ImportanceofLanguages.com

Guide to Language Learning tips

Top Ways to Learn/ Study Languages

• Use a grammar book.

• Play Free Duolingo.

• Play Memrise.

• Ask questions on HiNative.

• Talk to natives.

• Watch Foreign movies.

• Read Foreign Language books.

• Read articles in your target language for your homework/projects.

• Keep a diary.

• Make Language flashcards.

• Make mind maps.

• Use mnemonics.

• Pretend to talk on the phone with someone in your target language.

• Make sentences with what you have around.

• Name everything around you when you’re bored.

• Sticky notes everywhere.

• Fake it till you make it.

• Make mistakes.

• Read comments from youtube.

• Learn poems.

• Translate texts.

• Read dictionaries. (Yes, read, not memorize)

• Play games.

• Think daily at least 10 minutes in your target language.

• Solve grammar exercises online.

• Read grammar explanations.

• Read on Matador articles related to your target language.

• Read vocab lists on tumblr.

• Watch youtube channels with natives.

• Copy-cat what you hear.

• Learn by heart different songs.

• Challenge yourself with more difficult tasks.

• Write a story with your new vocab.

• Translate from your target language to your native and the other way around.

• Make a summary for what you read. (in your target language)

• Find a language partner/pen pal.

• Join a group with learners.

• Talk on Skype.

• Read fanfiction.

• Listen to Forgien Language podcasts.

• Play Closemaster/WordBrewery/BabaDum.

• Teach someone else.

• Try online tests.

How do you start learning a foreign language?

1. The best way to learn a foreign language is to start young – the younger the better. Indeed, the ultimate goal of learning a foreign language is to be able to speak, not as if you were speaking a second language, but as a native speaker, and this can only really happen if you learn the language from a very young age. Of course, for many people, this is no longer an option.
2. Aside from the obvious step of taking formal classes, either in person or online, you can try immersing yourself in the foreign language.
3. There is a huge variety of foreign language MP3/Audio Books available.
4. Or find foreign language reading material in the language you are trying to learn. Of course, this will be easier if the foreign language is related to a langue you already know. For example, if you speak English you will recognize a lot of the words used in a French newspaper. If you pick up a newspaper written in Arabic, however, you would likely not even know where to begin.
5. No matter how you are attempting to learn a foreign language, the key is practice, practice and practice. Try to use the foreign language as much as possible, speak it, listen to it, and write it whenever you can. It is especially important to communicate with native speakers. Foreign languages are living, breathing skills that need to be used to thrive, so get out there and start talking maintenance!
6. Take your TimeTo learn a foreign language in a perfect way, you need to spend much more time in it. Reading, listening and speaking are the three most important factors of learning a language. Therefore, you need to read books, magazines, newspapers in that particular language. Listening to music and speaking will help you to improve your correct pronunciation
7. If possible, Travel to the Country where the language is spoken nativelyTravelling to that country where the language is spoken natively will give you a good experience. Being there will help you to understand their culture, tradition and their values with the language. In this way you will quickly get used to it, you will speak and pronounce the language as it is, you will behave in their body language, and you will also learn words which you will never learn in books because of regional accents.If you can’t locate any individual that talks your language nearby, aim to get in touch with a person on Skype. People in foreign countries are usually ready to exchange half a hr of speaking in their native tongue for half an hour of speaking in English. A Hello talk account is one more option.
8. Be a Member of Foreign Language CommunitiesAll languages have their communities and it is a good way to practice and learn your foreign language. It will help you to understand where like-minded people share their thoughts, ideas and opinions.You should connect with a native speaker. Hands down, the best method to discover a new language is to talk it. Too often, individuals spend all their time studying grammar and also memorizing listings of words as opposed to really heading out there and placing just what they’ve learned into technique. Talking with an actual, online individual will assist you to really feel a lot more inspired regarding learning the language compared to staring at a book or computer system screen.Search for a good friend or associate who speaks the language you wish to discover and that ‘d be willing to take a seat with you as well as help you exercise. As an alternative, you could possibly try placing ads in regional on the internet discussion forums or newspapers to locate a person to tutor you or participate in a language exchange.

How Long Will it Take Me to become Fluent a foreign Lanaguage?

It is very important to have the right expectation when you start to learn a language. How long it will take you to become fluent depends on a few factors:

Factor 1: What do you define as fluent?

“Fluent” means different things to different people. Do you want to sound indistinguishable from a native speaker? That is a feat that not everyone can achieve, and if you are to achieve it, it probably means you will have to move to the country where the language is spoken and immerse yourself for years.
But if you want to be able to have a well-flowing conversation with a native speaker, that will be possible in a much shorter time. You can learn up to 80% of a language relatively quickly, but the closer to 100% fluency you want to get, the more effort you have to put in.

So how long does it take you to get to 80%? It depends on the other factors below.

Factor 2: Which languages do you already speak, and which language do you want to learn?

If you are Japanese and want to learn Mandarin, you have the advantage that much of the Chinese characters (“Hanzi”) are very similar to the Japanese ones (“Kanji”).

If you already speak French, it is much easier to learn languages related to French, such as Spanish, Italian, Romanian and Portuguese. In the Netherlands, there are special Dutch classes and learning methods for people from Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. A German friend of mine picked up near-native sounding Dutch while playing with Dutch friends on the street.

Conversely, if you are a Westerner wanting to learn Chinese, it will take you much longer because of the totally different structure of the language and the lack of recognizable words. It is possible to learn the language, but it will take you at least double the time of learning a related language.

Factor 3: How much time and effort can you bring to the table?

Being realistic when you start out learning a language helps to avoid later quitting in disappointment. A major factor in learning languages is how much time you are willing and able to put into it. In mathematics, there may be wonderkids who can simply “get” complex equations almost instantly, but learning a language is hard work, even for the most gifted language learners.

Do not just count how much time you can spend sitting in a classroom, also think about how much time you can spend revising between classes. Are you in an environment where you HAVE TO speak the language? Do you have roommates whom you can only converse within the language you are learning? Do you watch movies or try to read books in the language you are learning? All of these things count towards your time spent learning and really help you to speed up the learning process.

Study the language every day.

People often claim to have studied a language “for 5 years” and also still not be fluent. Yet when they claim five years, they most likely suggest that they examined the language for only a number of hours a week over that whole time period. Let’s get one point clear– if you wish to learn a brand-new language promptly– that is, in the space of a few weeks or months– you’re going to need to commit to examining the language for a number of hrs daily.

Language learning is based on repeating– hammering something into your brain over and over once again up until you remember it. If you damage too lengthy in between study sessions, you are much more susceptible to forget just what you found out last time and also you will throw away beneficial study time going back over just what you’ve currently learned.

You could minimize this lost time by researching everyday. There are no amazing shortcuts when it comes to language discovering– you merely have to commit.
Learn the alphabet of the language you are discovering, if necessary. It will make it substantially much easier for you and you will be able to read and also pronounce words, which will aid you memorize them with greater ease. Plus, it is better for you to be sounding the words out rather than looking at the romanization for the words.

Factor 4: Are you passionate about the language? Are you good at learning languages?

In my life, I have taken classes in English, German, French, Spanish, Ancient Greek, Latin and Mandarin, and in each of these classes, I have seen some fellow learners pick up the language faster than others. It is a matter of how our brain works. Some people are simply better at reproducing sounds and seeing patterns in languages. It also helps if you have learnt other languages before, even if they are not related to the language you are learning. The 3rd language you learn will be easier than your 2nd language.

Conclusion
How fast you will become fluent in a certain language depends on a number of factors, such as:

What you define as being fluent;
How related the language is to your native language;
How much time and effort you can put into learning the language, and
Your passion and aptitude for learning languages.
You might have hoped to get a number from me as an answer to this question. To give a very broad estimate, I would say 80% fluency can be achieved in a matter of months if you dedicate yourself to it full-time (a few hours every day). If you only have a few hours every week, it will take you 1-2 years to hit the 80% mark.

Learn Languages Fast – Three Techniques to Learn Languages Faster

In this article, I will be sharing three of the best and easiest techniques I have to learn languages fast. Learning a new language can be a very exciting and fun journey, I’m sure. Some people, however, want to speed up the process and time it takes to learn languages fast.

Here are some tricks and techniques to help understand how to learn languages fast and easy. But these techniques will still require some time and effort on your part.

Technique 1: Focus on improving your memory skills

The strength of your memory skills is the most important factor when trying to learn languages fast. Most people don’t use their memory skills to their full potential that becomes a big obstacle when trying to learn languages fast.

One of the simplest techniques to increase memory ability is word association. Word association is learning new foreign words with similar words that you may already know. Try to divide the new words into syllables and find words in your vocabulary that that share similar sounds or remind you of every single syllable of the new foreign word you’re trying to learn.

Another easy technique is through repetition. Simply saying and writing a word over and over again. Repeat use of a word helps your memory’s ability to retain and remember that word.

Technique 2: Shorten the amount of time you study.

Adults tend to have a short attention span. In fact, studies have shown that a healthy and fit adult would stay interested and attentive to a certain repetitive task for up to a maximum of 20 minutes! Just 20 minutes! And that’s the attention of a healthy adult towards a task he does daily.

A person usually has a maximum of a 20-minute attention span. This means that after 20 minutes, you’ve most likely lost interest in your lesson. When you’re studying a new language, you should keep your learning sessions to about 15 to 30 minutes at a time. Take frequent, short breaks with some snacks. These breaks and short learning sessions will keep you more focused and your brain will be more sharp, relaxed and focused.

Perhaps the easiest of all the techniques to learn a language fast, you need to keep your study period short. Keep your sessions to 15 to 30 minutes and take 5 to 10-minute breaks in between. Also, be sure to munch on some light snacks to keep your energy.

Technique 3: Create a designated area or room to study.

There are many techniques to learn a language fast and it would be a very big help if you study in the same place and at the same time. Creating a familiar setting for your brain will make it easier for you to learn.

This is why it is necessary that you create your own personal space for your speed learning languages lessons. The human brain responds better when used in an area or situation is comfortable with. A simple area that has little to no distractions. Once your brain gets accustomed to the environment around you, it will automatically program and set your mind into “learning mode.”

It is important to note here that your study area does not need to be a whole room or has to be big or something. It could just be a small desk in your room. Just keep it uncluttered and relaxing. The more relaxing or calming a place is, the same will happen to your brain. And a relaxed and calmed brain means that it is most susceptible to learning new things and more importantly retain the information.

That’s it – the three techniques on how to learn languages fast. Don’t forget that it’s all about your approach – if you believe that something is easy, it will be easy. Really, it all depends on you – every language can be easy and you can learn it fast if you are optimistic and persistent.

Live through your new language on a daily basis. Watch movies, listen to music, podcasts, chat with native speakers, exchange e-mails, speaking on Skype, write a journal, play games. Many people don’t use their new language right from the beginning and that’s why they have a hard time learning it. Good luck and have fun while learning!

Three Easy Tricks to Learn Multiple Languages Easily

Many people start with the belief that learning a second language is something that is beyond their reach. This is very untrue, it is quite possible to learn multiple languages easily. Learning multiple languages actually becomes easier the more you learn.

Truth is, the first language people learn in their life will be their hardest to learn. Because your first language is learned out of necessity by trial and error for the several years of your life. To learn multiple languages easily takes mostly motivation to do.

Learning multiple languages easily is not as far-fetched as you might believe. Most people are scared of the amount of time and effort needed in learning a second language. But there are three easy tricks to learn multiple languages easily, whether you’re learning them at the same time or one at a time in succession.

1.  Creative lessons into a small daily routine

It’s easier to absorb information and knowledge in smaller and more precise lessons. Trying to cram too much information at once, makes it harder to retain it. Breaking down learning sessions of several hours into daily languages lessons of 30 to 60 minutes lessons. Don’t be afraid to spend extra time and attention on things that are giving you trouble.

2. Learning Languages for something your already passionate about.

This can easily be the most useful language learning tool. Because it ties into something you’re already interested in. For example, if you are into Japanese anime, Hindi Bollywood films, or Korean pop music.

You’ll probably experience some grammatical errors at first but merging language learning with something you’re already passionate about is a natural way to develop your language learning skills.

3. Flashcards with everyday objects you interact with.

Many linguists suggest that using everyday objects with flashcards or small notes placed on the object itself. That image of the object with the word next to it, helps your mind associate the word with that object. Basics of learning a language on common words that relate to eating & drinking, transportation, and work.

Remember that learning a language is a long-term commitment. Probably spend the rest of your life learning new words and never be done completely learning. If you plan to learn multiple languages, you should think ahead and come up with a list of priorities, set some goals before going for it.

Second Language Acquisition Guide

When the world talks about science, culture, economy or politics, it speaks English. English speakers don’t really need a second language at all. So, what’s the use of a second language when the first one is enough? English speakers can look for luxury items: cultural and linguistic enrichment.

Second Language Criteria

In this article, I will evaluate the world’s major languages for their usefulness, according to three different criteria:

• Demographics
  Opportunity to use the language actively: the number of native and second language speakers, and the chances of communicating with them in this language: use as a lingua franca. It’s not simply a matter of numbers. Mandarin is by far the most spoken language but it is concentrated in one country, China, and that reduces the impact. In the case of Hindi, educated speakers will very likely also speak English, so the opportunity to speak to people in Hindi is greatly reduced.
• Personal Impact
  This subjective criterion looks at the impact on the learner. How does this language study increase the learner’s own sophistication regarding languages, whether English or another, third language? How does this language make the learner a more culturally literate person?
• Business factors
  How will this language open new business and commercial opportunities?

Most Useful Second Languages Demographics

I begin with demographics because this is the criterion that first comes to mind in such a discussion. However, this factor only weighs 40 per cent in the ratings, and certain entries here, such as Italian, Swahili and Turkish, will only become understandable when one sees the tables that follow.

Spanish: Approx. 350 million native speakers, with many second language speakers in the Americas, North Africa and elsewhere. It is the official language of about 20 countries. (6 points). It is an important lingua franca in the Western Hemisphere and the Mediterranean, (3 points). (Total: 9 points).

French: Despite a relatively small native language base of 130 million, French has a major presence internationally, with a large second language population all over the world and official language status in over 25 countries. It is the working language of many international organizations (4 points). It is also the most recognized lingua franca, after English. (4 points). (Total: 8 points).

Arabic: Arabic speakers are hard to quantify. Modern Standard Arabic is the second dialect for 250 million people worldwide, but it is quite differenced from spoken Arabic in each of the 20 countries where it is official. It is an official language of the United Nations and of many international organizations. It is also the language of Islam. (4.5 points). Arabic is a major lingua franca. (2 points). (Total: 6.5 points).

Russian: Estimates are as high as 185 million for the native speaking population, and it is the second language in all the nations of the former Soviet Union (3 points). Russia spent much of the Twentieth Century securing the position of its language as the lingua franca in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and it continues to serve in that capacity, in a greatly diminished way. (2 points). (Total: 5 points).

Mandarin: It’s the native language of 875 million people, however, they are concentrated in one country, China. It is a second language for the rest of China, Taiwan, and for the Chinese community worldwide. It has little currency beyond its ethnic boundaries and serves as lingua franca only in this context. (Total: 3 points).

German: It has approx. 120 million native speakers and many second language speakers throughout Europe. (2 points). It has had moderate success re-establishing itself as the lingua franca of Central Europe, after the disastrous history of the past century, however, this role has been taken up in the meantime by Russian and English (1 point). (Total: 3 points).

Hindustani: It includes Urdu at one end and Hindi at the other, with approx. 185 million native speakers in India, and 50 million in Pakistan. It is a second language for another 180 million people in these countries. It has not had success as a lingua franca outside of this context, as that purpose is served by English. It has also been burdened by the reluctance of the Dravidian speaking people of South India to adopt it. (Total: 2.5 points).

Swahili: It is spoken natively by 5 million people and by another 50 million as a second language along the East African coast. It’s the official language of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania (1 point). Swahili is the accepted lingua franca in that area, having achieved nearly neutral “tribal” status on a continent where language is politics, but for dealings with the world beyond, it is normally eclipsed by Arabic, English and French (1.5 points). (Total: 2.5 points).

Portuguese: Spoken by approx. 190 million people, it is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola and other states. It has not as yet been able to establish itself as a widely used lingua franca. (Total: 2 points).

Turkish: It is spoken by 70 million people in Turkey and Cyprus (1 point). It provides an alternative lingua franca throughout the Turkic speaking lands of Central Asia, replacing the more alien Russian (1 point). (Total: 2 points).

Japanese: It is spoken by 125 million people in Japan, but has little currency as a second language or a lingua franca. (Total: 1 point).

Italian: It is spoken by 60 million people in Italy, it is also the official language of the Vatican. It has little or no significance as a second language or a lingua franca. (1 point).

Most Useful Second Languages – Personal Impact

Criterion II: Personal Impact: This is the major consideration for the English speaker. It weighs 40 percent in my ratings.

How will the learning of this language help one’s understanding of English?

How will knowledge of this language open up a portal to other related languages? For the first question, Latin languages hold a distinct advantage, since the prestige, erudite forms of English are all constructed out of a Latin vocabulary. The second question favors languages which are seen as leading languages in particular linguistic families, wherever they may be located in the world.

French: It holds a particular position among Latin languages, in that it has been the major conduit of Latin vocabulary into English for the past one thousand years. Fully 30 percent of English words come from French, (6 points). In cultural terms, the centrality of France to European civilization cannot be overestimated, adding 6 more points. (Total: 12 points)

Spanish: This Latin language has enormous influence on the English of the Americas. It has, in turn, been influenced by Arabic and the indigenous languages of pre-Columbian America, giving insight into those languages. (4 points). Spanish culture continues to move into the forefront of Western civilization, ironically, often because of the patronage of its greatest rival, North American English (4 points). (Total: 8 points).

Italian: It is the direct descendant of Latin. Thus, a knowledge of Italian gives the learner an exceptionally clear idea of the classical language. By the same token, it is the central romance language, and the study of a second or third romance language is greatly facilitated when the first one learned is Italian. (4 points). Italian also opens up a store of cultural knowledge dating back two thousand years, and representing, with the Roman Empire, the Catholic tradition and the Italian Renaissance, some of the very highest achievements of European civilization. (4 points). (Total: 8 points).

German: The linguistic significance for English speakers is great. German provides a clear presentation of the Germanic roots of English, and of the syntactic and grammatical logic of the basic English language. As the major Germanic language, it can also be considered a portal to other Germanic languages such as Dutch and Yiddish. (4 points). German culture is also greatly appreciated in Western culture, and its philosophers and artists are key figures. (2 points). (Total: 6 points).

Arabic: Although the immediate linguistic impact of the study of Arabic may be hard to discern for the English speaker, the benefits of Arabic in the study of other languages is high. Arabic has greatly influenced other languages of the Middle East and the Muslim world in religion, politics, and social life. Also, the study of the Arabic alphabet opens the way for many other languages, such as Persian, Urdu, Kurdish, etc. (3 points). Arabic culture has had a major influence on western civilization but it remains largely unknown in the English speaking world. Knowledge of the language also leads to a greater understanding of Islam. (2 points). (Total: 5 points).

Hindustani: In its Hindi form, it is a window on the origins of the larger Indo-European language family with its Sanskrit vocabulary. As Urdu, it gives a significant introduction to many Persian and Arabic terms. Urdu also uses the Persian form of Arabic script, opening the way to wider studies. It is a starting point for the study of other languages of the subcontinent, an area rich in languages. (3 points). India’s rich culture has become more familiar in the English speaking world, in large part due to India’s ability to project its image through English. However, Hindustani language and Hindi culture are also spread through the Bollywood film industry. Pakistan has yet to make its presence felt, but the potential is there. (2 point). (Total: 5 points).

Russian: It has not had a major influence in the west, given its geographical isolation. It is, however, the major Slavic language, and as such, opens the way to many other Eastern European languages. The Cyrillic alphabet, moreover, is a tremendous asset for reading many of those languages. (2 points). Russian high culture thrived under both tsarism and communism, and it has a significant place in European civilization. (2 points). (Total: 4 points).

Portuguese: As a Latin language, Portuguese has a built-in significance for English speakers, even without a direct relationship with English. (3 points). The cultural significance of Brazil, one of the largest nations of the Americas, is continually growing. (1 point). (Total: 4 points).

Mandarin: The official Chinese language has had very little influence on English. It has influenced other national languages of the areas, such as Korean and Japanese, and the other “dialects” of China. The Chinese written characters are the same for all of these dialects, and many of these characters are used in Japanese as well. (2 points). Chinese culture, with over two thousand years of history, is quite significant, if not directly applicable to English speaking civilization. (1.5 point). (Total: 3.5 points).

Swahili: As the only sub-Saharan language in the group, it serves to introduce the learner to one of the richest linguistic areas of the Earth. It is from the Bantu family of languages, but it incorporates many words from Arabic, Persian, English and French. (1.5 points). It is the language of trade along the East African coast, and as such, is richly descriptive of the culture there. The West African diaspora into the Americas is one of the great mass migrations of the past 500 years, but because of its tragic social dynamics, it has left many millions of people cut off from African culture. Swahili, although it is East African and not West African, can help to fill that gap. (1.5 points). (Total: 3 points).

Turkish: Though it has little direct relationship to English, it is the major language of a family of languages that extend eastward to the Chinese interior. It has been influenced by Persian, Kurdish and Arabic, and thus gives some introduction to those languages. (1.5 points). It also represents the culture of the Ottoman traditions, and of modern Turkey and Central Asian Turkistan. (1 point). (Total: 2.5 points).

Japanese: This language has had little impact on English and it provides little insight into other languages. It does, however, include many words from Chinese, and uses numerous Chinese characters. (0.5 points). This island nation has been one of the most successful exporters of culture of the Far East during the past century. (1.5 points). (Total: 2 points).

Most Useful Second Languages – Economic Impact

Economic Impact. Is this language used in the world of commerce and business?

Certainly English is by far the most useful language for business, but a knowledge of other key languages can be a distinct advantage.

Twenty percent in the ratings:

French: has a long history as a language of commerce and trade. It is extremely important in the developing world, especially Africa. France itself is the world’s sixth largest economy. (4 points).

Spanish: the language of commerce and trade in Latin America. Spain is the world’s ninth largest economy and Mexico is its fourteenth largest. (4 points).

German: often used for business in Central Europe. Germany is the world’s third largest economy. (3 points).

Japanese: can be extremely helpful in dealing with Japanese business. Japan is the world’s second largest economy. (3 points).

Mandarin: China has recently become the world’s fourth largest economy, and it continues to grow. (3 points).

Russian: Used in a part of the world where English is not well-known. Russia is the eleventh largest economy and is moving up in the rankings. (2 points).

Portuguese: Brazil is the tenth largest economy, and continues to grow. (2 points).

Arabic: the language of commerce and trade for the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. (2 points).

Hindustani: is used in the world’s twelfth largest economy, however, English is often the language of business in this area. (2 points).

Italian: is the language of commerce in Italy, the world’s seventh largest economy. (1.5 points).

Swahili: is the language of business along the east coast of Africa. (1 point).

Turkish: is used in the world’s seventeenth largest economy, and to some extent in Central Asia. (1 point).
By these criteria we can come up with a ranking of the 12 most useful languages for an English speaker to learn:

French: 24 points
Spanish: 21 points
Arabic: 13.5 points
German: 12 points
Russian: 11 points
Italian: 10.5 points
Hindustani 9.5 points
Mandarin: 9.5 points
Portuguese: 8 points
Swahili: 6.5 points
Japanese: 5.5 points
Turkish: 5.5 points
Some readers may be familiar with George Weber’s well-known piece entitled, Top Languages, which first appeared in the journal Languages Today in 1997. His study rated languages according to their influence in world affairs and world culture. It is interesting, at this point to compare them. Here are Weber’s results:

English: 37 points
French: 23
Spanish: 20
Russian: 16
Arabic: 14
Chinese: 13
German: 12
Japanese: 10
Portuguese: 10
Hindi/Urdu: 9 pts.
The rankings are similar, with some major differences. My criteria are based on tangible and intangible benefits for the English speaker which are not heavily weighed in Weber’s paradigm. Thus, this subjective focus skewers my results in favour of European languages due to the cultural affinity of English for the languages of Western civilization.

Heritage Languages: The most striking example of a difference is my ranking of Italian as number 6, whereas it does not figure in Weber’s top ten. My justification for Italian is the phenomenon of the “heritage language”, i.e., a language that has usefulness in our understanding and appreciation of the past, rather than in the future. Italian is the vehicle for our understanding of ancient history, the development of Latin languages, Renaissance Art and classical music. It is also the ancestral language of over 100 million people strategically placed in both North and South America. For these reasons, it is the heritage language par excellence. Other languages that benefit from this heritage factor in my listings are German and Swahili.

Point values for English? French, with 24 points, is number one in my listing. Where does English stand in relation? If rating it for usefulness for speakers of other languages, I would give it 10 points in each category, for a total of 50 points. I think that the extraordinary position of English in today’s world is indisputable, and considering it to be twice as useful as its closest competition, French, is not a great stretch of the imagination.

The only English point assignment that may require explanation is ten points for linguistic value. The value of English in this area for world speakers is quite a wide-reaching and significant. English is the vehicle for the spread of the classical Latin vocabulary for abstract concepts, for the Greco-Roman terms for a government, science, philosophy, etc.

It absorbs world vocabulary without major spelling changes, effectively spreading new terminology from a variety of sources. As the official language of international organizations, it serves as a showplace for each nation and organization to present itself to the world.

Like the other “empire” languages of Western Europe, French and Spanish, English is propagated by native speakers worldwide with no ethnic, social or political relationship to its motherland. But English goes one step further, English is capable of evolving and developing completely independently of its native speakers. Second language users of English drive the introduction of new words like “informatics” and “ufology” which gain currency first among these speakers.

Foreign governments keep close control of their English language nomenclature, and make changes through the United Nations and non-government organizations. These changes are therefore immediate in English, with no consultation with native speakers necessary.

While some European languages are still calling the capital of China “Peking”, English made the switch to “Beijing” during the late 1980s (for proof, look at contemporary reports regarding the Tian an Men Square events of June, 1989). Recently, the switch from Bombay to Mumbai has happened before most English speakers have even noticed.

Most Popular Languages spoken today

Top 10 languages Most widely spoken native languages globally:

1. Chinese 1.21 billion
2. Spanish 329 million
3. English 328 million
4. Arabic – 221 million
5. Hindi – 182 million
6. Portuguese 178 million
7. Russian 144 million
8. Japanese 122 Million
9. German 90 million

Source: McClatchy Washington

Common language families

A group of languages that descend from a common ancestor is known as a language family.

The Indo-European family is the most widely spoken:

• English
• Russian
• Hindi

The Sino- Tibetan family

• Mandarin
• Other Chinese languages
• Tibetan

The Afro- Asiatic family:

• Arabic
• Somali
• Hebrew

Bantu languages:

• Swahili
• Zulu
• Other African languages

Malayo-Polynesian languages:

• Indonesian
• Malay
• Tagalog
• Other Pacific Languages

Dravidian family

• Tamil
• Telugu.

Conclusion – The status of English in world affairs puts its native speakers in a unique position. We have the opportunity of living in a provincial English-only environment in which the world comes to us, or we can take advantage of this favoured position to become acquainted with other cultures right within our own language. So, is any second language really useful for English speakers? No study can ever really measure the personal importance of second language learning. That is something we have to discover for ourselves. The fact is that every language is well worth the effort to learn, as every language is a complete way of describing the universe of human achievement, and thus it’s significance is as wide and as deep as we personally make it.

Note on Statistics: The statistics that I have used (population, economic ranking, etc.) come from diverse sources: world almanacs, encyclopedias, US government studies. I make no claims about their accuracy, as they are general estimates. Their importance is in relationship to each other.

Dominic Ambrose has taught languages for over twenty years, from Middle School to Community College, from adult ed to ESL to TOEFL training. He has also travelled as a teacher educator to many Eastern European countries as well as South America, including three years with the Romanian Ministry of Education. Presently, he lives in Paris writing full time, mostly about films and fiction, but he is still fascinated by languages.