NationStates Jolt Archive

I was wondering what language I should take first, French or Spanish, and for how long. If I take Spanish for very long I might miss my opprotunity to learn French. Spanish is almost America's second language, but I want to visit Europe for a while, and every educated person in Europe speaks French. Any insight from anyone?

every educated person in Europe speaks French.

Nein!

More Europeans are native speakers of German than of English, French, Italian or Spanish. As a language of business, diplomacy, and tourism in Western Europe, it stands second only to English, and in the East it holds first place. Much of the language's current importance stems from the Federal Republic's economic status. It has the third-highest GNP in the world, is the second highest creditor nation, and every year occupies one of the top three spots among exporting countries. Its publishing industry, which ranks #3 in the world (behind Britain and China), produced 36% more new book titles in 1995 than did the United States.

Also,

1. Germany is the world's largest exporter.
2. German is the most commonly spoken language in the EU.
3. 18% of the world's books are published in German.
4. Germany is home to numerous international corporations.
5. German is no harder to learn to speak and write than other languages.
6. German is the second-most commonly used scientific language.
7. German is the language of Goethe, Nietzsche and Kafka. Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Freud and Einstein also spoke German.
8. Speaking and understanding German will deepen your knowledge of the culture and improve your employment opportunities.
9. Learning German provides deeper insights into a region that plays a vital role in central Europe's intellectual and economic life and in its cultural history.
10. In many regions, Germans account for the largest percentage of tourists.

Learn German if you want to go to Europe, otherwise learn Spanish.

(You could always take both. I take German, Spanish, and Latin, in addition to outside study of Polish and Croatian, and it doesn't get confusing or anything.)

Spanish can also help you learn other languages:

Learning other languages: If you can learn Spanish, you'll have a head start in learning the other Latin-based languages such as French and Italian. And it will even help you learn Russian and German, since they too have Indo-European roots and have some characteristics (such as gender and extensive conjugation) that are present in Spanish but not English. And I wouldn't be surprised if learning Spanish might even help you learn Japanese or any other non-Indo-European language, since intensive learning the structure of a language can give you a reference point for learning others.

Forget German. Learn Spanish it is spoken by far more people than German or French.

I've been in Honors-level French for 2 years as of now.

I was wondering what language I should take first, French or Spanish, and for how long. If I take Spanish for very long I might miss my opprotunity to learn French. Spanish is almost America's second language, but I want to visit Europe for a while, and every educated person in Europe speaks French. Any insight from anyone?

It really depends on your career. If your going into public service than Spanish would be better but something like business would more than likely have French be more useful.

Personally I like French more. Spanish doesn't interest me at all.

Remember that if you learn one or the other, the other one will come easily afterwards

Spanish, and then Mandarin Chinese or Arabic. French is over-reated, German is almost useless outside of the North of Europe.

With English and Spanish you will be OK for most of Europe, then think further afield.

By next year, I will have taken four years of Spanish.

I regret it, though, because I actually prefer German.

German is almost useless outside of the North of Europe.

Then why is it the most common second language in ALL OF EUROPE (and for 1,383,442 people in the US), other than English?

I'd say Spanish is more "useless" than German.

I mean, think about the people in this world who ONLY speak Spanish, and no English.
Would you really want to talk to them, anyway?

FRENCH! I have taken french for two years, and I have found it has significantly helped me in English too. I'm actually studying for the French final right now. It isn't very hard to get by in my Frnch class, and I'm in French II Honors! As long as you study it some, and pay attention, you can get B's and A's. It's relativly easy! I took "Le Grand Concour", the National French Exam, and I scored 20th in the State of Ohio! It's really easy, and really useful. France, Belgium, Louisiana, Martinique, The Ivory Coast, Quebec... Also, my friend Chris, who is taking Spainish and French says he has found French to be more useful. Good luck picking!

I've taken French since 8th grade, which now means I've been studying the language for more than six years as I continued taking it during college. French by far is a beautiful language, much more worthwhile than Spanish is in the longrun, as the latter keeps evolving.

You can pick up conventional Spanish, Italian and a plethora of other languages, as French is a solid base (just like Italian) that hasn't evolved over the years.

Spanish keeps evolving, as you have three main types in the world: Mexican, South American and traditional Spanish. Most schools in America teach "Mexican," which is the cruder form of traditional Spanish, as it will get you by no matter what Spanish language-based country you need to speak it in.

I like Spanish. French is HARD! If you want to take French, I personally believe you should try another foreign language first. Spanish and French do have many similarities.

Out of curiousity (and I'm assuming you're from America, please correct me if I'm wrong), do you get foreign language credit for American Sign Language in your state? ASL is really great; it came to me easily and it felt practical. Unfortunately, in my area, ASL isn't currently considered valid for foreign language credit. :(

Spanish keeps evolving, as you have three main types in the world: Mexican, South American and traditional Spanish. Most schools in America teach "Mexican," which is the cruder form of traditional Spanish, as it will get you by no matter what Spanish language-based country you need to speak it in.

Yea, they generally avoid the "Vosotros" form in the US and other "Spain Spanish" only materials. But as you said, it can get you by anywhere in Spanish speaking areas.

I've heard that French is hard, too.

One of my friends is a Filipina who had to learn the language, and she said it's almost as complex and illogical as English.

French is HARD!

French is hard. It took me four years to master the comprehension of the language. I can read and write it almost as well as a native Canadian/French citizen who grew up learning it as their first language; however, I do have difficulty with the pronounciation and speaking portion of the language. In this respect, it took me two more years not to sound like a moron when speaking to a native speaker (of which I only got the first chance to do when I went off to college and took French from a French native.)

Yea, they generally avoid the "Vosotros" form in the US and other "Spain Spanish" only materials. But as you said, it can get you by anywhere in Spanish speaking areas.

Yeah, it's easier to teach the crude form, because it can get you by everywhere. However, if you ever do an exchange program or what-not to a truly Spanish speaking country, you might find yourself the butt of many jokes.

...and every educated person in Europe speaks French. Any insight from anyone?
that is not true...

the most usefull languages in the US are
1 english
2 spanish

Worldwide:
1 English
2 mandarin
3 spanish
4 Arabic

having said that...I must add that learning a language needs a lot of comitement and discipline..

Yeah, it's easier to teach the crude form, because it can get you by everywhere. However, if you ever do an exchange program or what-not to a truly Spanish speaking country, you might find yourself the butt of many jokes.

Which is why my school only does exchange programs to Mexico. ;)

Take french.

Go with 4 years of Spanish. Fluency in a foreign language is a good thing. Besides, unlike French, Spanish is mostly phonetic. You read everything letter-by-letter (with the exception of the letter 'h' which is ALSO true for French). French has a fuckload of silent letters, letter combinations (I forget the word for them), et al. And yes, I have a loathing for the French language and I think of it as inferior because of its horrible written rules.

that is not true...

the most usefull languages in the US are
1 english
2 spanish


Keep in mind the community a person travels in. For example, if you travel to Buffalo, NY, you should learn Polish before anything else, because that's a the dominant language other than English. But in the Southern states, Spanish is king (also in New York City). And in Northern areas, French is popular. German seems to be popular in German sections of towns (Northeast especially) and in cities, as well in High Tech Areas (German is considered the second best language for science).

Go with 4 years of Spanish.

I'd agree depending on what the original poster wants to do... if the easy way is desired, take Spanish, but it's no longer looked upon as a necessity in society in way of fluency. Languages such as Japanese, Chinese, Mandarin and French - harder languages - are making their way through the world and are looked at more favorably on job applications and international employment tours of duty.

If you're going to take a language, take it for at least three years. At that point the language tends to stick. Personally, I would recommend Spanish because of the fact that its going to play a HUGE role in our country's future. That and its spelling and pronunciation isn't screwed up.

Then why is it the most common language in ALL OF EUROPE (and for 1,383,442 people in the US)?

It is not the most common language spoken in all of Europe. English is, by a long way. How many German speakers do not speak English is also a question to be considered. Which language will be more useful IN ADDITION to English. The answer to this is not German, as almost everywhere where there are large numbers of German speakers, English is widely spoken. (I happen to live in a city in Brazil where German is the second language as it was settled by German immigrants, but even so, English is widely spoken here.)

As for the 1 million + people in the USA, how many of them do you imagine do not speak English?

The question is implicitly which language should I learn in addition to English. Looking at Europe, English and French is a good combination, but looking wider, English and Spanish are much more useful. (I speak English, Portuguese and some French, so I am not arguing for what I did, but foir what appears to be the most useful). After these two, it would depend upon what areas of the world are of interest, The most widely spoken other languages are Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. Fifth is Portuguese, sixth is French. I do not remember where German is on the list of number of speakers but it does not feature at the top of the list.

Sorry, that is the way it is in the world.

French sounds better than Spanpish in my opinion. Learning in classrooms suck! They teach you all this grammar than the average french person doesn't know (kind of like they know more english grammar than we do). I prefer just trying to pick up the language by listening and prarticing, but that is hard to do when you aren't in the country. I put down 2 years french. I have JUST finished my second year and I am starting my 3 in the fall. I might go to 4, but probably not. After 3 year, I will only have 2 years left of high school and I am probably going to want to take other, more exiting classes

So basicly:

If you want to travel throughout Europe, work in the high-tech fields, or be a scientist, learn German.

If you want to speak the the majority minority of the US (and pretty much the only language in all of South America, Central America, Cuba, and Spain), learn Spanish.

If you want to work for the UN, NATO, INTERPOL, or go shopping for expense French stuff, learn French.

It is not the most common language spoken in all of Europe. English is, by a long way. How many German speakers do not speak English is also a question to be considered. Which language will be more useful IN ADDITION to English. The answer to this is not German, as almost everywhere where there are large numbers of German speakers, English is widely spoken. (I happen to live in a city in Brazil where German is the second language as it was settled by German immigrants, but even so, English is widely spoken here.)

As for the 1 million + people in the USA, how many of them do you imagine do not speak English?

The question is implicitly which language should I learn in addition to English. Looking at Europe, English and French is a good combination, but looking wider, English and Spanish are much more useful. (I speak English, Portuguese and some French, so I am not arguing for what I did, but foir what appears to be the most useful). After these two, it would depend upon what areas of the world are of interest, The most widely spoken other languages are Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. Fifth is Portuguese, sixth is French. I do not remember where German is on the list of number of speakers but it does not feature at the top of the list.

Sorry, that is the way it is in the world.

First of all, I meant to say second. Of course English is higher.

In Europe, German is also the second-most-often taught foreign language, since Europeans who study English frequently learn German, as well. As a result, the total of German-speakers in the European Union is actually higher than that of English-speakers: Franz Stark, "The Historical and Current Position of the German Language in Europe," New York: The German Information Center, 1995; The DAAD Letter Nr. 1, March 2000, p. 18). In Japan 68% of students learn German.

What list are you looking at? (Just asking because French is significantly higher on yours than on mine...)

German is spoken by over 100 million people, and is a dominant language in 40 countries. It is rated 9th in the World. (And seriously, you do not want to speak English in Europe other than England if you can. I got an extremely cold reception in France when I did, and speaking a langage such as German can improve your image and make the trip more enjoyable for you.)

French is spoken by a 77 million people, and is rated 11th in the world.

Spanish is spoken by 322-358,000,000 people, but dominantly in 43 countries.

For purely aesthetic reasons, Spanish all the way. French is a horrible sounding language, it sounds like the words are covered in mucus. Yeuch. Although to be honest, they both pale in comparison to Lithuanian - now that is a beautiful and elegant sounding language. Not exactly very useful though :p

I would have to say to learn Spanish, since you live in the US, right? That would be the most useful language to learn.

If you go through europe, you will find enough people who speak french, or english, to pretty much get anywhere. You will rarely find anyone who cant speak either of those, but can speak german. Spanish too.

I seriously doubt the numbers that the Sixth Great Reich has. France has 55 million people. Canada has 25 million. The majority in both those countries speak the language. Add to that tens of millions in the US, tens of millions in other european countries, and the millions in africa and asia.

The majority of German speakers reside in germany, and eastern europe. Fine if you plan on going there. But if you are going to canada, the US, western europe, africa, or asia, its more useful to know French.

As for spanish, its not really of that much use out of America, mexico, or spain. Unless you want to go to central/south america, and I dont see why you would. Its not very useful in america, either, because pretty much everyone already speaks english, or goes around with people who know it.

First of all, I meant to say second. Of course English is higher.
We agree on this then.

Answering a point you made earlier, the French are particularly difficult about speaking English (something to do with nearly a millenium of on and off warfare between France and England), but if you try any other language first, other than English, their reception of English suddenly and miraculously improves. I, being a native English speaker, but fluent in Portuguese, speak Portuguese first, then, when they don't understand it (few French speak Portuguese) I switch to a mixture of English and schoolboy French. They accept this very well in general. In France, start with anything but English, and you will be OK. Spanish works.

What list are you looking at? (Just asking because French is significantly higher on yours than on mine...)

I am, to be honest working from memory. It was not a list of primary languages, it was a list of speakers as either primary or first foreign language. This pushes French a long way up the list due to the number of African and Arabs, as well as South East Asians that use French as a second language. English was 1st, Mandarin 2nd, Spanish 3rd, Arabic 4th, Portuguese 5th, (it was this I was interested in) French 6th, and I did not pay too much attention after this.

The numbers you are quoting, by the 77 million for French would be for native primary language speakers.

Sorry, that is the way it is in the world. Yeah, Its a pig.

Didn't meant to say the last part. Sorry. (And by the way, that comment you made is the English translation of a slang German saying. Pigs are thought to be good luck, because of all the food made from pigs in Germany.)

Look at what English looks like in some German places:

In an Austrian hotel catering to skiers:
Not to perambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.

On the menu of a Swiss restaurant:
Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.

A sign posted in Germany's Black forest:
It is strictly forbidden on our black forest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose.

In a Swiss mountain inn:
Special today -- no ice cream.

I can't even understand the last sentence. (Anybody know what this translates to in a language, and is the word for a food item?)

Didn't meant to say the last part. Sorry. (And by the way, that comment you made is the English translation of a slang German saying. Pigs are thought to be good luck, because of all the food made from pigs in Germany.)

Look at what English looks like in some German places:



I can't even understand the last sentence. (Anybody know what this translates to in a language, and is the word for a food item?)

The point is, apart from the no ice cream, (and it would help to know which was the original language German, French or Italian) these are all understandable. It just means that you don't have to worry if your English is not perfect and if you are a native English speaker, it is just funny. (I have seen signs here saying "Mineral food" - they mean food in the style of Minas Gerais one of our states, but it is funny to see)

However, English is not one of the options here. It was Spanish or French. You argued, understandably, for German instead, but appear to have been heavily outvoted.

NB Thinking about the "Special Today - no ice cream" it may be that the error is in the "special today" It would make sense to say - "No ice cream today, sorry" this way with special today trying to say today only.

The point is, apart from the no ice cream, (and it would help to know which was the original language German, French or Italian) these are all understandable. It just means that you don't have to worry if your English is not perfect and if you are a native English speaker, it is just funny. (I have seen signs here saying "Mineral food" - they mean food in the style of Minas Gerais one of our states, but it is funny to see)

However, English is not one of the options here. It was Spanish or French. You argued, understandably, for German instead, but appear to have been heavily outvoted.

NB Thinking about the "Special Today - no ice cream" it may be that the error is in the "special today" It would make sense to say - "No ice cream today, sorry" this way with special today trying to say today only.

Oh! That's it! Danke!

And by the way, there is no option for German in the poll. It might not even be offered at his school... (And I'm a Bavarian, which means I really don't care about what the rest of the population thinks... ;))

(And since I speak (or am studying) English, Latin, Spanish, German, Polish, Croatian, and (soon) Russian, I think I'll be fine in most of the world...)

Spanish! I'm a Spanish major, and I've been taking it for 6 years. I'm in love with the language. :)

I took Italian for awhile, and Spanish really helped me in that, but I'm sure French would too. I would like to learn French as well, but I'm already taking Russian right now (along with Spanish), and I just confuse myself too much with those. I never know what language I'm thinking in or speaking.

I'm biased. I'm absolutely in love with the Spanish language, my dad spoke it at home, and alot of our family friends were Argentines, Chileans or Spaniards, so I was exposed to it quite frequently.

Go learn Spanish and learn it for as long as you can! It'll open so many doors for you. Plus you'll have access to many cool Spanish-speaking cultures.