what is the easier, and what would be the most beneficial language to learn, German, Dutch, or French?

Question

I am English andI need to learn one of these languages for a particular course i am interested in, what would you suggest is the better to take up?, i have approximately 1.5 year to achieve this.

When making your suggestion please advise of some starting pooint, i.e textbooks or course etc, i prefer to learn at home! I would like to hear especially from those who have a language teaching background...!
thankyou!

Answer 1

French. Language tapes are a good source.

Answer 2

This won't be the most helpful answer, but it might help you choose. I'm English-speaking (Canadian) and studied French in high school. French is spoken here, but also in Europe, so it was handy when I went to Quebec or Europe. That's motivation - finding a need for the thing you'll study. I also married a Dutchman and gradually picked up quite a Dutch vocabulary. I studied classical singing, so I had to learn to pronounce German and understand what I was singing. Dutch has quite a lot of words similar to English, but a few sounds in the back of the throat that are hard to pronounce. It is also not spoken in many places - even the Dutch speak English to visitors. German I consider hard to learn. It is least like English and difficult to spell and pronounce. So my advice is French. It is the language I most prefer to sing in because it sounds beautiful (eet eeze zee language of Love!). Hope that helps.

Answer 3

There must be a language in which you already have a head start, as two years are compulsory at school? Why not build on that? Otherwise I'd start with French - you can nip across to France on the train and practise your language skills anytime - actually there are plenty of French evening classes available in London, check the Alliance Française website for example. French would be handy if later you hope to work in France [obviously!] Belgium - the EU - or parts of Switzerland.

Answer 4

well i speak German, but find alot of the dutch language sounds very similar. Can't comment on French, but if at all possible, the very best way to learn a language, is by being in the country. If you are in a position or get a chance to visit the country you decide on then this is by far the very best way to pick it up. Especially within your time period.Don't be shy when speaking, you need to get over that, just make the effort and try your best.

Answer 5

French if you are ignorant, Dutch if you are a `dealer`, German if you have urges to invade Poland ! The serious answer is , choose the language that is most accessible to you. Do you know any French/German /Dutch speakers, are you likely to visit any of these countries for language purposes? Will you have friends studying the same course? Who will share/ assist you with your new language? The answer to these questions are more important than` which one do I choose`? CD`s and tapes are easy to find, a real person is better than both, tutors are available, check them out, prices vary.

Answer 6

It depends on what you are doing and where you would like to go... You could learn two languages, like french and german. As french is so close to english, it is super easy and wont take you long. Then learn german, its much more fun to learn than french... Take it from me, I studied all of them.
If you go to chapters or something like that, they have language course kits, which include a learning book with audible cds and a language dictionary.

Answer 7

French is a latin-based language, as is Spanish, which more closely resembles English. It would be easier to learn because the sentence structure and semantics is similiar to what you are used to. Also, you could use it in Canada, France and be able to understand some Spanish and italian once it is mastered. It is also easier to pronounce and there are great online courses and software, like Rosetta Stone.

Answer 8

I would suggest, in order -

1 - French
2 - German

So many French words have Latin origins, which most English words have and many are variations of English words and vice versa.

Either of these languages can be found around the world, not so Dutch.

French is the second most spoken language so would serve you best I feel.

Answer 9

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2F&fkr=1&from=R8&satitle=language+courses&category0=


The above is a link to ebay offers of language courses! You can find almost anything you want there! The prices are reasonable, and courses are available from beginner through advanced, from a large number of sources!

Personally, I'd go for the French. It would be useful in more parts of the world than German or Dutch. And it is a beautiful-sounding language ... good for your romantic life!!

Bonne chance! (Good luck!)

Answer 10

French would be easiest. Learning at home sucks. Try to find a French exchange student at your local university who would be willing to swap an hour of conversational French (probably with you paying for coffee, beer, etc) for an hour of conversational English.