Best Languages to Learn in 2023 (and Why)
In the past couple of years, learning a foreign language is becoming more and more popular around the world. We all know the benefits of learning languages include more job opportunities, better cognitive skills, a broader worldview, chances to make international friends, etc. But with so many choices at hand, which language is the best language for you to learn?
You might ask, how do you define the best language to learn? Can we compare different languages and say some are better than others? While we agree that each language is unique and has its own cultural and linguistic value, it’s also worth noting that learning a new language includes a lot of work and effort, requiring us to spend some time doing research to find the most suitable one to learn.
So to save you the effort, we have concluded the 7 best languages that might interest you. Read on to see why we think they are the best!
Table of Contents
1. Mandarin
China is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.4 billion people. Mandarin Chinese is the only official language in China, making it one of the most widely spoken first languages in the world. In addition to China and Taiwan, Mandarin is also widely spoken in South Asian countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.
In addition, China is the second-largest economy in the world and a trading partner for many countries. Mandarin is also said to be the 2nd most powerful language in the world. So if you can speak Mandarin, the opportunities are immense.
Recommended reading: Best Way to Learn Chinese
2. Japanese
Many Japanese learners first started learning Japanese because of their love for manga or anime. Indeed, learning Japanese can help you better understand Japanese animes, movies, games with little effort. And these cultural products provide language learners with perfect learning materials to help you learn with fun. Meanwhile, learning Japanese opens you up to a whole new world of ideas and content very different from the western culture.
The Japanese language can also be a perfect gateway to other Asian languages. Developed from the same root, the Japanese language shares a lot of common words with Chinese. When compared to Chinese and Korean, Japanese pronunciation is also relatively easier. So it can be a great place to start for beginners.
Recommended reading: Best Way to Learn Japanese on Your Own
3. French
French is spoken in 68 countries worldwide and, along with English, is one of the few languages spoken on all five continents. Being fluent in French is an ace in the hole to increase job opportunities in the international job market. French is also the official language of many international organizations, such as the European Union, UNESCO, the International Olympic Committee, and the International Red Cross, as well as the official language of many international courts.
In addition, the study of French facilitates the learning of other foreign languages, especially romance languages – including Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian. As many words in English are borrowed from French, knowing the French language can also help you better understand the root of the English language.
Recommended reading: Best Way to Learn French
4. Spanish
Spanish is one of the top five languages in the world in terms of usage, with nearly 600 million first and second language speakers. It is also one of the six working languages of the United Nations and is an official language in 21 countries around the world. In the US, 13% people speak Spanish at home, making it the most common foreign language spoken.
Spain is one of the major tourist countries in Europe, and by mastering Spanish you will have more opportunities to travel, socialize, work and get in touch with different cultures.
5. Arabic
Arabic is the official language of more than 20 countries with nearly 350 million native speakers, it is one of the most spoken languages in the world, and it has become the sixth official working language of the United Nations General Assembly and its main committees. Arab countries are also experiencing rapid economic development, and if you are interested in Islam, by learning Arabic you can also become familiar with Islamic beliefs and traditions.
6. Portuguese
Portuguese is the fifth most spoken language in the world, with more than 100 million speakers. It is also the official language of ten countries and regions and several international organizations like African Union and the European Union. So learning Portuguese can open up many opportunities in fields like business, diplomacy, publishing, etc.
Also, as a close relative to Spanish, Portuguese are pretty similar to Spanish in terms of vocabulary, grammar, etc. You can even try learning them together and kill two birds with one stone.
7. German
As a major industrial country, Germany is one of the most developed countries in the world in terms of mechanical engineering technology and has many institutions with well-developed related professions. In addition, higher education in Germany is free for foreigners, which gives many students the opportunity to study and work in Germany.
Also, German and English are both Germanic languages, so there are similarities in the letter combinations of words with the same meaning, which makes learning German easier.
Recommended reading: Best Way to Learn German
8. Korean
K-pop is currently at its worldwide peak thanks to BTS, Blackpink, and many other world-renowned K-pop artists. The Korean Wave is definitely a big trend. This makes Korean a cool language to learn right now.
And the popularity of Korean dramas is also evident all over the world. By learning Korean, you will be able to experience watching Korean dramas without subtitles and learn more about Korean culture!
Recommended reading: Is Korean Hard for English Speakers?
Ready to start learning a new language now? Let LingoDeer help! Comprehensive curricula, well-structured language courses, and bite-sized lessons help you learn your target language the smart way! Give it a try for free today!
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“Arabic is the official language of more than 20 countries with nearly 30 billion native speakers”
The amount is wrong, we don’t have that amount of people on earth.
Thank you for pointing this out. We agree with this and have revised the article.
Hello, thanks for sharing with us! I agree that Mandarin is an important langage to learn especially for business people!
I think that, contrary to what you wrote, the Korean writing system is easier than the Japanese one. However for me personally Japanese is easier to pronounce.
I have to comment again, because there is a plain error: “Unlike English, Portuguese belongs to the Indo-European language family” – both belong to the Indo-European language family, just to different branches of it!! Lingodeer, please take care with who you let write your articles, this makes it seem like you are not experts in languages, which would be a pity because I think your app is really great!
Thank you for the feedback! We’ll definitely be more careful with the facts!
How
Learning Portugese is my New Year’s Resolution! Want to travel to Lisboa by myself next summer! Do you have recommendation for Portugese leaners? Is it similiar with Spanish?
Learning Portuguese is a great choice! With the rich culture behind it and its similarity to Spanish, you can gain a lot from learning Portuguese. We recommend learning Brazilian Portuguese first with a focus on grammar. LingoDeer app is a great starting place to do this. Once you’ve known the basics, it’s easy to expand your learning resources and progress fast.