the same problem with Mandarin (even though there are only 4 tones). Yes, Spanish is definitely much easier but I am being optimistic that my Chinese will improve even though it seems quite incremental at the moment!

raniroo	Apr 11 2009, 01:04 AM Post #15
Sightseer Group: Local Expert Posts: 946 Joined: 25-September 06 From: Sydney Member No.: 19411	QUOTE(ScottWoz @ Apr 9 2009, 10:10 AM) I'm struggling with Thai right now. Getting there of course but it's the tones that are killing me. Found Spanish far more easier. It's still great fun though.. I really enjoyed my short course in Thai and would love to continue with it at some stage (not using the language you forget it!) But as I have been travelling lately in french speaking countries I am going to sign up for french language again while I am in Dubai....might help me more if I get to West Africa! -------------------- If you really look like your passport photo, you need the holiday! "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

ScottWoz	Apr 11 2009, 01:15 AM Post #16
Rolling Stone Group: Local Expert Posts: 6745 Joined: 24-December 04 From: Burma to Cambodia Member No.: 124	Good stuff Rooby. Mandarin's moving high up on my list these days too.. -------------------- Woz.. Living on a string of one-way tickets - currently kicking about in: southern Cambodia

rbisset	Apr 14 2009, 03:39 AM Post #17
Planet Pioneer Group: Local Expert Posts: 2215 Joined: 3-May 06 From: Guildford, UK Member No.: 692	Mandarin doesn't seem that difficult. I think once you get your head around the tones and get a few hundred words memorised then you should start seeing real improvement. Sentences seem to be right no matter what order the words are in! Reading is a different matter though! -------------------- My Travelogue Rich

introducinlyric	Aug 21 2009, 10:06 AM Post #18
Rolling Stone Group: Local Expert Posts: 5348 Joined: 24-May 07 From: Sydney, Australia Member No.: 56605	French- is hard! i struggled with it and gave up German - found German relatively easy although everyone else i know who has tried their hand at German has found it difficult i want to learn Italian and or Spanish im leaning towards Italian though -------------------- Do You Want The Truth or Something Beautiful?

kili-kelly	Dec 9 2009, 02:01 AM Post #19
Tourist Group: Local Expert Posts: 520 Joined: 24-September 09 Member No.: 375741	German was easy for me to learn. Swahili is an easy language, too. Thai is on the other end of the spectrum, I have literally had a magnifying glass out trying to distinguish the difference between a few of the Thai characters. It is such a lovely language to hear spoken though, especially by women.

andrewjerome	Jul 16 2011, 04:53 AM Post #20
Wanderer Group: Members Posts: 12 Joined: 16-June 10 Member No.: 1080011 Nominate me as a Local Expert	This website is great for answering this question: http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/e/lan...-languages.html I have to agree about Spanish though - I'm learning it now and it is easier to pick up than German, which I've also learnt.

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