What Language Should I Learn? How to Choose the Right Language

So, you’ve decided you want to learn a new language. Congratulations! Your next decision? Deciding what language you should learn!

That second choice—which language to study—is arguably more significant than deciding generally to learn a new language. The language you choose will be intimately tied to your commitment and overall language-learning success.

That’s because choosing a language to learn involves many factors, and that means a whole new set of questions:

Does this language align with your goals?
What kind of professional benefits, if any, come with choosing this language to learn?
Will this language enrich any personal connections (friends, family, out-of-country relatives)?
Do you have any intimate ties to the culture or region where the language is spoken?
Are you passionate about a hobby, pastime, or medium that originates in another language, in another country? Could this interest be enhanced through experiencing it in its original language?

This article will explain how to choose a language to learn. And once you’ve made your decision, Pimsleur^® will be your trusted companion on your language-learning journey. Our exceptional audio lessons and research-informed course structures are based on the Pimsleur Method™. This method, developed by Dr. Paul Pimsleur, is an effective way to learn a language based on a simple formula that you used when you learned your native language: listening to and speaking a new language in conversational contexts to organically acquire core vocabulary, grammatical structures, rhythm, and pronunciation.

Why Choosing the Right Language to Learn Matters

When you’re figuring out how to pick a language to learn, it helps to think ahead. For example, if your language isn’t aligned with personal interests or goals, it’s probably not sustainable. With that in mind, here are some factors to take into account:

One language. A frequent problem with new language learners happens with overload; instead of focusing on one language, “language hopping” can cause apathy and, eventually, total disinterest in learning even one language. Pick one language to start. Success with that language can lead to success in acquiring other languages down the road.
Your lifestyle and interests. Without applying your new language in practical situations (conversations, travel, work), it’s unlikely to remain a long-term goal. Consider a language that overlaps with your interests, friend groups, family members, or travel goals. Anchoring your learning to things and people who already share connections with that language or that part of the world will provide opportunities for organic practice.
Professional preferences. Sometimes, a career goal or a student learning opportunity is a great way to ensure your learning progresses steadily. If a promotion is tied to language proficiency and you really want that promotion, you’ll be highly motivated to not only begin working toward, but also consistently pursue your language learning goals.
Cultural connections. Many new language learners find a “comfort zone” of sorts when their new language is aligned with cultural interests. For instance, a keen follower of Spain’s top-tier soccer league, La Liga, will probably stick with learning Spanish because understanding the commentary, the post-game interviews, and seamlessly traveling to Spain for an in-person experience provide their own motivation. Similarly, a huge manga fan might find inherent motivation in learning Japanese – they’ll get to read their manga in its original language with all the nuance and wordplay that come with the original Japanese.
Commitment. A common theme among language learners is that it takes a few hundred hours to “bond” with a new tongue. Will your new language easily integrate into your life? Ask yourself: do you enjoy listening to music in this language? Could you pick up a weekly podcast in this language? Are there shows, movies, or news broadcasts you could tune into regularly in this language? The spark may not appear at first, but by committing to integrating a new language into your life, you’re expediting its arrival.
Pragmatism. There’s a practical side to choosing a language to learn. According to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (FSI), it can take up to 700-800 hours for English speakers to reach proficiency in languages like Spanish or French. For Arabic or Mandarin Chinese, that figure could easily double. Sometimes, being realistic about how long it might take to achieve proficiency in a new language could influence which language you select.

Bottom line: when deciding which foreign language you should learn, the “best” language is the one you won’t quit. And with the Pimsleur app, you’ll have a built-in structure to keep you committed to learning, which means you’ll reach conversational competence faster than you think.

How to Pick a Language To Learn: Start With Your Personal Goals

Instead of approaching choosing a language to learn by thinking about the “most useful languages,” look inward instead. Why do you want to learn a new language? For personal enrichment or connections? For travel purposes? For business or family? For fun?

Determining your “why” helps filter your options quickly. Let’s look at three common scenarios.

What Language Should I Learn for Travel?

Your destination will direct your decision here. For multiple-continent excursions, a language like Spanish makes sense, since it’s spoken by almost half a billion people worldwide.

You’ll gain more benefits by choosing a language to learn that you’ll speak often. So if you’re going to France and planning some follow-up trips, you’ll get much more out of learning the language conversationally instead of focusing on remembering a few key travel phrases.

What Language Should I Learn for Personal Interests and Lifestyle?

Let language follow your interests. If you love Japanese cuisine, French history and culture, or Italian cinema—well, you might already have your answer. Building from a place you’re already invested in is where most people find positive results. Staying true to what you love, and learning a language that complements those interests will simply multiply your enjoyment.

What Language Should I Learn for Career Growth?

As the global workforce becomes increasingly multilingual, it’s no surprise that learning a new language is often tied to career advancement. Here, your employer may have a relatively narrow group of languages to choose from, so which foreign language you should learn may be decided for you. If you’re lucky enough to have options, it helps to select a language that has a spillover impact outside your job. For example, Spanish in the United States is a popular language to learn, since more than 40 million people speak Spanish at home.

How to Pick a Language to Learn Based on Difficulty and Access

Some languages are inherently more difficult to learn for native English speakers. Popular European languages like French and Spanish typically require less time to gain conversational fluency than languages like Japanese, Russian, or Arabic. However, the difficulty shouldn’t hinder your efforts, particularly if you’re learning with a proven system like Pimsleur.

Accessibility matters, too. It helps to have a complete collection of resources (courses, media, exercises, etc.) for your learning journey. Regardless of how easily accessible materials are in a new language, if you’re willing to put in the work and immerse yourself in your language of choice, you’ll find your way to success.

How to Pick a Language to Learn When You Have Too Many Options

If you feel like you have too many options to consider, pinpoint a few obvious choices. You can always test drive a language for a week or two, and see if another one works better. Eventually, you’ll find one that piques your interest enough to proceed.

No matter which decision-making factor carries the most weight, the language you choose will be the right one for you. Sure, you’ll make mistakes along the way, but that’s an important part of the language-learning journey. And Pimsleur is here to support you as you pursue your goals.With Pimsleur’s All Access subscription, you’ll have access to more than 50 languages. If you’ve already decided on one language, our Premium subscription is a great choice. Pimsleur uses cutting-edge language acquisition techniques to ensure you can start speaking any language from your first lesson. Sign up today and get started!