If you think speaking Spanish is so passé and French is clichéd, and would rather be offered a job in Moscow or Santorini than Paris, we’re here to help out. Here are a few not-so-widely spoken languages, and where you can learn them.
Sign Up For These: Offbeat Languages That You Can Learn This Year
Russian
Russian is a widely spoken language, and not just in Russia, but also in the countries that were disintegrated post the fall of the Soviet Union – including Belarus, Kazakhstan and so many more. This Slavic language is an interesting one to pick up, mainly because of its grammar and letters (unlike Latin, it does not have the English alphabets).
Where: The American Institute of Languages
Shell Out: INR 2,000 per class; INR 22,000 for two months
Japanese
This language is spoken by almost 125 million people of Japan. A beautiful, but really difficult language to learn, signing up for Japanese is definitely on our ‘to-do’ list for 2019, simply because of its demand in the professional space. Apart from this, we’d love to roam the streets of Tokyo, and converse like a fluent local there (just for the kicks).
Where: Sensei Academy of Japanese Language
Shell Out: INR 12,000 for 6 months
Italian
The country that gave us our binge-eating favourites such as pasta and pizza, also has a beautiful language. Italian is the easier of the European languages that can be learnt. Having its roots in ancient Latin, this language is a highly popular language in Europe, and an official language in Italy, Switzerland, Vatican City (finally converse fluently with the Pope), and San Marino.
Where: The American Institutes of Languages
Shell Out: INR 10,000 upwards for a three-month course
Arabic
A widely spoken language in the Middle Eastern parts of Africa and parts of Asia, Arabic is another one on the ‘to-do’ list but also on the ‘too-hard-to-learn’ list. Arabic is, in fact, an influence on a lot of other languages, mainly Turkish, Urdu, Bengali and even Hindi. For Indians, it may be easier to learn the grammar and written bit of it, than the European ones because of its close association with Asia.
Where: Cambridge Institute
Price: On request
Turkish and Portuguese
If you’ve been watching Turkish shows on TV and would rather watch them without the Hindi voice over, then maybe you should take to learning this language. Interestingly, another one that caught our fancy is Portuguese, and both these languages can be learnt at The American Institutes of Languages, either at the centre or for private tuition at home.
Where: The American Institutes of Languages
Shell Out: INR 20,000 for three months