Who doesn’t want to make life easier? That’s why we ranked the 9 easiest languages for English speakers to learn. Our list helped many of our users finally narrow down their options and decide which language to take on. Now that the process has been jump-started, let’s take it a step further. These languages are relatively simple to pick up, but they still require a program that gives you the tools to succeed.
That’s where Babbel comes in. Our app is designed to get you speaking your language of choice right away. Here are the four ways Babbel makes the easiest languages even easier.
1. It teaches you words and phrases you’ll actually use.
Learning how to say things like, “The purple duck quacks at dawn” might be fun in the moment, but it’s not going to help you in the long run. At Babbel, we’re all about real-life scenarios. You’re on vacation abroad and need to order food at a restaurant or drinks at a bar. You’re meeting with a colleague from another country and want to congratulate her on her recent business success. These are practical conversations that could prove useful outside of the app interface or the pages of a textbook.
What does this have to do with the easiest languages? Well, most of the top nine are easier to learn because of the large number of cognates they share with English. These words look very similar to their English equivalents; for instance, the seasons vinter and sommer in Norwegian, which we crowned as the number one easiest language to learn. Our vocabulary trainer goes over the cognates so you’re aware of them and teaches you new words that will be helpful in real-world conversations.
2. It makes sure your pronunciation is on point.
Mispronouncing words in another language can lead to eye rolls, dumbfounded looks or worse. In Swedish, our second easiest language, the word full (pronounced with a shorter vowel sound) means the same as the English word “full,” but the word ful (in which the vowel sound is drawn out) means “ugly.” You can imagine how that pronunciation mistake could turn ful fast!
In order to avoid mistakes like these, and to make sure you’re actually understood by the people you’re speaking to, Babbel’s speech recognition feature lets you practice your pronunciation out loud.
3. It fits into your busy schedule.
It’s pretty safe to assume your life is hectic. Most of us have very little free time to focus on ourselves, and in the short relaxation time we do have, we want to be in bed binge-watching Netflix, not spending hours learning a new language. We all want to make our lives a bit easier when we can. So if you want to learn a language, start by choosing one that’s easier to learn. Done. Next, use an app like Babbel to learn it. Why? Because our content is broken down into 10 to 15 minute lessons that are easy to digest and that you can squeeze in when you’re waiting for your ride, eating lunch or sitting in the doctor’s office.
Do you ever find yourself in class or in a meeting and zoning out after the first 20 minutes? Don’t worry, it’s totally normal. Research shows that learning in short bursts is the best way to stay focused and retain information. With Babbel, offering short bursts of learning is the modus operandi.
4. It gets you conversational fast.
Let’s face it, most people learn a language so they can speak to people in that language. Speaking is the most useful outcome of language learning, and we know you want to get to the good stuff right away. After choosing which easy language you want to learn (or a harder one, if you’re so inclined), you’ll start speaking from your very first lesson. Before you know it, you’ll be stringing together full sentences and having simple conversations. But don’t just take our word for it — check out the evidence.
Researchers from the City University of New York and the University of South Carolina conducted a study to measure Babbel’s efficacy. The results were pretty impressive! The study found that a total beginner can learn Spanish by using Babbel for just 15 hours over a two-month period, making us the most efficient language learning app of those tested.
To further test those results, we challenged 15 Babbel employees to learn basic Spanish in just three weeks using our app. What followed was highly entertaining but also rewarding, as the participants became conversational by the end of the three-week challenge (caught on video). The moral of the story: Babbel really works!