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So I have some downtime during the day here in Afghanistan coupled with the time I have off after work and I've decided that instead of screwing around on the internet or watching movies I'd try and learn a language.
I'd like, however, to learn something of use. For instance, I'm part Finnish but I don't see the use of knowing Finnish outside Finland. I have about a year or two to practice every day so I'd like to try out something challenging.
I'd like to learn Arabic or Mandarin. German or French would also be ones I'd like to learn. I have a Japanese phrasebook on me(only book I have with me in Afghanistan atm haha). I also work around a lot of Afghans who speak Pashto and I've already picked up a few phrases.
What, in your opinion, would be a useful language to be fluent in? Something that is in demand but not known by many Americans and would probably still be useful to have years from now.
If you're American then Spanish is probably a very good language to learn. You'd be very surprised how few people outside of Hispanics actually speak Spanish. It is a very useful tool to have and is VERY helpful when looking for jobs. You'll probably get more use for Spanish than any other language you listed.
If you don't want to learn Spanish, go with something that really interests you or a country you'd really want to visit. If you don't have a really big interest or need to learn a language your chances of success or becoming fluent is pretty low. There's gotta be personal interest/benefit to make learning a language really work. It is a LOT of work and a class in a language will not get you anywhere near fluent unless you go the extra mile.
Another one is Portuguese.. it isn't TOO useful per say.. but it is a very fun language to speak. I had a pretty difficult time with it and still do, but it opens you up to an awesome country and people.
ANY language you choose to learn will open up doors, it is just a matter of what route you look into.
So I have some downtime during the day here in Afghanistan coupled with the time I have off after work and I've decided that instead of screwing around on the internet or watching movies I'd try and learn a language.
I'd like, however, to learn something of use. For instance, I'm part Finnish but I don't see the use of knowing Finnish outside Finland. I have about a year or two to practice every day so I'd like to try out something challenging.
I'd like to learn Arabic or Mandarin. German or French would also be ones I'd like to learn. I have a Japanese phrasebook on me(only book I have with me in Afghanistan atm haha). I also work around a lot of Afghans who speak Pashto and I've already picked up a few phrases.
What, in your opinion, would be a useful language to be fluent in? Something that is in demand but not known by many Americans and would probably still be useful to have years from now.
I agree with Trimac20, that it really depends on what you would find to be most useful, and what you're most interested in. Having a year in Afghanistan to practice a different language can be helpful, but not necessarily to become fluent in the language.
In my opinion, to develop fluency can take quite a while, sometimes years, depending on the language. In terms of practice, it really helps to be around those who actually speak the language you're interested in on a frequent (preferably daily) basis. The reason is that what you may learn from various self-help sources, or even a language school, can be a good starting point, but tend to be more formal and may not always be quite the same as with everyday communication. It helps to be able to interactively put those practice skills to work in order to improve toward fluency.
My own 2nd language of choice is Thai, but that's because I enjoy it and use it on a daily basis, I like the country and the people there, and we spend a great deal of time in areas around Thailand where English isn't commonly used at all. For me, knowing the language is both useful and practical. If I spent more time in say Japan, then obviously the Thai language wouldn't be all that useful.
As far as wanting to learn a language that's (1) in demand, (2) not known by many Americans, and (3) one that'll be useful years from now, again it depends on what you mean by being "in demand". Thai is not a language that's in great demand for many people, but on a personal basis, it is a language that isn't known by many Americans, and (at least for me) has been and will continue to be very useful for years to come.
I've only got a knack for Latin-rooted Romance languages, so I'd say Spanish and French for their widespread use. I've heard German and have read the aircraft information placards on Lufthansa planes, and have no interest in German. At this point in my life, wandering into Mandarin and Japanese would be out of the question.
"Some lunatics learn languages for fun. The rest of us are looking for a decent return on our investment. That means choosing a language with plenty of native speakers. One spoken by people worth talking to, in a place worth visiting. One with close relatives, so you have a head start with your third language. One not so distant from English that you give up. There really is only one rational choice: Brazilian Portuguese. Brazil is big (190m residents; half a continent). Its economic prospects are bright."
"Some lunatics learn languages for fun. The rest of us are looking for a decent return on our investment.
I know that Portuguese is the 7th most spoken language in the world.
Question: how does Brazilian Portuguese differ from Continental Portuguese? I thought it was largely pronunciation and very few words like "apanhar/pegar um autocarro," "penso/acho" etc. The same could be said of Spanish. In Spain, a stamp is a "selo" and in Argentina it's a "stampilla," but what you learn is standard Castilian.
And is one a lunatic if they grew up speaking Italian to their parents, take French and Spanish in HS and college, and remember everything they learned, and then learn Portuguese for fun as an adult? I've been to Portugal between 5 and 10 times, so it's worth it to me. I'm NOT adding any more languages to my arsenal. Those are the only ones I care about...and they are all related to each other.
Last edited by robertpolyglot; 03-15-2012 at 01:21 PM..
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