Top 10 Most Useful Languages to Learn in 2024 - Richard Coward (2024)

“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things but learning another way to think about things.” – Flora Lewis

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The world is changing, and there are so many interesting languages around the world. Which one should you learn?

Embarking on the journey of learning a new language opens up a universe of possibilities, from expanding your career opportunities to deepening your understanding of different cultures. Here are the 10 most useful languages to learn, descending from the 10th to the most useful language, including insights into the benefits and challenges, along with resources to kickstart your learning adventure.

10. Russian

• Estimated Hours to Learn: 1,100 hours
• Number of Speakers: About 258 million
• Usefulness: Significant in science, literature, and geopolitics.
• Main Advantages: Access to a rich cultural and historical heritage.
• Main Challenges: Cyrillic alphabet and complex grammar.
• Inspirational Quote: “To know another’s language and not just words, is to unlock a soul.”
• Resources: Duolingo, Russian For Free

9. Portuguese

• Estimated Hours to Learn: 600-750 hours
• Number of Speakers: About 260 million
• Usefulness: Growing importance in business, especially in Brazil.
• Main Advantages: Gateway to exploring diverse cultures across several continents.
• Main Challenges: Pronunciation and verb conjugations.
• Inspirational Quote: “Learning Portuguese opens the doors to a world vibrant with music, art, and literature.”
• Resources: Duolingo, Babbel

8. French

• Estimated Hours to Learn: 750 hours
• Number of Speakers: About 280 million
• Usefulness: Diplomacy, international relations, and culture.
• Main Advantages: Access to rich literary and philosophical texts.
• Main Challenges: Gendered nouns, pronunciation.
• Inspirational Quote: “To speak a language is to take on a world, a culture.”
• Resources: Duolingo, Alliance Française

7. German

• Estimated Hours to Learn: 750-900 hours
• Number of Speakers: About 135 million
• Usefulness: Business, science, and philosophy.
• Main Advantages: Economic opportunities in the EU.
• Main Challenges: Complex grammar rules, noun cases.
• Inspirational Quote: “Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own.”
• Resources: Duolingo, Deutsche Welle

6. Japanese

• Estimated Hours to Learn: 2,200 hours
• Number of Speakers: About 128 million
• Usefulness: Business opportunities, particularly in technology and automotive sectors.
• Main Advantages: Unique cultural insight, entertainment industry.
• Main Challenges: Three writing systems, complex honorifics.
• Inspirational Quote: “Every language is a different vision of life.”
• Resources: Duolingo, Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese

5. Arabic

• Estimated Hours to Learn: 2,200 hours
• Number of Speakers: About 422 million
• Usefulness: Diplomacy, business in the Middle East and North Africa.
• Main Advantages: Deep cultural and historical understanding.
• Main Challenges: Numerous dialects, script.
• Inspirational Quote: “A different language is a different vision of life.”
• Resources: Duolingo, Madina Arabic

4. Hindi

• Estimated Hours to Learn: 1,100 hours
• Number of Speakers: About 600 million
• Usefulness: Business opportunities in India, cultural understanding.
• Main Advantages: Access to Bollywood and Indian literature.
• Main Challenges: Script, pronunciation of certain sounds.
• Inspirational Quote: “Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about.”
• Resources: Duolingo, Learning Hindi

3. Mandarin Chinese

• Estimated Hours to Learn: 2,200 hours
• Number of Speakers: Over 1 billion
• Usefulness: Business, diplomacy, and cultural understanding with the world’s second-largest economy.
• Main Advantages: Access to one of the oldest continuous cultures and literatures.
• Main Challenges: Tones, characters.
• Inspirational Quote: “To have another language is to possess a second soul.”
• Resources: Duolingo, ChineseClass101

2. Spanish

• Estimated Hours to Learn: 600-750 hours
• Number of Speakers: About 540 million
• Usefulness: Widespread use in the Americas, Europe, and increasingly globally.
• Main Advantages: Opens up a vast world of cultures, countries, and history.
• Main Challenges: Regional variations, slang.
• Inspirational Quote: “With languages, you are at home anywhere.”
• Resources: Duolingo, Instituto Cervantes

1. English

• Estimated Hours to Learn: 600-750 hours
• Number of Speakers: About 1.5 billion
• Usefulness: The global lingua franca for business, science, technology, and travel.
• Main Advantages: Universal communication, access to an immense range of media and literature.
• Main Challenges: Irregular spelling, phrasal verbs.
• Inspirational Quote: “One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.”
• Resources: Duolingo, British Council

Embarking on the journey of learning a new language is a profoundly enriching experience that broadens your worldview and connects you with people across the globe. While the challenges of learning a new language can be daunting, the rewards are immeasurable, offering unparalleled opportunities for personal and professional growth. As you dive into these languages, remember that each step forward is a step towards a more connected and understanding world.

So which one are you going to learn?