Which Language Is Easier to Learn: French or Spanish?

  • Context: Lingusitics 
  • Thread starter Thread starter En_lizard
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the comparative ease and utility of learning French versus Spanish. Participants explore various contexts, including living situations, cultural interests, and personal preferences for language learning.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that Spanish may be more useful in the US and South America, while French could be more beneficial in Canada and parts of Europe and Africa.
  • Others argue that the choice of language should depend on personal interests, such as cultural engagement or literature, rather than practical utility.
  • A few participants express a preference for French, citing its perceived romanticism and its prevalence in international organizations like the UN.
  • Some contributions highlight the complexity of French grammar compared to Spanish, suggesting that this may affect the learning experience.
  • There are mentions of other languages, such as Mandarin, German, and Chinese, as alternatives worth considering.
  • Several participants question the assertion that French is widely spoken across Europe, with some claiming that Spanish is more prevalent in certain regions.
  • Discussions also touch on the idea that the question of which language is "better to know" may be subjective and context-dependent.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on which language is easier or better to learn, with multiple competing views remaining throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Some statements reflect personal biases or regional perspectives, and there are unresolved questions regarding the prevalence of French and Spanish in Europe and their respective utility in different contexts.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals considering learning a new language, particularly those interested in French or Spanish, as well as those curious about cultural implications of language learning.

which one comes more handy french or spanish?

  • french

    Votes: 12 54.5%

  • spanish

    Votes: 9 40.9%

  • others(explain it in your post)

    Votes: 1 4.5%
  • Total voters
    22
  • #31
EL said:
Really? But everyone speaks their own language in the Parliament?

No, us Croats, for example, speak french in our parliament. :biggrin:
 
Science news on Phys.org
  • #32
radou said:
No, us Croats, for example, speak french in our parliament. :biggrin:
Sure.:-p
Actually I mean the European Parliament!
 
  • #33
EL said:
Really? But everyone speaks their own language in the Parliament?

Well the elected members of the parliament from member states can't be expected to know one of either english or french but the permanent staff there adhere to this rule. Why german isn't a third option is beyond me because its the second most common language in europe with french being third.
 
  • #34
Kurdt said:
Well the elected members of the parliament from member states can't be expected to know one of either english or french but the permanent staff there adhere to this rule. Why german isn't a third option is beyond me because its the second most common language in europe with french being third.
Probably because the French are so stubborn and refuse to learn English...
 
  • #35
¿Francés? o ¿español?, vaya pero que tremendo lío. Bueno, que tal si vos aprende la lengua de Cervantes?
 
  • #36
Cyclovenom said:
...que tal si vos aprende la lengua de Cervantes?
I thought for a second that this was a very crappy French..
Never realized how similar Spanish and French are..
I always knew Italian was similar...
 
  • #37
which one is easier to learn?
 
  • #38
EL said:
Probably because the French are so stubborn and refuse to learn English...

That's exactly the reason why I feel a bit sorry for learning french for 4 years.

En_lizard said:
which one is easier to learn?

French grammar is hard, but then, I don't know about spanish grammar, since I didn't learn spanish.
 
  • #39
radou said:
Btw, Belgium and Switzerland are small. And of course france speaks french. And they speak only french.
More than 60 % of the Belgian people speak Dutch as their mothertongue ! But, yes , we also speak French. I agree with Cyrus though, French is more spoken in Europe than Spanish.

You are right when you say that the French suck at speaking other languages, but so do the Italians and the Spanish. Trust me, i know from a daily experience LOL :)

marlon
 
Last edited:
  • #40
radou said:
French grammar is hard, but then, I don't know about spanish grammar, since I didn't learn spanish.

I studied French for 8 years in high school (which is required here in Belgium) and i also studied Italian in evening classes. I assure you that French grammar is much harder than Spanish/Italian grammar.

marlon
 

Similar threads

Learning Spanish but for Moving to Quebec
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
3K
Lingusitics Sounds of g and c in Romance languages (and some of English)
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K
Lingusitics Does studying Latin help in learning other languages?
  • · Replies 69 ·
3
Replies
69
Views
14K
Lingusitics (BBC) Bolze is more than a just a language: it’s a cultural identity
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Lingusitics Learning Target Language with Mother Tongue-subtitled Series
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
Playing Video Games in a Language You Don't Understand
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • Sticky
How to use the "w" in www
  • · Replies 0 ·
Replies
0
Views
4K
English is not normal, says John McWhorter
  • · Replies 112 ·
4
Replies
112
Views
9K
Lingusitics French or Spanish: Which Language Will Win Over the Babes?
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
8K
Lingusitics How Can I Learn Multiple Languages by Next August?
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
3K