Lingoo is home to countless languages, which makes the prospect of choosing a second, third or even fourth language to learn quite challenging. But with our network, anything is possible. And our language exchanges and homestays are the best, most immersive experiences for successful and enjoyable language learning.
Whatever your age or experience – remember you’re never too old or too young to learn – learning a new language unlocks a number of rewards as well as a lifelong skill. But the question is, which language is the right one for you? Here our experts share their top tips for choosing the right next language.
Take a hint from what’s popular
The latest statistics reveal that Chinese is by far the most spoken language in the world, with 1.28 billion speakers globally. Spanish, English, Arabic, Hindi, Bengali, Portuguese and Russian follow. But should you really choose your next language based on popularity?
For those looking to improve their job prospects with the addition of a new language to their CV, seeing what excels in the popularity stakes may be worthwhile. Companies are increasingly looking to recruit bilingual and multilingual speakers to satisfy the needs of their globally based clients. With language popularity also comes a whole new market for corporate players.
Use your bucket list as motivation
Everyone has a list of places they’d like to visit, so why not use this to decide which language would be the most beneficial to learn? Although many foreign countries have mastered English speaking to cater to visiting tourists, having a truly authentic travel experience is all about going off the beaten track. Make that adventure possible and more enjoyable by speaking as the natives do.
Rate the difficulty level of your next language
Some people have a natural ability to pick up new skills, including learning a foreign language quickly. Yet it’s a fact that some languages are more difficult to learn than others. For example, English speakers wanting to learn a useful, European language could find German a relatively simple step up as the English and German languages are closely related. Crosswalk.com offers some great advice when rating the difficulty level of your shortlisted languages:
“Some have more trouble with the sounds but are great at adapting to the new grammar and vocabulary. Others have difficulty with both areas. If English is your first language, certain languages will be easier to learn because they correlate more closely with our own grammar, characters, or vocabulary. If you do not pick up languages easily, you probably do not want to start with more difficult languages such as Hebrew or Mandarin Chinese, which rely on characters entirely different than our own.”
Explore your interests and aspirations
As we mentioned previously, a number of individuals learn another language to boost their employability. But there are many more reasons why people choose to head back to the classroom or book a homestay to start studying again. Whether you are planning to move overseas, have always been intrigued by the culture of a certain country, or would like to take a gap year, these influences will help you decide which is the right next language for you. Taking note of your past is also worthwhile. Did a grandparent or ancestor speak a language or originate from another country? Let your past, present and future be your guide.
Click here to search for all the different languages spoken by Lingoo language hosts.
