foreign language — language from another country
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
A language that is not the main language spoken in your own country.
Say it like a native
Textbook She is proficient in several non-native tongues.
Native She speaks a few foreign languages.
'Non-native tongues' is stiff; 'foreign languages' is the standard phrase.
Pattern: noun phrase (foreign language)
In use
- Many students in my country learn a foreign language at school.study
- In my opinion, learning a foreign language is important because it helps people understand different cultures and communicate when they travel.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I want to learn foreign language.
✓ I want to learn a foreign language.
Countable — needs 'a' (or plural 'languages').
Common collocations
foreign language— learn a, speak a, study, a second
Don't confuse it
A 'second language' is often used in daily life, while a 'foreign language' is not.