<p>I'm still an undergrad but whenever I've applied for internships, I write what I'm majoring in (which isn't a language) but then I always list the languages I know from best to least (usually they want to know if you can speak, read, and/or write, and/or ones I'm learning). I don't know if employers assume you're fluent in a language just because you majored in it. I would hope not, because I've met a lot of students from the US who major in French and then come to my school to study abroad, but they are in no way fluent even if they have a good comprehension of written French. They usually go back home a lot better, though, for obvious reasons.</p>
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<p>How much of a commitment is it to learn new, non-European language?
Russian, or Mandarin, or Japanese, for instance.
Would be interested to know if you can reach any real level of fluency without having to major - or even minor? And at what stage do you reckon employers will agree that you 'speak' a language, rather than having dabbled with it as a fresher?</p>
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<p>I took Arabic last year at my school "just for fun"... it was the hardest language class I've taken so far. My prof speaks it and I think it took him a few years of undergrad and then living in Tunisia after a year or two before he was considered fluent. However, the same thing could be said for a language like French. So honestly, it's really hard to say. Sometimes it depends on your circumstances (are you going to be living abroad or still in the States?) and your personal ability, as well.</p>
<p>if you want to become good at something, you don't necessarily have to major in it, and that goes for any subject. you have to be committed to it.for me, the best way to be committed to it is to be motivated because I want to communicate with the people around me... basically, moving to a foreign country is the best way to pick it up, and most natural. Of course that's not always a possibility, and that's where your own time committment comes in.</p>
<p>I think employers agree that you "speak" a language once you have some sort of proof. Inside the States, where most people are monolingual, a major or minor would probably lead the employer to believe that you are fluent in that language. I think outside of the States, they're probably going to ask for some sort of test results (basically, like a TOEFL in that language).</p>
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<p>This thread is so useful! </p>
<p>I plan on double majoring in French and history.</p>
<p>A quick question: I want to learn another language (like Japanese), but since I already speak French and am planning on focusing on western Europe for my history major, should I pick another language from that area as well (like German)?</p>
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<p>Halie, if you want to study Japanese, study Japanese. Undergrad is about studying what you want to.</p>
<p>My communications professor taught himself Portuguese and is now learning Turkish. Not because it would be useful to his career, but because he is genuiniely interested in it (heās always trying to strike up conversations with the Brazilian and Turkish kids at my school though , lol)</p>
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<p>okay so here it goes
i am loking for a college or university that has a good translating and interpreting program.
i realy want to work for the United Nations or any other government organization.
i am taking spanish now in highschoolā¦but i need to find a school.
also i want to know what my major should be.
i want to work internationally.
what other majors should i consider,since i want to work internationally.
i will really apreciate any suggestions
i reallly love languages and working internationally and also traveling
THANKS</p>
<p>i always wanted to major in poli sci and go to law schoolā¦ but my passion for languages took over this year (im a senior in high school), and i plan to major in italian and possibly double major or minor in a second language (i am also currently taking spanish and french, and would like to learn some albanian, although few if any schools would offer that!). iām interested in going into literary translationā¦ books, personal documents, etc. or if i reaaaallly cant find a job in translation/interpretation (im tired of everyone asking me what on earth i could do in life as an italian major!), iāll pursue international business, UN/international relations work, or teaching. iām also interested in humanitarian work or working with an NGO. hope that helps? :)</p>
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<p>i love languages too! iām pretty fluent in spanish and iām picking up french now too. in college iāll probably double minor in french/spanish and major in media studies/communications. i ultimately want to work for a travel magazine, that way I could travel and use my languages while getting pictures and stories and stuff! thatās my dream job!</p>
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<p>I think it just occurred to me that I should pick an alternate major or think about the possibility of double majoring, haha.
But at this point, Iām hoping to transfer as a Linguistics (w/ Spanish emphasis) major, and either have Global Studies/International relations as an alternate or to double major with both.
I LOVE learning languages as well, although at this point I only have 3 that I can understand somewhat fluently (Chinese, Spanish, and English), but Iām hoping to either learn Arabic or French next semester and Italian, Greek, German, Latin, and perhaps a few more languages in the future? As for a career goal, I REALLY have an ambition to work as a translator at the United Nations OR to work for the CIA in some translation job. I clerk in local elections as a translator and LOVE the experience, which I think is what got me into itā¦</p>
<p>Reviving this thread, since itās so useful for people thinking of pursuing foreign languages and linguistics.</p>
<p>I am fluent in English, French, and Mandarin, and am currently studying the Classics. Iāve touched on a couple Native American dialects and want to pick up some German, African and Arabic laterā¦ as for the future, it depends. Iāll either be in the United Nations or the middle of nowhere. see some of you there!</p>
<p>If I transfer to a college that offers it, a minor in sign language. 
Sadly, most colleges that have any sign, including my current community college, only offer three quarters of itā¦ I know itād be useless as a major though, unless I wanted to teach/interpret.</p>
<p>Iām a senior in high school and I will be majoring in Japanese at University of Mount Union. I might do another language as a minor and do a double major with international business. Iām taking French, German, and Japanese. I love foreign languages! XD</p>
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<p>if you apply to law school and have the appropriate grades and LSAT scores, would the law school mind that you took a foreign language major instead of, say, a politics major?</p>
<p>^ It would not be a problem for law school admissions if you major in a foreign language.</p>
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