Wondering what are the best languages to learn as an English speaker?

We’ve got you covered.

In fact, learning a new language is more than just a plus to your curriculum vitae (CV).

According to a study conducted by Pennsylvania State University, bilingualism helps learners build great multi-tasking skills by switching between different structures in a short amount of time when using more than one language.

Also, statistics have shown that students who speak several languages tend to score better on standardized tests than their unilingual peers.

The benefits mentioned above are just a drop in the ocean of what multilingualism can bring you. There are countless mental, health, and even financial perks that come with learning a second language.

Based on the level of difficulty and the political, economic and cultural significance of each language in today’s world, I have put together a list of the five best languages to learn, along with some great beginner’s resources.

Spanish

The well-known language company Duolingo recently shared an article on which countries study which languages. The article also contained data obtained from its 120 million users.

Below is a map that portrays the most popular language studied on Duolingo in each country. 

As you can see, Spanish is the second most-learned language in the world after English.

In fact, Duolingo’s analysis states that Spanish “is studied by 17% of all Duolingo users,” making it the second most-learned language in their app.

Now you might be thinking, “What makes Spanish so popular?”

Well, the answer is simple: with a population of around 440 million people, Spanish is the second most natively spoken language in the world. It is also the official language of 20 countries on the American and European continents.

The best part? For most English speakers, Spanish vocabulary is not rocket science. Both languages belong to the Indo-European language family, which led to the cross-fertilization of words and idioms between Spanish and English.

Therefore, if you’re looking for an easy, in-demand language to learn, Spanish is probably the best option for you.

German

Considering the fact that it is the official language of some of the most developed countries in the world, learning German can open up great opportunities for you.

Recently, German became the third working language of the European Union.

Following Brexit, many indicators show that English will have less importance in the European Union—which will leave more room for German to take over in Europe.

Also, the recent refugee crisis has drawn a lot of attention to Austria and Germany, making German a useful language for everyone interested in following new, related political events in Europe.

Moreover, learning German will allow you to access a huge database of intellectual and scientific content, improve your career, and discover the German culture and people.

Because German is also an Indo-European language, many of its vocabulary words match their English equivalents. Therefore, you will most likely be able to strike up intermediate conversations in German after a few months of learning it.

Japanese

Because Japan has the third largest economy in the world with a gross domestic product (GDP) of almost five trillion U.S. dollars, it is one of the most popular and arguably important countries in the world.

With a Japanese-speaking population of more than 127 million people, many prefer Japanese to other languages.

In fact, the number of Japanese learners has dramatically increased in the last few decades, as Japan is drastically developing.

In addition to economic growth, Japan is also a culturally rich country. Learning the language will allow you to watch new animes and movies, learn more about martial arts, keep up with technological developments, and find new travel gems in Japan.

Mandarin Chinese

With a Mandarin-speaking population of over 900 million people, China’s official language is set to be one of the most (if not the most) important languages in the world in the next few years.

China’s excellence in important fields including agriculture, academics, travel and business helps globalize its often misunderstood culture and language.

In 2010, the state press agency Xinhua estimates that 750,000 Chinese-as-second-language learners from all around the world have taken the HSK Chinese Proficiency Test. Only four years later, CNTV reported that over five million people took the same test throughout the year.

Considering these statistics, we can securely say that the demand for Mandarin speakers in the world is at its peak - and, as the data confirms, it’s not going down anytime soon.

According to the United States Foreign Service Institute, Chinese is one of the most time-consuming and difficult languages to learn for English native speakers. Bottom line? If you’re ready to invest hundreds of hours to learn one of the best languages, your time and effort will definitely pay off in any way you want it to.

Arabic

Due to the recent political instability in Arabic-speaking countries, and the huge growth Persian Gulf countries such as UAE and Qatar have recently had, Arabic is doubtlessly one of the best languages to learn.

Political and international organizations are continuously seeking new Arabic language experts and translators to build a bridge between the organizations and the Arab world.

An abundance of successful businesses are also breaking into the Arab market. In fact, many businesses are willing to hire Arabic speakers who are capable of helping them reach business goals and connect with target countries.

Also, if you’re a business owner, an intermediary in Arabic will help to expand your knowledge of the Arab market and expand your entrepreneurial opportunities.

Besides the business and political aspects, Arabic can also help you learn more about many culturally and naturally rich countries such as Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Syria, Morocco and Iraq.

Just like Chinese, Arabic is a difficult language that might require more time compared to some other popular languages.

To speed up the learning process, I recommend learning a dialect first—which should not be hard—then progressively switch to Modern Standard Arabic by learning the formal language that is used in writing and official documents.

Now that you’ve decided which language(s) to learn, what’s more important than taking action?

Not sure where to start?

Innovative Language is the go-to website for audio and visual language content. There you’ll have access to thousands of customized lessons made by real teachers in more than 34 languages, including the listed languages above.

Based on your language level, Innovative Language experts will correct your assignments, assist you with all the aspects of language fluency, and answer any questions you have.

Sign up now for free and start learning a new language today!

Author: Yassir Sahnoun is a content strategist, writer, polyglot and co-founder of WriteWorldwide.

Japanese anime is very popular around the world. So popular that many people decide to learn Japanese because of their love for their favorite anime shows.

But one problem with learning Japanese through anime is the kind of Japanese you’ll absorb this way. The characters in anime live in their own universe, where everyone tends to use slang, casual language, informal pronouns and even made-up words. It’s very easy to spot people who learned Japanese exclusively through anime – you’ll see 20-year-old boys talking like 10-year-old kawaii girls, or 20-year-old girls talking like yakuza, for example! Needless to say, native Japanese speakers may not take them seriously!

Despite this, it can actually be useful to incorporate anime into your language learning routine.

Anime has a lot to offer to Japanese students on every level:

1. It helps you practice your listening skills. Listening skill are of course closely related to pronunciation.

2. It gives you more than just a glimpse into Japanese culture and modern day pop-culture.
Cultural references are absolutely vital to learning any new language, and anime is deeply rooted in Japanese culture. People will throw anime references into their casual, polite and even business conversations.

3. Just as importantly, catching up on your favorite shows is a great and fun way to take a break from your ordinary language learning routine.

Anime is a great learning tool because it’s fun and there is a lot of it. In fact, there’s anime for everyone: romance, action, adventure, horror, comedy, sports, historical – basically in any genre you can think of.

As long as you don’t lose sight of your ultimate Japanese language goal – to speak fluently and properly in any situation – anime definitely has a place in your language learning routine.

We’ve listed some fun anime series you can get into and improve your Japanese. We tried to pick easy to understand shows that use everyday language. Hopefully these will give you some good jumping off points. But remember: this is just a partial list, and there really is an anime for everyone. If you don’t like the series we listed below, you can easily find a different one!

Hello Listeners,

Any Windows 8 users among our Japanese learners?

If so, good news! So far our highest rated Japanese vocab-building app, WordPower Japanese, has been available for the iPhone, iPad, Android and Mac. The feedback was great, too!

But there haven’t been Apps for PC or Windows users…‘til now.

WordPower Japanese is now available on the Windows store for $9.99 and includes a FREE Trial. You master the top 4,000 Japanese words necessary for daily life and real conversations on your PC, Tablet or Windows Phone. How’s it done? Click on the link below to get a FREE Trial or keep reading for the full run-down of this App!

Get a Free Trial & Download WordPower from the Windows Store!

Language experts say you need about 1,500 words for conversational fluency.

You get over 4,000 words in WordPower Japanese for Windows.

Here’s how you master them with 2 easy study modes.
WordPower breaks these words down into easy categories and courses. Business, Health, Food, School, Work, you name it! Choose one to start with and level up! You get the meaning, the native pronunciation and sample sentences, and even get to record yourself to compare. As you learn new words, WordPower tracks your progress.

And if you’re interested in the details, here’s exactly what this Japanese learning app comes with.

WordPower Learn Japanese Vocabulary FEATURES:

• 4,000+ Must-Know Japanese Word List: The most essential Japanese vocabulary with spelling, translation, pronunciation, image, class, kanji and romanization.
• Top 100 Japanese Culture List: A special list of words specific to daily life in Japan.
• Thousands of Sample Sentences: Get sample sentences with every word entry.
• 2 Study Modes: Course Mode or Category Mode: Choose a course or category and work your way up as your progress is tracked.
• Easy to Use Design: Intuitive Windows 8 swipe navigation allows visual learners to browse vocabulary images quickly.
• Control your study sessions: Mix up question types (recognition, production, audio and visual) for a full understanding of each word.
• Listening Practice: Hear each word’s proper pronunciation by a native speaker.
• Perfect your Pronunciation: Compare your pronunciation to the native speaker’s with the Voice Recorder, easily accessible throughout the app.
• Personalized Word Bank: Save difficult or useful words to review at any time.
• Advanced Search Function: Search entire database in English or Japanese.
• Progress Bar: Keep track of how many words you have really mastered.
• Word View Options: Romanization and Kana Transliteration can be turned on and off.
• Free Japanese Lessons: Access the newest JapanesePod101 lessons for FREE!
• Basic Resources: Want to explore the Japanese language even more? Learn everything you need to know with this comprehensive source of Japanese learning tips, information and material.

If you’re a Windows 8 user, make sure to try WordPower Japanese for FREE! A free trial is available when you get the App from the Windows Store. Or, get it for $9.99 and master the top 4,000 Japanese words. Remember: know more words, speak more Japanese.

Click here to download WordPower Japanese from the Windows Store.

To your fluency!

Team JapanesePod101 at Innovative Language

P.S. WordPower Japanese is available for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android and Windows, and FREE versions are available too!

Click here to see the WordPower Japanese Apps and learn more!

Hello Listener,

Can kids learn Japanese? Of course! They’re the fastest learners around!

But do they? Not unless there’s a native Japanese speaker in the family. Language experts say children learning a second language enjoy cognitive advantages over those that do not.

So, if you need a way to learn Japanese with your child start with the kid friendly e-book that’ll get them mastering words in minutes! With the brand new Talking World iBook for the iPad, your little one will learn all the common Japanese vocab they know in English!

New iBook for the iPad: Learn Japanese for Kids - Talking World
It’s jam packed with 16 colorful chapters and 274+ common Japanese words for any child to learn. Explore all sorts of vibrant scenarios per chapter like rooms around the house, parks, and much more while picking up easy vocabulary.

Learn Japanese for Kids: Talking World is now available on iTunes for $4.99.
Click here to get Learn Japanese for Kids: Talking World on iTunes

All they have to do is tap on objects in each area to learn their Japanese words while hearing native Japanese pronunciation. Then, there’s an easy review section and a quiz mode to test how much your child has learned.

This Audiobook is perfect for children aged 18 months to 6 years+ (not to mention adults too!)

Here’s what’s inside the Talking World iBook:

• 16 Chapters filled with 274 words covering common objects found in any kid’s world
• Easy tap and play interactive layout for fingers big and small
• Colorful, kid-friendly drawings to help illustrate each vocabulary word
• Native Japanese and English translation audio pronunciation
• Easy to read kana and romaji spelling

You can even sample this iBook for FREE before purchasing. Simply click on any link, open the iBook in iTunes and click on “Get Sample.”

Click here to preview the iBook on iTunes!

To your kid’s fluency!

Team Innovative Language

P.S. Get your children speaking Japanese! Download Talking Word for your iPad for 4.99 on iTunes.

Click here to get Learn Japanese for Kids: Talking World on iTunes for $4.99!

Hello Listener,

Remember your first Japanese phrase?

Was it “Hello, how are you,” “My name is….” or maybe “I have no idea what I’m saying?”

Every Japanese learner starts out with simple phrases and questions. That’s because learning phrases is easy. They’re exactly what get you speaking, understanding, and improving your Japanese in the first place. Not just random, unusable words.

So as a Japanese Beginner, having a powerful Japanese phrasebook is the easiest way to speak more Japanese. And with our brand new iBook, you master over 700 phrases.

Master 700+ essential Japanese phrases with the NEW Learn Japanese: PhrasePower iBook for the iPad. This is the perfect first step for Beginners and Travelers that want to learn and speak a boatload of Japanese quickly without focusing on grammar.

Click here to preview Learn Japanese: PhrasePower on iTunes.

Need to introduce yourself? Make some small talk in Japanese? Or just ask someone to take your photo? This $9.99 iBook is absolutely JAM PACKED with all the phrases you’ll need for social situations, basic conversations, getting around Japan, shopping, and much more.

Load up this iBook on your iPad and swipe through 4-Beginner Level Chapters. Not only you learn the essential phrases, words, and questions, you learn how to use them in conversation too. Japanese phrases come with audio samples, matching illustrations, and easy to follow sentence patterns.

Here’s What’s Inside Learn Japanese PhrasePower iBook:
- 4 Beginner Level Chapters (Essentials, Asking Questions, First Encounters, Social Situations)
- Extra Bonus Chapter with In Depth Vocabulary Reference Section
- 700+ essential Japanese words and phrases
- Native audio samples for all words and phrases
- Easy to follow conversation layout
- Clear English, Romaji, and Kanji Transcription

Here are some screenshots! (click here to see more on iTunes)

So, whether you’re a Japanese beginner or a traveler and need to learn Japanese quickly, without the headaches of grammar, you get the essential phrases with PhrasePower. Master 700+ essential Japanese phrases with the NEW Learn Japanese: PhrasePower iBook.

iBooks Hint: Be sure to sample this iBook for free on iTunes by clicking “Get Sample.”

Click here to get Learn Japanese: PhrasePower for your iPad!

To your Japanese fluency,

Team Innovative Language

Today, we bring you another blog post from Motoko, JapanesePod101.com lesson creator, host and Office Party Planner! Motoko will be sharing more bilingual posts on our blog, so check back often and leave a comment!

Hi everyone, Motoko here!

Today I’d like to tell you about another listener meetup we had.

The other day, we had a JapanesePod101.com listener come to visit us from Mitaka, Tokyo. (Yes. From TOKYO!)

Audrius studies at a private university in Tokyo and lives in the dormitories there. He is from Lithuania, in Northern Europe. He is the first Lithuanian I’ve ever met! I was pleasantly surprised by his level of Japanese fluency.

Let me talk a little about his Japanese learning journey: he started learning Japanese with JapanesePod101 in Lithuania, before he came to Japan. Then he continued to study it at the university. His energy and efforts towards learning Japanese are awesome, aren’t they?

We welcome anyone traveling to Japan or studying here to visit us! Drop by our office and say Kon’nichiwa!
（Apr, 2013）

Today, we bring you another blog post from Motoko, JapanesePod101.com lesson creator, host and Office Party Planner! Motoko will be sharing more bilingual posts on our blog, so check back often and leave a comment! 

Hi all! Motoko here. It’s been a while since my last post!

But today, I’d like to talk about one of the most popular events in Japan. It’s the day that we say “I love you” and “thanks” to the people we spend the most time with.

This day is Valentine’s Day, on February 14th. It originally came from European culture, didn’t it? And people usually give presents or flowers to the one they love on that day. I’m guessing that in your country, it’s the men who give presents to their partners. But in Japan, ladies give chocolate to men!

It’s the only chance each year when ladies can declare their love to the men they love. They usually make or buy chocolates and give them to the men.

Recently, however, most people have been giving chocolates to their colleagues and friends. On Valentine’s Day at Innovative Language, the ladies brought sweets they had made or bought to the office. Also, Peter gave boxes of chocolate to each of our team members. The men and ladies in the office all enjoyed these sweets together. Though no one declared their love, it was a day for us to say “thanks for everything!” to each other.

So if Valentine’s Day is for men, did the men of Innovative Language do anything in return? Well, in Japan, this happens on White Day, which falls on March 14th. This is an event that is well known in Japan and also in South Korea. The men who received presents on Valentine’s Day return the favor to the lady they got the chocolate from. Some return the declaration of love to the lady too! And some give sweets and snacks to their friends in return. At the Innovative office, most of the men brought boxes of sweets for the ladies. The boxes said “Happy White Day! Only for Girls!!” (Unlike on Valentine’s Day!) The guys looked sad about this because they love chocolate!      

What happens in your country on Valentine’s Day and White Day?

(Feb - Mar, 2013)

Today, we bring you another blog post from Motoko, JapanesePod101.com lesson creator, host and Office Party Planner! Motoko will be sharing more bilingual posts on our blog, so check back often and leave a comment!

Hi listeners! Motoko here. In this blog, I would like to talk about our trip to Round1. This was the second event we held while Eran was here (actually, we went there in November! :p). Round1 is one of the Japanese amusement complexes that have a variety of athletic fields for sport and other indoor activities. It is also famous for “Spo-cha,” (short for “sports challenge”) which is the name of the kind of service Round1 offers.

You just pay the fee for 1 or 3 hours and then enjoy as many sports and arcade games as you like. We call it ‘1-jikan asobi hōdai’ or ‘3-jikan asobi hōdai’ (1時間遊び放題 or 3時間遊び放題).

I tried rollerblading for the first time in my life and it was REALLY difficult even just moving forward. (So one of my co-workers rescued me. It was a very good experience though!)

Even if you are not good at sport, you can still find something to enjoy. There are arcade games (for free!), darts, a rodeo bull machine, and karaoke!

When you’re hanging out with a group of friends in Japan, Round1 is a great place to go!

(Dec 2012)

Today, we bring you another blog post from Motoko, JapanesePod101.com lesson creator, host and Office Party Planner! Motoko will be sharing more bilingual posts on our blog, so check back often and leave a comment!

Hey everyone. Motoko here! I’d like to talk about our year-end cleaning event, called Ō-sōji(大掃除) in Japanese. Most of our staff had questions about why people in offices did cleaning themselves instead of hiring cleaning staff. But this process is very significant for the year end in Japan.

As you see from its kanji, this is the biggest cleaning season and takes place at the end of the year. It has its origin in a Shinto event called Susuharai (煤払い), in which monks and people cleaned their houses to purify them and welcome the god/kami called Toshi-gami (歳神様 or 年神様) on new year’s day. In other words, Ō-sōji was originally a ritual event. The god, Toshi-gami, is believed to bring people and also their houses happiness and luck each new year. People traditionally clean their houses together and prepare for new year’s day. They believe that if the house is dusty and dirty, the god won’t come. (Japanese gods tend to like nice and clean places!)

In order to invite happiness and luck to the office, some of us formed a group: Team Ō-sōji. We had a one-hour cleaning session in the office. To be more eco-friendly, we chose to use dusters, zōkin (雑巾), to wipe everything off. You can use one of these almost forever just by washing and squeezing it.

[photo1: Our powerful weapon: マイペット]

[photo2: Clean dusters after the cleaning ]

After the cleaning, we of course went to a meal to reward everyone for their hard work.

[photo3: Salt can be one of the good sauces. Simple is best! ]

(Nov. 2012)