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Lao Language Ranked ‘Moderately Difficult’ by US Foreign Service Institute

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The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) of the United States Department of State has classified Lao as a “moderately difficult” language for native English speakers to learn. It falls under Category III, alongside languages such as Hungarian, Russian, and Thai.

Based on decades of research and experience training American diplomats, the FSI’s research noted that Category III languages typically involve significant linguistic and cultural differences from English. 

Learners usually require about 44 weeks, or approximately 1,100 classroom hours, to achieve professional working proficiency in Lao.

Other Category III languages include Hindi, Vietnamese, and Thai. Lao and Thai, in particular, are often compared due to their similarities, they are both tonal languages, have related writing systems, and share similar grammar and vocabulary.

However, while Thai is often considered more accessible for self-learners thanks to the wide availability of learning materials, Lao presents an additional challenge due to the relative scarcity of study resources outside of Laos. 

As a result, learners often benefit more from immersive experiences, such as studying the language within Laos. Some report that, in a native environment, Lao can even be slightly easier to learn than Thai.

The FSI also designates a Category IV, which includes Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Japanese, and Korean. 

These languages are regarded as exceptionally difficult for English speakers, typically requiring 88 weeks or 2,200 classroom hours to master. Contributing factors include unfamiliar writing systems, such as Chinese characters and Japanese kanji, tonal pronunciation, and complex grammar structures.

The FSI’s language classification system is widely used as a practical guide for English speakers, particularly those pursuing careers in diplomacy, international development, or global business.

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