List of languages by number of "foreign learners"

Chinese   Tue Dec 02, 2008 6:09 am GMT
List of languages by number of "foreign learners" (not "native speakers")

Would you please show me some authoritative information? (I hate spams)!
FBI   Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:30 am GMT
1, English
2, French
3, Spanish
4, Italian
5, German
6, Chinese
7, Japanese
8, Russian
9, Portuguese
10, Arabic
Sigmondo Froido   Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:43 am GMT
How differentiateth thou between a 'foreign learner' and a 'second language speaker'?
Chinese   Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:50 am GMT
foreign learners = those who don't speak it as their first or second native language, they must be unfamiliar with it, because it's completely a foreign language for them.
guest2   Tue Dec 02, 2008 9:57 pm GMT
Second language learning is usually defined as immigrants learning the language of their new country. (e.g., TESL)

Foreign language learning is usually defined as learning the language of a country one is not living in. (e.g., TEFL)
Super Korean 2   Wed Dec 03, 2008 1:01 pm GMT
1, English
2, Japanese
3, Chinese
4, French
5, German
6, Spanish
7, Italian
Arizona   Wed Dec 03, 2008 4:06 pm GMT
1. English. Obviously.

2. Spanish. Thanks to USA, European Union and Brazil. There are several million there that study this language. Only in Brazil there are 9 million that study Spanish, and over 6 in USA. In Philippines will be compulsory (like in Brazil) in 2009. According to several webs, Spanish is clearly second.

http://www.exonline.com.mx/diario/noticia/global/europa/promueve_lula_el_idioma_espanol_en_brasil/381309

3. French. If you don't include French Africa (where it is a second language, and not a foreign language) it is not too much studied.

4. German

5. Chinese. It will be probably 4th in the near future.

6. Italian
Arizona   Wed Dec 03, 2008 4:09 pm GMT
1. English. Obviously.

2. Spanish. Thanks to USA, European Union and Brazil. There are several million there that study this language. Only in Brazil there are 9 million that study Spanish, and over 6 in USA. In Philippines will be compulsory (like in Brazil) in 2009. According to several webs, Spanish is clearly second.

http://www.exonline.com.mx/diario/noticia/global/europa/promueve_lula_el_idioma_espanol_en_brasil/381309

3. French. If you don't include French Africa (where it is a second language, and not a foreign language) it is not too much studied.

4. German

5. Chinese. It will be probably 4th in the near future.

6. Italian
K. T.   Wed Dec 03, 2008 5:32 pm GMT
Second language learning is usually defined as immigrants learning the language of their new country. (e.g., TESL)

Foreign language learning is usually defined as learning the language of a country one is not living in. (e.g., TEFL)

Interesting points.
Viva Barroso, Viva Solana   Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:35 pm GMT
What about the subjects who learn the language of an Empire, or if not technically an Empire, what if their government is a puppet state of a central Power? For example, in the EU people learning German, French or English are only learning the language of the Empire, the language of Brussels. So does it count as 'foreign' or 'second language'? What about Iraqis learning English, the language of the puppet-masters, is that 'foreign' or 'second language'?
Maine   Thu Dec 04, 2008 11:40 am GMT
1. English. Obviously.

2. French. Thanks to USA, European Union, Brazil, and Asia. There are several million there that study this language. Only in Brazil there are 20 million that study French, and in the USA it's compulsory in High School while Spanish is not. In Indochina will be compulsory (like in Brazil). According to several webs, French is clearly second.

http://www.nelanguage.com/french.html (This site was made by a Chinese unlike the one posted for Spanish was made by a hispanic therefore it's biased)

3. German

4. Italian

6. Russian. In Eastern Europe, Mongolia, Cuba, and China.

8. China. Thanks to Japan, Korea, and Thailand

7. Spanish. If you don't include USA and Brazil (where it is a language) it is not too much studied.
Davinci   Thu Dec 04, 2008 11:43 am GMT
8. China. Thanks to Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand...
David Graddol's fan   Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:11 pm GMT
Please, Fanatic French. I know that you have a big mental problem, and your mental capabilities are very bad without tablets, but when you write websites about French, Spanish, the weather or the Pope, they should be SERIOUS WEBSITES (important newspapers and magazines).

PD. I know that you like to copy posts and to rape dogs. So, the best way to a normal life is to go to your Hispanic doctor and to get more tablets:)
Alessandro   Thu Dec 04, 2008 4:48 pm GMT
Alessandro   Thu Dec 04, 2008 4:52 pm GMT