Having a hard time picking a foreign language (crime, college)

[Anders15]

I am in the US. I am having a hard time picking a lang to learn. I want to learn a language that has safe countries, open people, fun to learn and a good future. Right now I am not required to learn one but my career will either be in science or arts (animation.) I am about to start college and I never took a lang before previously so what should I do?

I know Spanish is best as a American however I just don't feel I really need to focus on it. I hear it so much where I live I am just naturally picking it up anyway. I am also concerned about the safety in spanish speaking countries. I've seen how they currently treat their own PRESIDENTS (Honduras & Mexico) what am I to expect as a US citizen??

Can someone give me a list of the languages that go with their respective fields? Like French is usually for those interested in fashion, design and the arts. I am just looking for something fun and modern.

This will be my first other lang. Should I do French? It seems just as modern and as the US but this is only a assumption.. or am i just better off with Spanish after all? I am a bit naive/confused at this so can someone give me some support? Like I said this is just as a hobby for now..

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by Anders15

I am in the US. I am having a hard time picking a lang to learn. I want to learn a language that has safe countries, open people, fun to learn and a good future. Right now I am not required to learn one but my career will either be in science or arts (animation.) I am about to start college and I never took a lang before previously so what should I do?

If you want something that's marketable as a fallback, consider Japanese, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese or Korean. French is quite versatile, and keeps coming in handy. Might think about Bahasa Indonesia, which is supposed to be pretty easy, Portuguese or Italian. Languages aren't that useful professionally unless you achieve full fluency, so I'd say consider three years of whichever one you pick.

[Drover]

Arabic

[kevxu]

You are dubious about learning Spanish based on the fact that you think some Spanish-speaking countries are violent? Well, if that's going to be your measuring stick; then you can skip a bushel of other useful languages, among them the major commers, Arabic and Chinese. And, of course, you'll have to give up English - you ain't seen violence, my friend, until you've seen the brawling, slashing, punching, kicking mobs that pour out of the pubs in your average English city...and those are just the women! And the level of crime in the U.S. is a constant concern of Americans, so you would be familiar with that.

Looks like you are condemned to a life of silence, unless you find a more practical approach to evaluating languages.

[ShadowSoldier]

Learn German

[bale002]

By the numbers and strategic importance, Mandarin (Chinese), Spanish/Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, German, Japanese, not necessarily in that order, also the languages of Central Asia (Pakistan, Afghanistan), especially if you are interested in government employment, perhaps also southeast Asia as someone has already mentioned.

I have specialized in business Italian, it has come in handy; any language combined with a business or technical specialization is practical and can be used to earn a living.

Nonetheless, also as mentioned, if you pretend to avoid violence, you are a member of the wrong species, try again in another life.

[Sudcaro]

Why not chose a language related to countries whose history and culture really appeal to you?
A language is not just about grammar and vocabulary, it's also about everything cultural that goes with it. So think about a place that appeals to you, and learn its language!

[KARL_MARX]

I know this feeling quite too well. I myself am Juggling French and Italian.

[Hengist]

Esperanto. No violent countries associated with that one. I imagine Spanish would be useful in parts of the US and beyond. While French has a number of similarities to English as we nicked a load of their words a thousand years ago. Or how about something a little closer to home? I believe Algonquian was once widely spoken in your area.

[Anders15]

Originally Posted by Sudcaro

Why not chose a language related to countries whose history and culture really appeal to you?
A language is not just about grammar and vocabulary, it's also about everything cultural that goes with it. So think about a place that appeals to you, and learn its language!

Yeah that is why I asked for a list so I could get a better idea. Thanks for your replies about spanish. I also did not consider spanish because it seems many people feel that it is the "easy way out." Because of how easy it is to learn, however it is the most useful at the same time. So I will reconsider focusing more on it now that I've rethought about what you've said.