Learning a foreign language: Which should I choose?

Posted September 12th, 2008. Categorized under High School. 14 Comments

Many high schools offer different foreign languages for students to take. Taking a foreign language looks great on college applications (especially if you stick with it), and it’s neat how many different choices high schools can give you, including Spanish, German, French, Punjabi, and even Japanese. Of course each school offers different languages, but usually you at least have a couple of options to pick from.

Currently, Spanish is pushed pretty heavily in schools. The Latino population in America is always on the rise, and so many believe that learning Spanish becomes far more beneficial than other languages. While it’s true that learning Spanish might some more perks, if your heart isn’t set on learning it, then choose another language that’s more suited to you.

An official in my local school district wanted to eliminate all non-Spanish programs at the high school. This caused an immediate uproar from the language department, as every teacher believed that all languages should hold value and be taught, not just one. I was pushed to learn Spanish at first, but after deciding to learn German, I found that German was where the better fit with me was. Spanish is great, but you definitely should not feel like you have to learn it. Learn it because you want to learn it.

Choosing a language that’s right for me

Learn a foreign language spoken in a place where you would like to go

The best way to choose what foreign language to study is to find a culture that appeals most to you. Learning a language will go hand-in-hand with learning about the culture and lifestyle of a place. If the culture of France sounds interesting to you, then French might be the language for you. Choosing a culture is also important if your school offers you a chance to go on a trip to a foreign country through the language you study.

Also consider how hard the language is to learn. Languages that are similar to English, such as German, use similar sentence structures and have many cognates (words that are the same in both languages). The more distantly the language is related to English, the harder it is to learn typically. Russian, for example, is supposed to be a real toughy to get down. You might try doing some quick research online about a language to see what’s more up your alley.

Take into account what you might like to do for a career. If your big plan would benefit from learning one language over another, take that into account too.

Whatever the case, you definitely shouldn’t feel limited to only one language. You can always take more, or even learn one later. Regardless of when and how you learn it, though, it’s much better to learn a language that fits you.

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14 Replies to “Learning a foreign language: Which should I choose?”

Comments:

1. Brian Barker

September 12th, 2008 4:28 am

As far as learning another language, including English, is concerned, can I put in a word for Esperanto?

I know that Esperanto is a living language, but it has great propaedeutic values as well.

Confirmation can be seen at http://www.lernu.net

2. Dennis from learnspanishfast

August 13th, 2009 6:53 am

I think Spanish is probably one of the easier foreign languages to learn. Learning a second language is extremely beneficial, so learning more than one is a great idea and will only provide you with more opportunities in life. Learning a language can be fun, but difficult depending on the person and the language. Anyone considering learning a language should be motivated, committed, and patient with themselves.

3. Kai from Backpacking Japan

September 4th, 2009 7:31 am

Definitely a vote for learning Japanese here. Sure, it’s a massive learning curve learning all the alphabets they have, and the grammar’s back to front (from a Western perspective!), but if you’re going to take the plunge, I’d definitely go with something completely different to your native language. Plus learning Japanese makes it possible to chat up lovely looking Japanese women! ;)

4. Zozanga

September 8th, 2009 4:33 pm

Thank you very much for this post! It provides a good introduction to me.

5. Stephanie from how to speak spanish

September 23rd, 2009 3:31 am

Well personally, I like to learn how to speak Spanish. It’s the most romantic language in the world! =) Maybe learning Mandarin, Japanese, and French is okay as well. But you’re right, it really depends on the culture that appeals most to you. I guess you’ve been acquainted with the beautiful German culture, that’s why you like to learn their language. But sometimes, you can’t really just follow what you want and sometimes, you NEED to study the language you need to study. Those who will travel or study to a Spanish-speaking country, for instance, will have no choice but to learn at least a little of the Spanish language. So choosing the language to learn will not only depend on what your heart desires, but what your brain dictates also.

6. Alexis from easiest way to learn spanish

September 28th, 2009 12:03 am

I always wanted to learn Spanish because my favorite film director is Luis Buñuel. Spanish people are passionate, and their women for me is so charming and wonderful.

We have a few Spanish lessons in college but it ain’t enough for me to speak straight. I learned some phrases through the internet, yet still, I ain’t got the confidence to speak to a native.

I feel so blessed to be shared the golden advice my friend told me. She is living in Spain for only 6 months, and when she came home for a vacation, she really speaks like a native. But… she told me that she speaks a native before going to Spain and she told me how.

All I can say is thank you to her. I checked out her technique and its true and my accent became irresistible to natives.

Right now, I have a Spanish girlfriend in my arms and we are having a passionate good time.

7. Ricardo Jackson from Study English

November 13th, 2009 12:49 am

Good advice – another important one is to start early! If you’ve begun learning a language in primary school, it often happens that it is infinitely easier for you to learn as a teenager. Neuroscientists have discovered that until around the age of 8 or 9, or brains are still developing infrastructure to support language learning. If you have started learning a language before age 9, you have effectively hardwired your brain for success in it – don’t underestimate this value!

8. belizaire

January 3rd, 2010 12:11 pm

i d like talk to every body

9. Rhys from Online spanish course

January 4th, 2010 5:01 am

Spanish, German, French and Chinese are widely learnt these days….Russian is tough to learn..good piece of advice given there..its always good to learn a second language that can be helpful at any point of time in life. Thanks

10. Kris from Spanish Teacher Jobs

January 14th, 2010 5:39 am

Hi, I like this topic. I took up spanish language in high school and didn’t do that well in it actually, i didn’t even pass the course! But i did walk away with some basic and general spanish words that can get me by if need be? I think I will take a course again and this time, take it more serious and try to extend my current knowledge of the spanish language. Thanks for sharing!

11. Chuck

February 23rd, 2010 6:29 am

I’ve always been partial to French since I started learning it in 1st grade. Latin, German and Greek followed, but French has a certain romance to it. Thanks for the article!

12. Bill from Fastest Way to Learn a New Language

May 11th, 2010 10:18 am

I guess it would depend on what you are doing at the time. If you want to travel to France, learn French. Or learn Russian if traveling to Russia. These are excellent languages to learn.

13. Victoria from best way to learn spanish

July 22nd, 2010 2:15 pm

I think learning Spanish makes a lot of sense. Hey, I mean it has more native speakers worldwide than English does! And considering that it is of immediate use as it enables especially people in the US to come in contact with their neighbors more easily, Spanish would definitely get my vote there.

14. James from Learn Mandarin

August 7th, 2010 7:12 am

If I were you I would go for the Mandarin language. It’s the most spoken language in the world and with China’s economy on the rise it will definitely benefit you if you’re ever thinking of making a career in some economic area.