Here's the deal. My native language is English. I want to learn foreign languages, but cannot decide which ones. I am learning Spanish right now, but I won't continue with it. So, here's the question: Should I learn German, Italian, or Dutch? Which is the most useful/used the most? Thanks.
Here's the deal. My native language is English. I want to learn foreign languages, but cannot decide which ones. I am learning Spanish right now, but I won't continue with it. So, here's the question: Should I learn German, Italian, or Dutch? Which is the most useful/used the most? Thanks.
Honestly, the two main USEFUL languages are English and Spanish, so I would recommend Spanish. Although, you say you don't want to continue. Alright. Next in line is Italian. It is relatively close to Spanish in the way it is spoken and sentence structure. Also not difficult. Right now I speak English and Spanish... But I am moving on to speak some German just cause I got my useful languages out of the way.
EDIT:
Speaking or learning Chinese or Arabic could really help. Both are very useful languages as well.
I'd continue learning Spanish. And finish learning that. Then pursue another language.
Once you learn one foreign language, it is supposedly easier to learn another.
I am learning a new language because when I'm older I am moving to Europe from the U.S. It would be awesome to visit the Netherlands or Germany. I'm just wondering which language is used most. Also, thanks for the replies.
Kinda depends where you want to go with it. If you want to go to Germany later in life, obviously German. Spain, Spanish. France, French.
My word of advice though: Don't learn it in school. I mean, I guess you can take it in school just to get foreign language credits, but don't take it in school expecting fluency in a language. I'm in my third year in french and I'm not even remotely close to fluent. I can't pronounce anything correctly and it takes me forever to understand things.
Here's what you want to strive for: Know how to speak/understand it without having to translate it to your native language. Because if you need to translate everything over to english in your head, it's going to be much more difficult to understand fluently. The only way I really learn in school is to translate back to english, and it doesn't help one bit.
Just like how you can understand english without translating it to some other language, you should try to understand french/spanish/german/whatever without having to translate it back to english.
Kinda depends where you want to go with it. If you want to go to Germany later in life, obviously German. Spain, Spanish. France, French.
My word of advice though: Don't learn it in school. I mean, I guess you can take it in school just to get foreign language credits, but don't take it in school expecting fluency in a language. I'm in my third year in french and I'm not even remotely close to fluent. I can't pronounce anything correctly and it takes me forever to understand things.
Here's what you want to strive for: Know how to speak/understand it without having to translate it to your native language. Because if you need to translate everything over to english in your head, it's going to be much more difficult to understand fluently. The only way I really learn in school is to translate back to english, and it doesn't help one bit.
Just like how you can understand english without translating it to some other language, you should try to understand french/spanish/german/whatever without having to translate it back to english.
in terms of just for the sake of knowing one, Spanish is way more common than those three combined. It is also alot easier to learn spanish seeing as it is closer to english than any of the others. Believe me, in no way is it easy but spanish would be easier. ( i have tried to learn german and it is 10x harder than spanish) Now i can carry on a conversation in spanish after 6 months of studying daily
A lot of people want to learn German including one of my friends, so try to learn German =p But as someone already said, school won't teach you how to speak languages fluently. So you should try to learn on your own or get a special tutor to teach you.
I'm in second year of Spanish and I still don't know much. But I know a ton of Polish because I use it everyday when talking to my mom ^.^
I'll probably want to finish up on Spanish, try to master Polish and then possibly learn German, French, or Japanese.
But who knows, I might end up learning none of them or maybe I'll learn all the languages (*cough* not happening *cough*).
I'd continue learning Spanish. And finish learning that. Then pursue another language.
Once you learn one foreign language, it is supposedly easier to learn another.
Personally, I feel that it is. Knowing one foreign language means you're able to go between the two, and adding a third doesn't seem all that difficult, as long it is similar to the languages you already know. For example, it's nice and all to know English and Italian, but that won't really help you learn Japanese that much.
@
pwntpants
I actually found my school for a foreign language helpful-and I have a relatively easy time understanding French without translating it back to english, after taking (technically) 4 years of French. But everyone in my school learned Spanish, so at any given time there were about 30 kids (total) learning French. So it seemed easier as we had more personal attention from our fluent teacher.
In regards to the OP's actual question, I'd say whatever language interests you the most. If you don't find something interesting about the language or the culture, it won't stick very well.
I have to say man, learn latin. From it you can easily learn all the romance languages (spanish, italian, french, romanian, and portugese.) It also helps a **** ton on speaking in english, and the english sats. From it, i can translate/understand basic spanish/ italian from what ive tried. Also, if you ever want to be a lawyer, or anything involving science, it is very helpful.
It really depends on WHY you want to learn the language.
In America, any language is helpful.
While it is true that there are people who know essensially every language in the world within the us, that doesnt mean its useful. If one hundred people speak some small european language, would it really be worth it to learn?
I am learning a new language because when I'm older I am moving to Europe from the U.S. It would be awesome to visit the Netherlands or Germany. I'm just wondering which language is used most. Also, thanks for the replies.
Honestly, the two main USEFUL languages are English and Spanish, so I would recommend Spanish. Although, you say you don't want to continue. Alright. Next in line is Italian. It is relatively close to Spanish in the way it is spoken and sentence structure. Also not difficult. Right now I speak English and Spanish... But I am moving on to speak some German just cause I got my useful languages out of the way.
EDIT:
Speaking or learning Chinese or Arabic could really help. Both are very useful languages as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers
Once you learn one foreign language, it is supposedly easier to learn another.
In America, any language is helpful.
My word of advice though: Don't learn it in school. I mean, I guess you can take it in school just to get foreign language credits, but don't take it in school expecting fluency in a language. I'm in my third year in french and I'm not even remotely close to fluent. I can't pronounce anything correctly and it takes me forever to understand things.
Here's what you want to strive for: Know how to speak/understand it without having to translate it to your native language. Because if you need to translate everything over to english in your head, it's going to be much more difficult to understand fluently. The only way I really learn in school is to translate back to english, and it doesn't help one bit.
Just like how you can understand english without translating it to some other language, you should try to understand french/spanish/german/whatever without having to translate it back to english.
Alright, thanks for the advice!
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I'm in second year of Spanish and I still don't know much. But I know a ton of Polish because I use it everyday when talking to my mom ^.^
I'll probably want to finish up on Spanish, try to master Polish and then possibly learn German, French, or Japanese.
But who knows, I might end up learning none of them or maybe I'll learn all the languages (*cough* not happening *cough*).
Be warned, these languages are classified as "super hard" for a reason.
Personally, I feel that it is. Knowing one foreign language means you're able to go between the two, and adding a third doesn't seem all that difficult, as long it is similar to the languages you already know. For example, it's nice and all to know English and Italian, but that won't really help you learn Japanese that much.
@
I actually found my school for a foreign language helpful-and I have a relatively easy time understanding French without translating it back to english, after taking (technically) 4 years of French. But everyone in my school learned Spanish, so at any given time there were about 30 kids (total) learning French. So it seemed easier as we had more personal attention from our fluent teacher.
In regards to the OP's actual question, I'd say whatever language interests you the most. If you don't find something interesting about the language or the culture, it won't stick very well.
I strongly disagree with this statement.
While it is true that there are people who know essensially every language in the world within the us, that doesnt mean its useful. If one hundred people speak some small european language, would it really be worth it to learn?
DONT LEAVE ME TFC :'(((((
3/5 of those languages are derived from latin... you can learn them all easily from it... you probably think im just saying that, but im serious.