What is Foreign Language?

A foreign language can be defined as a language that is not officially spoken by the people born and raised in a particular country. Thus, non-native speakers must actively or consciously learn that language. In other words, a foreign language may refer to a language that is not the official language (also referred to as the native language or mother tongue) of a country or to the people that live in that country. The term may also be used when referring to the fact that a person is living in a country where they were not born, and the language spoken in that country is not the same as what the person speaks.

For example, an American, who has English as their first language, is currently living in Spain, where Spanish is the official language. This person may say that Spanish is a foreign language to them. Sometimes kids learn various languages when they are young. In this case, any languages that they learn are their official languages, and none are said to be foreign languages to them.

The study of a foreign language allows people to communicate with others verbally or in writing. Foreign language studies include grammar, speech, hearing, and reading a new language.

Being able to speak two or more languages has become increasingly important in today's world. It is currently an extremely useful skill to have in the workforce. However, it has other useful purposes, such as being able to communicate with native speakers while traveling to different countries around the world.

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Foreign Languages Topics

French

Learn about the French language and study its origin and history. Explore the official language of France and see how many people speak French in the world.

German

Learn about the German language, Deutsch, and its origin in the Indo-European language family. Discover German-speaking countries and the native speakers of German.

Language families

Learn about language families of the world, along with their definitions and origins and how they developed into the multitude of modern living languages.

Orthography

What is orthography? Learn the definition and meaning of orthography. Learn about the different types of orthographies and related linguistic concepts

Foreign Language Resources

Study.com offers thousands of accessible resources based on foreign language learning that are available for various language communication and understanding levels and goals. Access our foreign language courses to learn more about Spanish, German, French, and more. The courses allow educators and students to set their own pace and access lessons to supplement in-class learning and provide other resources, including foreign language tutor help.

Foreign Language Courses

Our library of online foreign language courses can help students master a foreign language, including Spanish, German, French, and more! These courses will help learners engage and strengthen their understanding of the foreign language they are studying. Study.com courses can help students at different levels of their language-learning goals.

Spanish 101: Beginning Spanish

This introductory course allows students to learn the basics of the Spanish language through engaging lessons. Work through the course to learn about the relationship between nouns and gender and other topics like the days of the week and more.
Spanish 102: Intermediate Spanish

This intermediate Spanish course offers students self-paced lessons and quizzes and up to 3 transferable credits. The lesson covers how to discuss academic and career plans, social life and relationships, shopping, and giving or receiving advice.
Spanish 105: Spanish for the Workplace

This course has been designed for employees who would like to master their Spanish-speaking skills in the workplace. This is a mobile-friendly course that can be accessed at any time and credits may be transferred to over 2,000 colleges and universities.
Basic German: Help & Review

This help and review course teaches the basics of the German language through engaging lectures and short self-assessment quizzes. This course that can be accessed at any time allowing students to learn German grammar and vocabulary words at their own pace.
Basic French: Help & Review

Students will be able to strengthen their communication skills in French with this mobile-friendly help and review course. The course offers engaging lessons taught by experts on the essentials of French vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation, and more.
Additional Courses

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is foreign language and an example?

    Foreign language is a language that is not the official language of a country and its inhabitants. The term may also be used when referring to a person who is living in a country where the official language spoken is not the same language they learned during their childhood. For example, a Spanish-speaker who is currently living in the United States where English is the official language can say that English is a foreign language to them.

  • What is the most popular foreign language?

    In the United States where English is the official language, Spanish is the most popular foreign language to learn. However, this differs by country and their official language. For example, English is the most popular foreign language to learn in many countries where Spanish is spoken.

  • Is English a foreign language?

    Yes, English a foreign language. English is taught at many countries as a foreign language because it is not their official language. For example, English is a foreign language to the people of Cuba.