2007-07-26 16:10:24 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
It could be any of the Germanic (or Teutonic languages): Dutch, German, Yiddish, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and English Creoles like Krio (Senegal) and Tok Pisin (New Guinea). The sole exception in this group is Icelandic which is phonetically within reach of an English speaker but structurally too different. .
Or, it could be any of the Romance languages: French, Spanish, Italian, Catalan, Portuguese with the exeptions of Sardinian and Romanian. Sardinian and Romanian are structurally too different from the other ones.
England is located right on what is known as the "Ghent-Ostend" line in Belgium (Western Europe). This line separates the Germanic languages (Dutch, Flemish) from the Romance languages (French, Walloon). Because English is located on this line, its vocabulary is a mix of Germanic and Romance elements (although still mostly Germanic). Nevertheless, this mixture enables English speakers to learn both Romance and Germanic languages with relative ease.
If you already know English the following words and sentences from related languages won't tax the memory much at all:
Spanish: El salmón es un pescado = A salmon is a fish
Italian: Il presidente dei giochi olimpici = The president of the Olympic games.
French: La violence domestique = Domestic violence
French: La chanteuse folk Joan Baez = Folk singer Joan Baez
German: Ein Wintersportparadies = A winter sports paradise.
German: Der kohl ist noch warm = The coal is still warm
Norwegian: Blodhund = blood hound ; Barne morder = Child murder
Krio: Faw smok naw gud = Smoking is not good.
2007-07-26 20:29:14 · answer #1 · answered by Brennus 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Honestly, I think the easiest language is french because there are a lot of words that are the same as English words and the way the sentences are formed are the same as English, so are most other grammar rules. I'm taking it right now (my first and ONLY language before was English) and honestly, I find it soooo easy!
2007-07-26 23:20:27 · answer #2 · answered by Tasha 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've seen this question asked before.
German and English are both Germanic languages. But, I think any Romance Language should be easy for an English speaker to learn.
French or Spanish would be the easiest to learn, in my opinion.
Have fun learning!
2007-07-26 23:16:59 · answer #3 · answered by otaku465 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If your first language is English, then English would most likely be the easiest language.
2007-07-26 23:18:48 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
No language is any easier than the other.
Languages that are similar to English will confuse you because of false cognates and other similarities.
Very different langauges will be difficult because they offer you no familiarity.
Your best bet is to learn a language that is spoken around you. In the US thats probably Spanish or Chinse.
Or whatever language interests you. If you are interested in Islam than you should learn Arabic. If you love martial arts then maybe CHinese or Japanese... you need that interest to keep you motivated in the language.
2007-07-27 04:44:36 · answer #5 · answered by Dru 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Definitely not Dutch or German - the grammar is totally different to English with their V2-system. Spanish is much easier than those two, but the easiest language for English speakers is Afrikaans. Simple grammar, very similar words and easy pronunciation. For example, "my pen is in my hand" is identical in both English and Afrikaans.
2007-07-27 02:53:14 · answer #6 · answered by Razh 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By far it would be Spanish. Every vowel in Spanish is almost always pronounced the same way. Therefore you will, for the most part, be able to pronounce any Spanish word that you read because there are few exceptions to the rule. And, anyone who speaks Spanish as a first language will be able to figure out what you are saying.
2007-07-26 23:16:10 · answer #7 · answered by PrincessOfFun35 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
American Sign Language
2007-07-26 23:19:59 · answer #8 · answered by Jenn B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Spanish. French shares a lot of vocabulary however grammar and spelling are often inconsistent and pronunciation is difficult for English speakers to grasp. However if you do learn French Italian will take you as little as six months of hard independent study.
2007-07-26 23:36:50 · answer #9 · answered by alex e 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
American Sign Language.
2007-07-26 23:13:52 · answer #10 · answered by Skunk 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋