French vs Spanish - Which one is easy to learn?

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French vs Spanish - Which one is easy to learn?

Postby testlink » Sun Oct 01, 2017 12:12 pm

My son is finishing his primary schooling this year. Next year onward he has an option to study either French or Spanish.

Can any one suggest which one is easier to learn?

Also which one would be better for job prospects for him later in life?

Appreciate any help.
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Re: French vs Spanish - Which one is easy to learn?

Postby Adrianslont » Sun Oct 01, 2017 1:25 pm

Hi. Both of those languages are classed as easier languages for an English language speaker to learn when compared to other languages. But that does not make them easy as such - just easier than others.

Most people would say Spanish is easier than French. Most people would also say that the language that interests you most is also the one that is easiest because it increases motivation- so there is that to consider.

As to future employment, that depends on so many factors, the main two, in my opinion, being where you live or where you want to go and live and what other study you do ie what other skills you pair your second language with.

Personally I think your child's interest should be the overriding factor - he's a long way from the job market, there are too many unknowable factors and a positive language learning experience at his age, no matter which language, is IMHO the most desirable outcome.
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Re: French vs Spanish - Which one is easy to learn?

Postby tiia » Sun Oct 01, 2017 1:42 pm

The child's interests is the most important factor just as Adrianslont said.

If he doesn't know, what to choose, one could maybe get him an idea what the cultures are like, that he might learn about, or what the places are like, where the languages are spoken. (I had Latin in school and when I think about it, it would have been horrible, if you weren't interested in ancient Rome at all.)
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Re: French vs Spanish - Which one is easy to learn?

Postby mcthulhu » Sun Oct 01, 2017 2:31 pm

Learning one of them at this point does not rule out learning the other one later on, and in fact would make it much easier. Going from one Romance language to another is an easier adjustment. At his age, he has all the time in the world before he starts a career, so I wouldn't get too stressed out about making the right choice.

Another consideration is which language he is likely to get more day-to-day practical use from. Are there more Spanish speakers and more Spanish TV etc. where you live, and thus more opportunities to use the language, or more French ones? I understand a parent's concern about his future, but a foreign language could help him outside of his work life as well.

I agree that at this stage his interest should be a primary factor (among other things, in whether he'll even be motivated to keep up with the language). For both of these languages, there are a lot of free resources and courses available on line, so he he could try both languages at home and see what he thinks of them. You should even be able to find a lot of YouTube videos aimed at his age level.

If your school system is such that you have an opportunity to talk with the teachers before making a decision, you might try to get their input as well, and get an idea of which teachers he would be more comfortable with. A good teacher can make all the difference.
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Re: French vs Spanish - Which one is easy to learn?

Postby Xenops » Sun Oct 01, 2017 4:58 pm

As I took Spanish in high school and am learning French as a 30-year-old, I will immediately say that Spanish is WAY easier. However, because my family (my dad in particular) pushed me to get good at Spanish to the exclusion of other languages, I do not actively study Spanish. The desire for the language, for me, has been sapped. I don't know if I can find the enthusiasm to study it in earnest again. But I do have enthusiasm for just about any other language, with more passion for French and Japanese at the moment.

In other words, don't push your kid towards one language or another--you might just be killing the enjoyment of learning it.
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Re: French vs Spanish - Which one is easy to learn?

Postby reineke » Sun Oct 01, 2017 5:01 pm

Neither is easy to learn. Introduce your kid to Asterix and Mort & Phil. Don't expect much and you may get surprised. If you are expecting anything concrete, you'll need to get personally involved.
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Re: French vs Spanish - Which one is easy to learn?

Postby Xmmm » Sun Oct 01, 2017 6:17 pm

My kids are in fourth year Spanish in high school. They had the choice between French and Spanish. We did indicate that Spanish was more practical where we live and if they had no preference, they should go with Spanish. But the choice was up to them.

Based on what I learned in the forum, I got them some Harry Potter books in Spanish a couple years ago. That worked out well. They still liked the stories but felt too old to read them in English again.

Then at the beginning of this past summer, I got a brainwave (again from what I learned on this forum). Normally the kids are not allowed to watch a lot of TV. I told them "this summer, you can watch four hours a day of TV if you want ... and here is your Netflix account ... but the rule is everything has to be Spanish." Well, they watched a couple hundred hours of TV. Sponge Bob, Velvet, Daredevil, all the Harry Potter movies, etc.

School started and they are amazed. They understand everything the teacher is saying, they get A's on listening comprehension, they tested B1 on Dialang. And fourth year is the year where the non-native speakers often drop the class, because the heritage speakers suddenly appear (having tested in). The heritage speakers are very impressed with my kids' comprehension, although speaking still needs some work ...

So ... I would say the choice of French or Spanish doesn't matter as much as supplementing what they get in school with Netflix and/or reading material they find interesting. School's not going to do that for you. At the end of the school year, the Spanish teacher told the kids "this summer try to watch three movies in Spanish". My kids said to me "we watched almost that much every day."
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Re: French vs Spanish - Which one is easy to learn?

Postby Serpent » Mon Oct 02, 2017 5:02 pm

Welcome to the forum :) We're independent learners here, and basically everyone agrees that you can't learn a language just by taking classes. Those who take them treat them as a tool like any other.

As for your question, Spanish is easier to pronounce and write (though it's still very different from English). French is probably easier to read, since so many English words are borrowings from French.

Does he have any favourite pastime/hobby? Also, which country do you live in?
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Re: French vs Spanish - Which one is easy to learn?

Postby Cavesa » Tue Oct 03, 2017 4:33 pm

I would say neither is significantly easier, if the learner really wants to learn the language and not just touristy phrases. I understand where you are coming from, my significantly younger sister was making the same choice a few months ago.

French tends to be harder at first but once you get over the initial phase, you just keep putting the same pieces together in new ways, you keep expanding on an already known system. Unfortunately, French is often harder than necessary due to incompetent teachers who blame students or the supposed difficulty of the language instead of their mistakes.

Spanish seems to be easier at first, it is easier to get the basics for communication. But once you want to speak like a normal person and not a neanderthal or tourist, it gets complicated and some of its aspects are harder than its counterparts in French. Spanish also has the advantage of much more helpful natives in general.

The one your son is more interested in will be easier. It depends on where can your family travel or what else he likes to do. Both languages bring tons of fun.

Job prospects? Any language he learns to a solid level will serve well. Including those people are in general not convinced about. Having fun and being interested in the language enough to keep working on one's own is the way to good results and eventual economic gains. But if your son reaches only the usual crappy level most people reach during the secondary school and highschool, it will be useless no matter which language he'll suck at.
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Re: French vs Spanish - Which one is easy to learn?

Postby tarvos » Tue Oct 03, 2017 9:38 pm

Doesn't really matter. Spanish has slightly more speakers, French is more useful in academia, but either is a fine choice. Spanish is easier to learn to write, French is easier to read at first. Either way it doesn't hugely matter.
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