Learn About European Languages
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The development and history of language is a fascinating topic. Let's have a look at some of the major European languages now and see how they vary in their development and international distribution.

The following five languages are from the Indo-European family, like most spoken in Europe today. Exceptions include Hungarian, Finnish and Estonian from the Finno-Ugric family, language isolates like Basque and some members of the Turkic and Caucasian language families.

Spanish: The second most widely spoken language in the world according to figures released by Ethnologue, Spanish is the first language of hundreds of millions of people across Europe, the Americas, Western Sahara and Equatorial Guinea. A member of the Romance language family, Spanish (or Castilian) originated from Northern Spain and spread throughout the world during five centuries of Spanish exploration and colonialism.

While the Spanish alphabet is essentially written as the Latin alphabet, there are a few notable inclusions like the letter ñ and the digraphs ch and ll. Interestingly, the letter w is only used for loaned words and foreign names.

There are plenty of options for the student wanting to learn Spanish in London. Just check the listings for a Spanish course in London or Spanish classes in London.

English: Sometimes described as the world's modern lingua franca, English is the first language in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States of America and the Commonwealth Caribbean. It is extensively spoken as a global second language. Originating in England, English is a West Germanic language (like German, Yiddish, Dutch and Afrikaans) of the Anglo-Frisian family tree, with extensive influence on 'Middle English' from the now extinct Anglo-Norman following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Early 'Modern English' emerged from about the Elizabethan period.

Why not learn English in England? An English course in Liverpool, for instance, can take you to the heart of the language.

German: Classified with English as a West Germanic language, German ranks as tenth in the Ethnologue Top 20. German language is divided into standard German (Hochdeutsch) and anywhere between 50 to 250 dialects. The figure is impossible to pinpoint due to definitional discrepancy of what constitutes a dialect. There is considerable variation between dialects, to the extent that mutual comprehension only exists between neighboring dialects.

Immerse yourself in Hochdeutsch and then discover the dialects for yourself! German courses in London offer the learner the perfect opportunity to launch their German language studies.

French: Also spoken as a first or second language by a significant global population, French is the official language for 29 countries throughout Europe, Africa, the Americas and the Pacific, as well as the official language of all United Nations agencies. French is a Romance language derived from Latin. Apart from a decade of suspension during the French Revolution, L'Académie française has regulated French language since its establishment in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu.

There are ample opportunities to learn French in the United Kingdom. Learn French in London through a variety of French courses in London, or in major cities like Liverpool and Manchester.

Italian: Speakers of Italian, which comes in at number 18 in the Ethnologue Top 20, consider their language to be il parlar gentile (the gentle language). In terms of vocabulary, Italian is recognized as the Romance language most resembling its Latin predecessor. Modern Italian is said to have been formalized by the 14th century works of Florentine poet, Dante Alighieri. Italian is most similar to the Sicilian and extinct Dalmatian, which are the other two members of the Italo-Dalmatian subset of the Italo-Western grouping.

Are there great Italian courses in London? Certamente! Just have a look online for your ideal course.