What language is it that the monster first learns in Frankenstein?

The monster in Mary Shelley's *Frankenstein* first learns the language of the cottagers he observes.

While the exact language isn't specified, it's implied to be a common language of the time, possibly German or English, as that's the language Shelley wrote the novel in.

The monster learns by observing and mimicking, and later by reading books he finds in the cottage.