NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm still debating with myself as to whether I should take french or spanish this year in school. Those are the only foreign languages I have to choose from (I am in High School) I already know a little spanish and it's spoken about 100x more frequently around here than french. My mother, brother, and sister are all fluent in spanish. But french is so sexy. And I guess maybe I find it more appealing. Please give me your input.

Do you want to know a language for practical (potential job help) or just for learning another langauge?

If you want a langauge that has a use in life other then vacations (assuming you're in the US) go for the Spanish. If you don't care if you'll use it often or not, go for French.

I took French in high school and college. While I love the language, I have found little to no use for it here on the west coast of America. Most every job that requires a bilingual candidate could care less if you speak French. There are so many Spanish-speaking people in the working industry out here that it would have been more useful for me to have taken Spanish. I guess it depends on whether it's a matter of usefulness or desire and where you live.

If you want to learn a language that's actually useful, go with Spanish. It's sexier than French anyway.

Take french. It's very useful.

I would have normally have said French sucks, but me saying that all the time has come back to bite me on the ass. Suffice it to say knowing French would have been useful numerous times already and will surely be as useful during my future (probably rather frequent) trips to Montreal.

Still though... French sucks... :)

I take french and I love it. French is definitely sexier than spanish (but italian is sexier than both). One of the benefits of french is that the class is insanely easy.


Applicability is for losers.

For practicality, go with spanish. If you think french is sexier and just want to have some fun, go for it. Personally, I find spanish to be rather inharmonious and distasteful.

Take French you live in the East or North. Take Spanish if you live in the West or South. French is better if you plan to work on an international scale. Spanish is better domestically.

French and Spanish are dead and useless languages. Take Latin. That's what I did!

Take Spanish... trust me. You'll thank yourself for it when you're working as it can get you a few dollars more every hour.

French and Spanish are dead and useless languages. Take Latin. That's what I did!

lmfao.

But Latin is pretty cool.

Take French you live in the East or North. Take Spanish if you live in the West or South. French is better if you plan to work on an international scale. Spanish is better domestically.
I agree, if by South you mean Texas and all border states west, and South Florida. The actual "South" barely seems able to speak English (at least in a way in which I can understand).

I personally love French, and greatly dislike Spanish. French is easily the most difficult of all romance languages, so if you were to learn it properly, picking up the other Latin derivatives becomes much easier.

But of course, as Sel Appa said, if you aren't sure on one or the other, it all depends on where you live.

French definitely sounds nicer, but Spanish is easier to learn. If members of your family are already fluent in spanish they will be able to help you. If you were in Europe I would say learn French, but Spanish is more widely used in the US. Even tho you are only in high school think of the bigger picture. I gave up French in 5th year and kept on Latin becuase I liked it better, but it is no use to me now!

Take French! I agree that Spanish is probably more useful, but French sounds so beautiful. That's why I decided to take it.

Choose the one that interests you most rather than the one that would be most useful in real life. It will be a lot easier for you to learn the language if you enjoy doing so and dont have to force yourself into it

I took un poco(a little) espanol(spanish) when I was younger. While francais(french) may sound joli(pretty), its words are never spelled as they're pronounced. For instance, "oui" is pronounced like "we". So phonics might be more difficult with french than with spanish. No matter what language you take, youll probally just parlais vouz anglais(speak english) anyway when you get older. My madre(mother) took espanol in both high school and colledge, and she almost always uses ingles(english). She told me," if you don't use it you lose it".

I take french and I love it. French is definitely sexier than spanish (but italian is sexier than both). One of the benefits of french is that the class is insanely easy.


Applicability is for losers.

If you speak spanish then you can understand 95% of italian.

Spanish - you can then speak to most Spanish-speaking Latin Americans.

I'd take both.

I took Spanish in high school and I wanted to take French, but they didn't offer it. The only other foreign language they offered was stinky old German. Who wants to take that? :p

Number of people who speak Spanish worldwide: 350 Million (third, to Chinese and English)
Percentage of online population: 9.0%
Percentage of world economy: 8.9%
GDP in Billions: $2500


Number of people who speak French worldwide: 77 Million
Percent of online population: 3.8%
Percent of world economy: 4.2%
GDP in Billions: $1517

But beyond simple statistics, No one in France will listen to you if your french holds the slightest accent. So speaking french is worthless in France unless you're a native. So that leaves Montreal and some carribean islands (which all speak english as well). Unless Montreal figures large in your future, or Haiti, French is worthless worldwide.

Also the points about Spanish spelling and pronunciation being easier, and the fact that knowins Spanish will get you around Italy (ive tried it, it works), are good and valid points.

If you want to sound sexy, learn a few seductive phrases in french. But considering the large hispanic population in the US (assuming you're in the US), you would do far better to learn Spanish as a whole language.

source: http://global-reach.biz/globstats/index.php3

No one in France will listen to you if your french holds the slightest accent. So speaking french is worthless in France unless you're a native.
That's completely false :mad:

I am French, and I can tell you that we love when people are trying to speak our language. French feels very sexy for us French when it's spoken with a lovely foreign accent and with cute mistakes ;)

Take Latin, it will help you figure out what words mean on the SATS.

Seriously, a rolled r is helluva lot prettier than a hurling noise.

Take French, very usefull for a international career (contacs with the EU aso). It is sexier then Spanish anyway.

That's completely false :mad:

I am French, and I can tell you that we love when people are trying to speak our language. French feels very sexy for us French when it's spoken with a lovely foreign accent and with cute mistakes ;)

maybe but I've been to France a few times, tried to speak French and just get sneered at...for that I don't care to go there anymore.

That's completely false :mad:

I am French, and I can tell you that we love when people are trying to speak our language. French feels very sexy for us French when it's spoken with a lovely foreign accent and with cute mistakes ;)

Where the heck were you when i was in Cap d'Antibbes???

Two young, good looking american girls, needing directions to the Hostel, needing instructions on how to use the phone, practically begging passers-by (in french) to help us. They all just turned up their noses and walked away.

We finally got help from two GERMAN guys.

Give it lip service all you want. I know my story is not the only one like that.

If you speak spanish then you can understand 95% of italian.
Bullshit. Parlo italiano. Ma che cosa dite è errato, francesi ed Italin sono simili. Gli Spagnoli e l'italiano non sono simili

Well.

I live in spain, my mom is french...of course i speak both fluently. As I work with tourists of all europe, I would say that is true that french people are by far more "special" and majority of them wont help u if u dont speak fluent french but, of course, there are exceptions. On the other hand if you manage to speak french really well, u will have for sure +5 points when talking to french people, they love so much to speak french when outside their country.

If u think about cultural questions, as literature or plan to travel to french/spanish speaking countries, both cultures are huge and rich, but there are so many countries that speak spanish, and as they are poorer in genral they dont usually speak english.

So, I would recommend spanish, though why dont u learn both?..

P.D: spanish and italian are different languages, and even if you can survive perfectly in italy or portugal speaking spanish, don't count on cover 95%....maximum 40%

maybe but I've been to France a few times, tried to speak French and just get sneered at...for that I don't care to go there anymore.

COGIP, Laisse ce néoCON, il n'a jamais posé c'est pieds en Gaulle. Puis, c'est un menteur et il est anti Français dans le pluspart de ce qu'il post ici. Un vrai con. Comme u peux constater ici, c'est un petit arrognt. ;)

Bullshit. Parlo italiano. Ma che cosa dite è errato, francesi ed Italin sono simili. Gli Spagnoli e l'italiano non sono simili


Well, i only speak un peu de frances, but i speak mucho espanol.

i understand your statement completely.

See how it is similar to spanish? here's a partial translation into spanish: Pero tal cosa dicho es equivocado. Frances y italiano suenan similares. El espanol y itaniano no suenan similares. See how close they are?

I also was able to ask directions from fellow passengers on the bus (in spanish) and they not only understood me, but answered in italian, which i understood.

COGIP, Laisse ce néoCON, il n'a jamais posé c'est pieds en Gaulle. Puis, c'est un menteur et il est anti Français dans le pluspart de ce qu'il post ici. Un vrai con. Comme u peux constater ici, c'est un petit arrognt. ;)

and i only understood a little bit of that.

case closed. :D

Well.

IOn the other hand if you manage to speak french really well, u will have for sure +5 points when talking to french people, they love so much to speak french when outside their country.


Replace the word "French" with "American" and you'll have the truth and the constatation of 95% of Europeans when they meet US citizens here. A french, whyle not the best in foreign languages still tries to do his best whye an arrogant american thinks that the ohers have to addept with English whyle he is abroad. I speak Italian, Dutch, English, French and German and must say that you are 100% wrong here. A French, Dutch, Ialian will appreciate your effort but we never see such a effort from lazy Americans.

I have some friends in a city that dos not consider itself anymore as American, New Yorkers, must say that those are completely different then the arrogant neocons and much more open and abble to learn a language.

Well, i only speak un peu de frances, but i speak mucho espanol.
I also was able to ask directions from fellow passengers on the bus (in spanish) and they not only understood me, but answered in italian, which i understood.
Pozzo fatto :) (well done)

A French, Dutch, Ialian will appreciate your effort but we never see such a effort from lazy Americans.




NOt all French 'appreciate the effort'. I know this from experience. THe spaniards are much more appreciative. If you even attempt one phrase in spanish, they will take you home and feed you.

Also, don't say NEVER about americans making the effort. I already proved you wrong on that.

Replace the word "French" with "American" and you'll have the truth and the constatation of 95% of Europeans when they meet US citizens here. A french, whyle not the best in foreign languages still tries to do his best whye an arrogant american thinks that the ohers have to addept with English whyle he is abroad. I speak Italian, Dutch, English, French and German and must say that you are 100% wrong here. A French, Dutch, Ialian will appreciate your effort but we never see such a effort from lazy Americans.

I have some friends in a city that dos not consider itself anymore as American, New Yorkers, must say that those are completely different then the arrogant neocons and much more open and abble to learn a language.
I love how you turn something so simple and benign such as which language is best to learn into some kind of political issue. If you want that, go to the couple hundred other threads raging on about it.

Also, what American believes that other people in other countries should adopt English? They believe that foreigners going into the US should learn English, just as you say people going into France or Italy should learn French or Italian. If they don't learn it when they travel to your country, that is because they are traveling, and may stay there for only a week or so. Not enough to spend money and time learning an entire language. And there isn't any bigger a symbol of America than the hemisphere's greatest metropolis, regardless of how much the people you associate with would like it to be otherwise.

In response to the figures on how many people speak Spanish and French, those are very true. More people speak Spanish than French. However, the majority of those that speak Spanish also speak English (especially those living in the US, with little exception in regards to older immigrants). Though people in France are taught English in school, they nearly never speak it, and often forget or have very limited knowledge of it. While the number of bad experiences posted already seems excessive, the French somewhat share the feelings of the Japanese when looking [down] at foreigners.

I'm still debating with myself as to whether I should take french or spanish this year in school. Those are the only foreign languages I have to choose from (I am in High School) I already know a little spanish and it's spoken about 100x more frequently around here than french. My mother, brother, and sister are all fluent in spanish. But french is so sexy. And I guess maybe I find it more appealing. Please give me your input.

First, lets be emotional, french is definately not mroe sexy then spanish-it is gutterul and the ugliest of the romance languages. Much of it sounds like like throat clearing. Spanish is a rolling language sensual and exceptional in its feel of raw animal passion.

Second, lets be practical: Spanish is the Number one spoken language in the Western Hemisphere and more people globally know spanish then any other language--including English.

I assume you are in an American high school if your choices are so limited.

If this is the case then keep in mind that the number one spoken Language in the United States is indeed Spanish and not English, and the number of Spanish speakers are growing.

I strongly suggest Spanish.

take french easiest fucking class I've ever taken

I'd go for Spanish, since you're in America, and it'll be slightly more useful. They're both reasonably easy languages to get a grip on, though, so on the difficulty count there's not much difference between the two.

Spanish is the language I would take if I where you thats what I took last year

I'd go for Spanish, since you're in America, and it'll be slightly more useful. They're both reasonably easy languages to get a grip on, though, so on the difficulty count there's not much difference between the two.
If you don't know any romance language, French can be a real bitch to pick up because of its pronunciations. In this, it is unlike any other. But, if you are able to understand spoken French and speak it well, you can pick up the others with incredible ease.

Good god, I feel sorry for you. From what I would guess, Spanish class would probably be mostly about telling you how to get across borders.

French Class would probably be telling you how to surrender.

Mandarin class is the BEST. And they're probably going to tell you how to run over Communist Protestors with Tanks....I hope.

Take french. It's very useful.

No, it really isn't. My advice would be to take neither, and study Mandarin or Russian in the back of a camper van. They're the most useful languages out there bar Spanish, but I hate it-sounds like someone has trapped a wasp in a plastic bag.

Plus why cant you take Italian?

COGIP, Laisse ce néoCON, il n'a jamais posé c'est pieds en Gaulle. Puis, c'est un menteur et il est anti Français dans le pluspart de ce qu'il post ici. Un vrai con. Comme u peux constater ici, c'est un petit arrognt. ;)

piss off :) ;) :p