I love languages. They are used to communicate with one another around the world, they are all unique in their own special ways, and most of all, they a fundamental part of the human existence. In my free time, I like to teach myself a little bit of a different language and learn about how their native speakers communicate effectively.
While I took Spanish for many years in middle school, high school, and even college; I've admittedly never gotten around to being more fluent in it in my spare time. But with time, I would love to master the language, as well as a few others you'll read about below!
1. Spanish
Spanish Omg GIF by truTV - Find & Share on GIPHYGiphySpanish, with over 400 million speakers, is the second most spoken language in the world, right behind Mandarin Chinese. So it's no surprise that many students elect to study the language in their schooling. With that being said, it's an extremely useful language; especially if you live in an area where many Spanish speakers reside, such as South Florida.
2. French
French Bonjour GIF - Find & Share on GIPHYGiphyAlso known as the language of love, French is undoubtedly one of the most popular languages to learn. Especially if you're going to a French-speaking country such as Canada or France, even knowing the basics of this delightful language will prove beneficial in the long run. And with over 220 million speakers worldwide and counting, French won't be going out of style anytime soon!
3. Dutch
Dutch is really an underrated language, in my personal opinion. It sounds pretty when spoken, and it looks wonderful when written. It's spoken primarily in the Netherlands and Belgium with at least 28 million speakers, and believe it or not, some familiar English words (like coleslaw, gherkin, and even cruise) come from Dutch! Now would you like to learn?
4. Japanese*
Moshi Moshi Japan GIF - Find & Share on GIPHYGiphyI may sound slightly biased because I LOVE Japanese culture, but the Japanese language is wonderful. I've learned a fair amount of phrases from anime and J-dramas, and throughout the years I've taught myself two out of three alphabets in the language; hiragana and katakana. Japanese is also the ninth most spoken language in the world, with over 130 million speakers and counting. Trust me, it may look daunting to learn, but when you learn that it doesn't rely on tone to convey different meanings like in other Asian languages, it makes learning it less stressful and more fun!
*The GIF reads "shimo shimo", or "moshi moshi" backward.
