What is the easiest language for an English speaker?
In my opinion Norwegian and Afrikaans are the easiest languages for native-English speakers.
- 99% of the time there is zero conjugation in both languages, the infinitive is used throughout.
- For both languages the word order is largely the same as English, and the way sentences are constructed is similar.
- Pronounication system is pretty similar to English, particularly for Norwegian, but Afrikaans isn't drastically different either.
People often say Spanish is the easiest language for a native speaker but I think this is a load of nonsense and amounts to American propaganda to enourage their citizens to learn Spanish rather than any real factual basis.
Spanish isn't rediculously difficult, but there's definately a lot more grammar to get your head around than in Norwegian or Afrikaans. And to add to that Spanish speak so fast until you get really quite good you don't know WTF they're saying 80% of the time. That being said Spanish is probably the easiest of the major world languages to master.
So yes, usefulness aside, of any language, which would you say is the easiest for an English speaker to learn?
Afrikaans....
The reason being...
a) No conjunctions of words
b) No gender of words!!
So no more learning whether a word is Male or Female or Neuter. It's the same as English all words stay "The" not like French where you have to learn if the word is either Le or La. Or German where the word could be either Die/ Der/ or Das!
c) Spelling of words are almost the same
Look at the following sentences...
1) My hand is in warm water.
2) My pen is in my hand.
Both sentences are correct in Afrikaans and English and mean exactly the same thing.
<<People often say Spanish is the easiest language for a native speaker but I think this is a load of nonsense and amounts to American propaganda to enourage their citizens to learn Spanish rather than any real factual basis.
>>
I think that they really want to say " Spanish is the easiest major language". Afrikaans and Norweigan are easier for an English speaker, but they are useless so nobody learns them. Anyways I think that German, another important language like Spanish , is easier for English speakers than Spanish.
Dutch
since English is a form of Dutch
It's hard going to find a Dutch person who'll speak to you in Dutch, making practice more difficult!
Isn't English supposed to be really close to Frisian? I know it's a rather niche language to start learning, but is it easy for English speakers?
Or how about Belize creole or Jamaican creole? Would that be cheating?
You shouldn't choose a language to learn because it's easy but because you like it.
<<Afrikaans and Norweigan are easier for an English speaker, but they are useless so nobody learns them>>
It always amazes me when people label languages as "useless" on a language forum. Afrikaans and Norwegian might not be spoken over wide geographical areas but they are most certainly very useful to know in the countries in which they are spoken.
If I moved to rural Slovakia I doubt if I would find many English speakers but that doesn't make my language useless.
Exactly, If you move to Norway, Norwegian wouldn't be that useless. The same goes for Afrikaans, if you move to South Africa or Namibia, Afrikaans will be handy.
If you are talking about majoir languages that are the closest to English, it will be either German or French but then again they are not that close to English.
"Or German where the word could be either Die/ Der/ or Das! "
And you forgot: den, dem, des.
And let us not overlook the wonderful realm of proposition/article combinations (zur, zum, im, ins...)
"If you are talking about majoir languages that are the closest to English, it will be either German or French but then again they are not that close to English."
Right, English speakers have a sortof built-in ability to intuitively approach those languages. Which aren't easy for anyone though. Anglos are famous in France and Germany for cheerfully confusing genders and randomly using sexed articles (they cannot figure out that words got a sex).
Spanish and Italian are somewhat more transparent as far as genders are concerned (la casa, el toro) with few exceptions besides (la mano, il fascista).
"Isn't English supposed to be really close to Frisian?"
In terms of linguistic DNA yes for sure. But an anglo speaker wouldn't understand a single word of Frisian. Whatever, all Frisian speakers use it with an unmistakeable Dutch accent, which is an obvious evidence that the language is dying out (just like the Irish speaking Gaelic with a British accent, or Germans speaking Sorbian with a German accent, or Bretons speaking Breton with a distinctive French accent)/
<< And to add to that Spanish speak so fast until you get really quite good you don't know WTF they're saying 80% of the time.>>
Don't the native speakers of any language you're trying to learn speak it incredibly fast?
I used to think Spanish was a lot faster then English, until I heard a Spanish rendition of "Old McDonald's Farm", where the tempo was too fast for Spanish in places (but no problem for English, as long as the lyrics have lots of unstressed syllables).
BTW -- Is there a Spanish version of "Turkey in the Straw"?
<<But an anglo speaker wouldn't understand a single word of Frisian. Whatever, all Frisian speakers use it with an unmistakeable Dutch accent,>>
Don't be so sure.
Engl. way-Frisian wei
Engl. day-Frisian dei
Engl. yesterday-Frisian juster(dei)
Engl. cheese Frisian tsiis
And some other words sound similar in both languages.
Here is a nice little rime that can be brooked to show relationship between the English Language and its nearest kin. It comes from a motto relating the sundry blees of the Heligoland flag:
--In German--
Grün ist das Land,
rot ist die Kant',
weiß ist der Sand,
das sind die Farben von Helgoland.
--Plattduutsch (Low German)--
Green is dat Land,
roat is de Kant,
witt est de Sunn,
dat sünd de Farven van't Hilligelunn.
--West Frisian--
Grien is it lân,
Read is de râne,
Wyt is it sân,
Dit binne de kleuren fan Helgolân.
--English--
Green is the land,
Red is the brim,
White is the sand,
These are the colours of Heligoland.
For me, the one that is most eath to understand is the Low German. Although Frisian is genetically closer to English, it displays some rather radical tendencies that the Low German forgoes. Low German looks almost like Middle English of Chaucer, and that makes it much closer to English in my book.
Who cares about Low German? It's a dying language.
It's interesting because it's interesting study material. Languages are just standardized forms of a dialect continuum.