<p>how difficult would it be if i wanted to take two language courses? im a low intermediate level for french and i want to take japanese (it would be a very elementary beginning course for me to start off with). is it possible to take both french and japanese and survive college? any advice would be much appreciated! thanks!</p>
<p>well i sux at language, one is too much for me as it is.</p>
<p>Well, I'm only in high school and I'm taking French and German. I don't think it's hard at all. They aren't really the same so I have no problem learning both of them.</p>
<p>I know a few Classics majors who have taken both Latin and Greek at the intermediate level simultaneously. Of course, they were working like crazy in doing so, as both languages, especially the latter, are quite difficult. But it is manageable if you have a good work ethic.</p>
<p>I have taken both Latin and Greek simultaneously in high school (home school), and my siblings currently are studying both Greek and Arabic. It is feasible at the high school and junior high level, at least - though I don't know if I would like to attempt it at UChicago.</p>
<p>I take Latin and Greek in high school. It's not that bad. Latin is hard for most people but it always came natural to me. I don't even really like Greek, but not because its hard</p>
<p>A lot of ppl at my school think that Latin is easy also.</p>
<p>I prefer Greek over Latin by a longshot! Then again, perhaps that is because I have taken it at the U. of C. with amazing professors. :-)</p>
<p>thanks for the responses, esp katharos! i myself almost took latin but took french instead in middle school. either way i would've had the same bad teacher cuz she taught both in highschool. :/</p>
<p>i took french in high school but although i took 5 years, the workload was just busy bookwork and stupid little exercises. we basically had no extended written or reading assignments so i can't really compare highschool language courses to college courses. </p>
<p>if languages at the college level was as the same as at my highschool, then i could take like 5 languages and survive! literally my french class was 1% of the highschool workload, or less. </p>
<p>thus, although i know college level language will be MUCH more difficult beyond comparison to high school, i really dont know just HOW intensive they will be. </p>
<p>so i guess my next question seems kind of vague -__- but exactly how much work goes into language courses at uchicago?</p>
<p>It depends on the language. I took two years of Japanese and it's a lot of work. French seems to be a lot of work, too, especially at the higher levels, judging by my friends' screams of agony.</p>
<p>There's no reason you have to take two languages in one year, especially your first. And if you decide to stick with French for four years I'd consider waiting until you're at least a second year before giving yourself the headache fo two language courses at once. By that time you'll be better able to cope with the workload.</p>
<p>If you like languages, and want to do it, it's feasible. But be prepared, the advisors at U of C will try to talk you out of it (unless they have changed since I was there). They like to push the U of C "core" and "second tier" type courses- Western Civ, other Civs, Music 101, Art 101. They also have an idea about the "recommended" program for each major and intended major. But every year, a few people do buck the trend and take what they want to, in the order they want to. I knew a first year who insisted on taking Persian, and he did it. But he had to resist their pleas.</p>
<p>I audited Intermediate Greek through the College this school year (with special permission, of course), and I spent about 15 hours/week preparing for the class. Greek 201, I found, was not terribly difficult, though things became worse as time went on. For Greek 203, I took from the professor whom many say is the most demanding and the lowest grader in the Classics department. Grades of C and D were given out, and I can assure you that everyone in the class was working hard; the professor simply is an old school grader. And Greek is a notoriously difficult language to take at the U. of C. - though I can emphatically recommend you doing so!</p>
<p>In short, I think it very much depends on the language, the level, and the professor.</p>
<p>Be prepared for a tremendous amount of work and class time. S's single language course met at least 6 times a week and sometimes more, once on a Sunday night. His friend, who took the same course at a top Ivy, had many fewer requirements, and spent much less time in class. For whatever reason, Chicago has very high requirements for its language classes.</p>
<p>Would you say Chicago is a good choice to study/learn languages?</p>
<p>I have taken both beginning and intermediate Greek through the College, and those were by far the best courses of my life. I like the intensity and pressure of them, as one is expected to work very, very hard to eek out a good grade. I visited another college to which I applied that also has a good Classics department, yet their intermediate Greek class had not covered as much as I had at the U. of C. by quite a lot. The U. of C. language courses really do cover material at quite a velocity.</p>
<p>So, yes, the U. of C. is an excellent place to study languages - at least the dead ones, from my experience. Especially if you love esoteric linguistical terms... :-)</p>
<p>Chicago is a great place to study anything... :)</p>
<p>wow thanks for all the responses.
i think i will only be taking french in college though. well, for sure. i foolishly opened up to my parents and told them i was interested in taking japanese and it turned into a really really big argument and them screaming "it's a waste of time" "you don't know chinese characters so you will never know japanese properly" "why do you want to do something new? that's so pointless" "i bet you didn't even bother to ask other people about language courses at uchicago" etc etc etc. ;askldjflak;sdj
i couldnt have muttered so much profanity under my breath during that time.</p>
<p>yes stick with what you've always known...new is evil. GAHHHH sounds like my parents...well sorta.</p>
<p>Take the damn language if YOU want to. It's your time to do what ya want. However, they make a good point. Two languages isn't awfully hard, but since Japanese and Chinese mean learning entirely new characters (and a WHOLE LOT OF EM) it may be an overload. </p>
<p>Chicago is going to be tough enough as is. :) I really wanted to take Japanese, but think I'll stick with French just b/c I can handle it and my regular courses.</p>
<p>yea chicago is def going to be hard enough as is. plus i dont need them biting my head off saying "see? you're failing uchic because you stupidly are taking both japanese and french blah blahb albhalbhlbhbah"</p>
<p>Cookie, </p>
<p>If you are interested in taking Japanese, then go for it! I am pretty sure I would like to study Russian in college, as I have not uttered more than a word or two since I last took it in second grade; besides Greek (my real love) and Latin, I have been considering studying another few languages a well, though of course that might change when I realize I must complete requirements for my major(s). If you are interested in something, be it Japanese or anthropology, there really is nothing holding you back. College, to me, will be a place where I will receive a broad liberal arts education, become quite good in my specific area(s) - AND explore a few new subjects that I have never taken before but sound intriguing. Even if you never take Japanese and French simultaneously, still consider Japanese if you are curious about learning it, despite what your parents are telling you. Hey, I have taken a dead language at the U. of C., and that is <em>completely</em> useless in the real world; but I get so much satisfaction out of studying it and reading ancient texts that my parents are now fine with the fact that I am considering majoring in Classics! :-)</p>
<p>My daughter took two languages last year -- accelerated first-year Latin and second-year Greek. She is taking three this year (second-year Latin, third-year Greek and another ancient language, Coptic). She was fine last year with two a and seems OK with adding a third. She's a language-intensive Classics major, but you probably guessed that.</p>