For example, a Spanish person will obviously have a much easier time learning Italian, compared to a Chinese person for example.

In general it's said that it is comparable easy to learn similar languages to the ones one knows already. In my own case, however, I noticed that I forgot nearly all my French since I started to learn Spanish! Because words often are so similar I always only remember Spanish words in case I try to speak French ... Actually, to be exact, I still understand French rather well, but just cannot speak it at all anymore (for example if anybody asks me in French to explain him the way, I am completely lost ... so annoying ...). :)

By the way, as you are still new, I suggest you to check the blog from Hive account@double-u from time to time. He opens his bar every Sunday, so that new Steemians can learn to know each other ... It is comparable to "Bei Hilde" in Politopia.