The Best European Cities To Learn A Language, According To Surveys

09.11.2023 - 20:05 / forbes.com

With a new year approaching and new resolutions in mind, learning a language is one of those items that often appears on many personal lists. Travel experts and language institutions regularly publish surveys on the best destinations to do so, echoing the simple fact that in our interconnected, “globalized” world, the ability to communicate in more than one language opens new opportunities, experiences and understanding.

Then there is the scientifically-supported reality that living for a few weeks or a couple of months (or longer) in a country that speaks the tongue you’re trying to learn is among the best ways to really learn another language.

Not all destinations offer the same opportunities. Some cities are known for their friendly locals willing and even eager to speak to foreigners—a tremendous benefit for people trying to improve their speaking skills—while others are less friendly or patient with foreigners who don’t speak their language.

The European continent, with its cornucopia of languages, usually appears at the top of most surveys of the best destinations to hone this skill. As theExpress notes, “learning the language is easiest in a beautiful European country.”

On the occasion of the recently-celebrated European Day of Languages, which takes place September 26, Europe acknowledges its linguistic and cultural diversity as well as its commitment to encouraging lifelong language learning as a path to better cultural understanding.

“Currently there are 24 official languages recognized within the EU,” notes Eurostat, with three—English, French and German—widely used (English is the most common). Others include Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish.

Data shows that about 65% of the continent’s population speaks at least one language other than their native one, compared to 20% of adults in the United States.

There are also significant variations among regions. Nordic countries are better at bilingualism than Southern Europe and some locations are so multilingual that visitors end managing very well with English alone.

Perhaps not surprisingly, countries where English is the native language appear less interested in learning a foreign one. “Only 50% of Irish people speak another language, and the U.K. holds the worst score in Europe with 34%,” writes Euronews.

Here are some other curious facts on languages in Europe published by the Brussels Times on the occasion of the Day of Languages:

The language learning app Preply looked at the countries in Europe with “the best environment to learn a new language” based in