Dr. Yoon's Korean Learning

Do you want to start with the easiest foreign language to study? Which language should you study first? If you are seeking a good language to start with, I would suggest the following:

Consider starting with a foreign language that is similar to your own.
The easiest foreign language to learn is probably closely related to your own. Most languages fall into certain groups. It is relatively easy to study a language similar to your own, or similar to another language that you already have some experience with. For example, French and Spanish are closely related to English. You will probably find it easy to deduce the meanings of many words on your own. If you already know some French or Spanish, then you shouldn’t have much trouble with a language similar to Italian. Learn the basics of one, then switch to any of the others, you will find remarkable similarities.

Even if the words are very different, the grammar patterns are often the same. At some level, you will have an intuitive sense of how things go together. This makes it much easier to learn a closely related language rather than one from a unrelated lineage such as Korean or Russian.

Can You Find Lots of Resouces?
Can you find lots of resources in your chosen language? This is a critical factor in choosing a language. The easiest language to learn also has a lot of resources available. If you go to the library, can you find language guides, dictionaries, and phrase books in your target language? If you search on-line, can you find websites, podcasts, and other material in the language? If you search around, can you find movies dubbed in the language? Finally, can you find native speakers to practice with? There are all important factors to consider. The easiest foreign language to learn will be one where you have access to native speakers and a good selection of resources.

Are You Interested In The Language?
Finally, do you have an interest in learning the language? For instance, why would you want to spend a huge amount of time studying Russian if you have no interest in the food or culture of that part of the world? But if you are enthralled by the sound of Italian, dream of eating at a piazza cafe, hope to one day explore Tuscany, and are fascinated by the people, then choosing Italian is probably a no-brainer. The easiest foreign language is one that you really want to learn.

Having strong reasons on many different levels to learn a language is a key factor to your success. It will help keep you interested, keep things fun, and keep you going through the ups and downs. Language learning is a skill. You have to work at it. Like anything else, you have to develop strength in it. The experience of learning one language will in turn make it easier to learn the next language. Start with an easy language and build up from there.