Speaking any language with proficiency is a skill that’s enhanced through practice and sheer interest. It’s a fact there are more non-native English speakers than the entire population of native English-speaking countries. Most people learn a language for the ease of communication when traveling to foreign lands.
There are languages spoken across Asia, Africa, and Europe which are difficult for non-native English speakers to learn. With regular practice and thorough understanding, you can become a polyglot.
However, geographic and linguistic distinctions make some languages harder than the rest. Here are the 10 hardest languages to learn for non English speakers:
10 Hardest Languages to Learn for Non English Speakers
1. Arabic
The prime language of every Islamic country, at least 2 people speak Arabic out of 100 on average. It’s best to learn Arabic if you look forward to working in the Middle East region.
However, it ranks high as a laborious tongue to master for those who are non-Muslims. Known for its unique writing script (from right to left) and distinguished pronunciation, it could take years to speak at a native level.
2. Russian
Another prominent language of the Indo-European family, it’s laborious to master Russian, given the Cyrillic script (Greek writing system) it follows. Besides, pronunciation and unique vocabulary mean you have to learn the Russian language from scratch if you are interested in the Slavic way of life.
3. Mandarin
Most languages have a few alphabets, while Mandarin (second most spoken worldwide) comprises 100,000 unique consonants. If you are new to traditional Chinese, it’s written from top to bottom in columns and then continued from right to left of the script.
Learning Mandarin language is difficult for Asians alone and requires rigorous practice to relate to the native tonality.
4. German
Another prominent language of the Indo-European family, German language, is among the most widely spoken languages in Europe. It resembles English through the Roman writing script, although German has unique consonants like ß (pronounced Eszett).
Pronunciation is distinct from English, making it among what is the hardest language to learn for non English speakers!
5. Dutch
Dutch language, like English, has an extensive population of speakers outside the Netherlands. It’s the national language of Suriname, besides spoken considerably in the Caribbeans and South Africa. Although a part of the West Germanic branch, it follows a different speech order (subject+object+verb) in writing.
Not the most compatible language to begin as an amateur, naturalized citizens of former Dutch colonies (Indonesia, Taiwan, Malacca, Vietnam) may find it easier to master.
6. Swahili
Swahili (locally known as Kiswahili) belongs to the Bantu branch of the Niger-Congo language family, spoken prevalently in Africa. Swahili language shares a unique collection of phrases borrowed from Arabic, English, Hindi, and Portuguese. The writing script follows Arabic-Swahili and Romanised English.
Learning it is a unique experience for non-African people since it shares little similarity with other linguistic families.
7. Spanish
A widely spoken language throughout the world, Spanish is famous for its sweet pronunciation and also contains some hard words to pronounce. Originating from the Iberian peninsula, this is the distant cousin of Latin.
It’s slightly hard to comprehend because of the unique accent and grammatical rules (verbs and tenses).
8. FRENCH
French has quite a population both as speakers and admirers for its profoundness as a romantic language. Known as a classical language, it takes enough practice to become comfortable with basic French. Although sharing the same script as English, the typical French pronunciations make it strenuous to master. You can Learn French language with Cudoo’s online course.
9. Hindi
Hindi language considered the most spoken language in India (third-most worldwide), Hindi is not a single language but a congregation of dialects (dialect continuum) spoken across the nation. This solemn tongue follows the Devanagari script and stands out for its unique gender-specific grammar.
Although a part of the Indo-European family, it takes months to make sense, especially if your mother language is gender-neutral.
10. English
Although spoken across the world, English could qualify for what is the most difficult language to learn for non English speakers.
Thanks to plenty of synonyms, multiple accents, alternate spellings and some difficult words English is a real challenge if you can’t differentiate between ‘than’ from ‘then.’
Summary
Learning a language is equivalent to picking up a skillset. Pursuing it with a purpose and realizing its cultural significance becomes a beautiful journey. Besides, if you have a natural knack for language and love to speak across various tongues, become a polyglot!
Joseph
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