The 3 most studied foreign languages worldwide

Language Critic   Sat Dec 26, 2009 3:36 am GMT
EUROPE UNION
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The surveys show many intriguing results. In 2001, 53 percent of respondents said that they could speak a language in addition to their mother tongue. In 2006, this had risen to 56 percent. The most multilingual EU citizens are the Luxemburgers, where 99 percent of people know at least one other foreign language, followed by Slovaks (97 percent) and Latvians (95 percent).

In 2006, 28 percent of respondents spoke two foreign languages, compared to 26 percent in 2001. The most popular second languages are English, French and German, followed by Spanish and Russian.

http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/languages-of-europe/doc137_en.htm

RUSSIA
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In most of Russian schools the subject “foreign language” appears in the time-table beginning from the 5th class, and sometimes from the 2nd. Some schools even offer two or more foreign languages. In this case, children usually take English language in the 2nd class, and then in the 5th class they can start with German or French. Today the popularity of Asian languages such as Chinese and Japanese has rapidly increased. Particular schools, usually specializing in foreign language study, also offer unique languages. Examples include Polish, Turkish, Hebrew, Spanish and Italian.

http://www.lexiophiles.com/english/languages-learned-at-school-in-russia

ROMANIA
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All schools in Romania have foreign language programs. Students must study at least one language to an advanced level and a second one at a more basic level. In other cases there are more than two foreign languages available to study and the student can choose from several. Many schools also offer bilingual courses.

During the communist period, the main language taught was Russian and German was the second most common. Nowadays things have changed and the school curriculum is very different.

According to the results of 2008’s “Key Data on Teaching Languages at Schools in Europe” published by The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), the top language taught in Romania nowadays is English. Some fortunate children start to learn it in kindergarten but usually public schools have a language program which starts in second grade. The explanation is simple: as we can see on the World Language Map, English is very popular all around the world and nowadays it is necessary to have at least a basic command of the language.

According to the cited study, the second most popular language is French and the third is German. Italian and Spanish are the next most commonly taught languages.

http://www.lexiophiles.com/english/top-5-foreign-languages-taught-in-romania

TURKEY
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ENGLISH IS ONE OF THE SUBJECTS TAUGHT IN MOST OF THE GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED SECONDARY SCHOOLS. FRENCH AND GERMAN ARE THE ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGES, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE STUDENTS ELECT ENGLISH, AND IN MOST CASES THEY HAVE NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE. GERMAN HAS GAINED SOME POPULARITY IN RECENT YEARS AS A RESULT OF THE CLOSE LANGUAGE CONTACT THROUGH TURKISH WORKERS IN GERMANY. Students are exposed to several hours of basic English instruction a week throughout the six years of secondary education; nevertheless at the end of this period the general level of proficiency is not very high. Attendance in foreign language classes is required during the university years as well, but once more, the success of these classes in general does not go beyond the acquisition of sorne professional vocabulary.

http://warlight.tripod.com/KONIG.html

MONGOLIA
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Teaching assignments in Mongolia (English, French)
Mongolian classroom

Our teaching assignments in Mongolia (Central Asia) is to teach French or English in kindergartens, primary schools, colleges and high schools. During the summer, our volunteers can work in language schools and summer camps, where they teach English in a context that combines professionalism and informality. Music, games, theater ... Feel free to combine all kinds of learning activities your students will be delighted if you develop their language skills in a fun way!

We offer a wide range of teaching assignments in Mongolia. You can work in:

* Nursery (children under 3 years)
* Primary schools (children aged 4 to 11 years)
* Secondary schools (children aged 12 to 17 years)
* Camps
* Language Center (groups of teenagers and young adults)

Feel free to contact us: we will be happy to learn about our various missions.

Similarly, you can teach according to your preferences or abilities, all kinds of materials:

* English
* French (only in secondary schools)
* German
* Mathematics
* Geography
* Sport
* Etc..

http://www.projects-abroad.fr/missions-et-stages/enseignement/mongolie-fle-asie/

JAPAN
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While learning German can connect you to 120 million native speakers around the globe, remember that many people also learn German as a second language. IT IS THE 3RD MOST POPULAR FOREIGN LANGUAGE TAUGHT WORLDWIDE AND THE SECOND MOST POPULAR IN EUROPE AND JAPAN, AFTER ENGLISH.

http://mydifl.com/languages.htm

INDIA
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AS FAR AS LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGES ARE CONCERNED, FRENCH IS THE MOST POPULAR CHOICE. There are 15 branches of the Alliance Francaise all around the country. The second most popular language would be Spanish, closely followed by Chinese, Mandarin. Nowadays, French is an optional language that a student can choose to learn in High School. A few Universities across the country also offer Bachelors Degree in French.

http://www.lexiophiles.com/english/foreign-languages-in-india

CHINA
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French as a foreign language is the second most frequently taught language in the world after English. IN CHINA HAS ALSO BECOME THE SECOND MOST DEMANDED FOREIGN LANGUAGE. French is considered to be the language of diplomacy and culture due to its glorious past and its rich culture. France is the world's major tourist destination (75 million tourists a year). France is the most visited destination in the world. Paris is considered one of the "global cities".

http://nelanguage.com/french.html

CONCLUSION: Based on the data above French and German are the 2nd and 3rd most studied, taught, and popular foreign languages. English of course is 1st.
Visitor   Tue Dec 29, 2009 2:55 am GMT
<< While learning German can connect you to 120 million native speakers around the globe, remember that many people also learn German as a second language. IT IS THE 3RD MOST POPULAR FOREIGN LANGUAGE TAUGHT WORLDWIDE AND THE SECOND MOST POPULAR IN EUROPE AND JAPAN, AFTER ENGLISH.

http://mydifl.com/languages.htm >>

It's so good to see German antimooners acknowledges French is more studied worldwide even though German is 2nd in Europe and Japan ahead of French but still it's not enough to be be declared as the 2nd most studied worldwide.

How I wish that the antimooners who speak another international language as their 1st language will follow this example.
Harman   Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:49 am GMT
I'm not sure but i think french is more studied than german in European Union, at least in european latin countries and UK . In fact in spain french learning has higher levels than german, may be 'cause french is more easy than german for a latin and english guy.

I agree with Camerun, i know some camerunes in spain and they speak french and they told me french is widely used in Camerun as 'lingua franca' because there are too much tribe languages to learn all of them.

By the way, what is the second foreign language in French after english? as i already said in spain it is french.
Baldewin   Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:46 am GMT
German is almost not studied here in Flanders, so count one Germanic region extra that learn French (compulsory) more than German. Also, how popular are German and French in Scandinavian countries? How popular is French in Germany? How popular is German in France?
M   Sat Jan 23, 2010 12:53 am GMT
Being from Sweden, the most popular foreign language is French and German (English being #1 and spoken/understood by 89% of Swedish people). Most students pick German because it's easier, since it shares many similarities, and it's germanic. German is the most spoken language in Europe by native, and also just south of Sweden is Germany.

French is the third most foreign language (after English). Many students pick French since it's the second most widely spoken language in the world, rich culture and is spoken in many countries.

Few pick Spanish, since it's only spoken in one country in Europe.

Main foreign languages spoken in Sweden:

English (89%)
German (30%)
French (11%)
Franco   Sat Jan 23, 2010 12:57 am GMT
In USA and Brazil the most studied foreign language is Spanish. In Mongolia it's French.
a more original name   Sat Jan 23, 2010 9:06 am GMT
<< In USA and Brazil the most studied foreign language is Spanish. >>

Dream on, Franquito. In Brazil the most studied foreign language is English, and only 0.55% of the population speaks Spanish:

30. Martinica (5.264) 1.2%
31. Brasil (1.015.056) 0.55%
32. Guadalupe (2.259) 0.5%

This coming from hispanic data http://www.mundoabierto.com/espanoldatos.htm
brasileiro   Sat Jan 23, 2010 9:43 am GMT
O espanhol não é uma lingua muito estudada no Brasil.
As poucas pessoas que eu vi estudar dizem algo como isso: "vou estudar espanhol porque é facil,parece muito com o portugues."

Ou seja,é a camada mais ignorante da sociedade que quer entrar fácil na universidade.
Cervantes   Sat Jan 23, 2010 9:51 am GMT
Spanish is yet the SECOND most studied language worldwide from 2006 or 2007. I give you some webpages updated:


JAPAN: SPANISH is yet the second most studied language, after English.

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cultura/JAPoN/ESPAnA/JAPoN/castellano/idioma/estudiado/japoneses/despues/ingles/elpepicul/19840104elpepicul_5/Tes/



GERMANY: SPANISH is clearly the second most studied language

http://www.icex.es/icex/cma/contentTypes/common/records/viewDocument/0,,,00.bin?doc=4152705



FRANCE: SPANISH is also the second most studied language

http://cle.ens-lsh.fr/46145591/0/fiche___pagelibre/&RH=CDL_ESP100000



INDIA: Spanish is yet the first foreign language in the country, not considering English

http://verbiclara.nireblog.com/post/2008/12/16/espaaol-el-idioma-extranjero-mas-popular-de-la-india


BRASIL: Spanish, the most studied foreign language.

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idioma_espa%C3%B1ol_en_Brasil



UNITED STATES: Spanish, the most studied language after English

Some 47 million of Hispanics live in the United States officially (US Census). Besides, there are 9 million of illegal Hispanics living there.

Finally, there are 7.8 million of students according to the US Census. So, over 60 million people speak Spanish in the United States and increasing very fast...

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idioma_espa%C3%B1ol_en_Estados_Unidos
brasileiro   Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:01 am GMT
"BRASIL: Spanish, the most studied foreign language.

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idioma_espa%C3%B1ol_en_Brasil"



yes,coxabamba.
u gave me the link but nowhere says that Spanish is the second most studied language in this link.
Cervantes   Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:24 am GMT
Spanish is also the second most studied language in:


SWEDEN: Spanish, the second after English

http://www.educacion.es/redele/Biblioteca2007/elmundo/suecia.pdf



CANADA: Spanish is probably the first foreign language of Canada with over 1 million of speakers.

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idioma_espa%C3%B1ol_en_Canad%C3%A1



AUSTRALIA: Spanish is probably the first foreign language of the country with some 447,000 speakers

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idioma_espa%C3%B1ol_en_Australia
Penetra   Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:57 am GMT
Pseudo-brasileiro,

To deny that Spanish is the second most studied foreign language in Brazil is to be out of touch with reality. If not, which one is it then?
Also, brush on your Spanish, 'cause if you meant "coxabamba" as an insult, it is not one that any Spanish speaker will recognize. Let me guess: filhinho de papai carioca?
Cerveza   Sat Jan 23, 2010 12:04 pm GMT
<< Spanish is yet the SECOND most studied language worldwide from 2006 or 2007. I give you some webpages updated:


JAPAN: SPANISH is yet the second most studied language, after English.

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cultura/JAPoN/ESPAnA/JAPoN/castellano/idioma/estudiado/japoneses/despues/ingles/elpepicul/19840104elpepicul_5/Tes/ >>


JAPAN: While learning German can connect you to 120 million native speakers around the globe, remember that many people also learn German as a second language. IT IS THE 3RD MOST POPULAR FOREIGN LANGUAGE TAUGHT WORLDWIDE AND THE SECOND MOST POPULAR IN EUROPE AND JAPAN, AFTER ENGLISH.

http://mydifl.com/languages.htm

<< GERMANY: SPANISH is clearly the second most studied language

http://www.icex.es/icex/cma/contentTypes/common/records/viewDocument/0,,,00.bin?doc=4152705 >>

GERMANY: FRENCH is clearly the second most studied language

Fremdsprachenunterricht in Deutschland

Bis in die neunziger Jahre wurde die erste Fremdsprache (überwiegend Englisch) in deutschen Schulen ab der fünften Klasse, also nach Abschluss der Grundschule unterrichtet. Lediglich das Saarland bot ab der dritten Klasse Französisch-Unterricht an. Dies hat sich jedoch 1998/99 geändert, als mit der Einführung des Englisch-Unterrichts ab der dritten Klasse in Hamburg begonnen wurde. Ab dem Schuljahr 2004/2005 wird nun auch flächendeckend Englischunterricht in allen deutschen Bundesländern angeboten, in 9 von 16 Bundesländern Französisch und Italienisch und Russisch in Thüringen. In Baden-Württemberg ist der Englisch-Unterricht bereits ab der ersten Klasse Pflicht.

Language teaching in Germany

Until the nineties English was mainly the first foreign language in German schools from the fifth grade up to say after completion of primary school. Only in Saar offered from the third grade of French lesson. However, this has changed in 1998/99, when it was started to introduce the teaching of English from the third class in Hamburg. From school year 2004/2005 is now also teaching English is now offered covering all German federal states, in 9 out of 16 federal states, French and Italian are taught and Russian in Thuringia. In Baden-Wuerttemberg the teaching of English is already the first grade requirement.

http://wiki.zum.de/Fremdsprachenunterricht

Most Germans also learn English as their first foreign language in school. Sometimes French or Latin are taught first, but usually English is, with French and Latin as common second or third foreign languages. Russian, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Dutch, classical Greek, and other languages are also offered in schools (often depending on the school's geographic location).

Main foreign language(s)
English (51%)
French (15%)
Russian (5%)

http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t15440.htm


<< INDIA: Spanish is yet the first foreign language in the country, not considering English

http://verbiclara.nireblog.com/post/2008/12/16/espaaol-el-idioma-extranjero-mas-popular-de-la-india >>

THE FRENCH LANGUAGE OWES ITS PRESENCE IN INDIA TO BOTH A NETWORK OF ALLIANCES FRANÇAISES (15 OFFICES) AND A SOLID BASIS FOR THE LANGUAGE ITSELF IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS, WHERE FRENCH IS THE FIRST FOREIGN LANGUAGE TO BE STUDIED BY PUPILS.The total number of individuals learning French is around 300,000 for 3,000 teachers. At higher education level, French is compulsory in vocational schools dedicated to tourism and to hotel catering. It is also taught at 40 universities, of which 12 have a department for French studies. These departments are often very dynamic as demonstrated by the decision of the University of Pondicherry to organise a major international colloquium in December, 1998 on the French-language literatures of Africa. The reason why French enjoys a privileged status in India is probably due to the successful decolonisation, in the fifties, of the five trading counters which France had owned in India since the 17th century. The best known of these counters is Pondicherry, which Nehru wanted to turn into « an open window on French culture.

T.C.

http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france_159/label-france_2554/label-france-issues_2555/label-france-no.-30_4398/feature-francophonie-in-asia_4517/tour-of-asia-french-speaking-countries_7349.html
truth   Thu Jan 28, 2010 8:21 am GMT
cervantes all your sources are in spanish, and we all know how hispanics have to lie about their language.

french is definitely more spoken and learned in germany, sweden, canada.

also, french and english are the two working language of the UN for a reason.

IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONLY GLOBAL LANGUAGES.
truth   Thu Jan 28, 2010 8:23 am GMT
the most studied languages in the world are english and french.