<p>I was planning to take Chinese 1 and a Marketing course as my electives + taking French 2 for my language requirement. </p>
<p>But unfortunately my schedule conflicts, and my counselor said I have to choose between the two, and I choose Chinese. The only other
But my school also offers Arabic 1, but it is an online course. :(
I did an online class before but did not like it at all and did not understand it nor remember a thing! I got a B+ in it though (Pre-calculus Trig.) </p>
<p>I like both languages, but really prefer Arabic as a language, and probably more interested in it. Also, I am planning to major in foreign affairs, and Arabic would help me a lot, but also Chinese probably just as much.
If I took Chinese 1 as an elective, I would also take AB Calculus.</p>
<p>On a practical level, I would NOT recommend taking an online language class, especially at the first, beginning level. When you learn a foreign language, it’s crucial to have the direct interaction with your teacher. You need to see and hear someone pronounce a word, and more importantly, you need to be able to have them watch you and give you corrections and feedback. It’s also nice to be able to talk to them before/after class or during office hours/extra tutoring. Having that one-on-one, face-to-face rapport is what truly helps you learn the language. </p>
<p>As for which is more useful, it does depend on what you’re doing. You said you want to deal with international business, but what kind, exactly? From what I’ve heard, French is the way to go in Europe, yet Chinese is best for Asia. French is actually the second most taught foreign language in the world after English, so it would be useful to be proficient in both. But if you’re focusing more on the United States or Latin America, Spanish would prove useful, too. </p>
<p>In the end, do what feels right. If you like Arabic, then go for it. You still have plenty of time to pick your foreign language(s), so you could use this opportunity to test out the Arabic waters. However, I would urge you to see if there is a way you can take it in person, even if it’s at a community college or something. Online language classes are near pointless in my opinion, and if you want to progress further with Arabic, you should really learn the foundations in an in person class. </p>
<p>Learning a new language is hard itself, but having to learn it online is even harder. Go for the Chinese class; you’ll have face to face conversations with your teacher and classmates, and this type of communication is essential. Also, you’ll learn if your pronunciations are correct or not. (Sorry middlebrook if it seems like I’m just summarizing what you have said earlier lol) </p>
<p>If you’re Asian (especially from East Asia), it’s a lot easier to learn Chinese. I’m Korean and I take Chinese at school. Some old Korean words can be written in Chinese characters, so it’s easy for me to recognize some characters and know the meanings right away.</p>
<p>The only problem is that many non-Asians tend to have more difficulty learning Chinese, because they aren’t used to the numerous characters and the five different tones yet. Just as a warning: you will probably spend a lot of time trying to study Chinese during your first year, but this happens to many people anyway. (If I were to take French, it would take me a while to learn it thoroughly since Korean and French are completely different). Good luck!</p>