Foreign Languages

<p>Wasn't sure where to post this, but I figure I'm going to community college so.</p>

<p>I really want to learn both French and Spanish. French because I want to travel/maybe eventually study abroad in places where it is spoke in Europe. I also just love the sound of it too. I want to learn Spanish because it will be useful here in the United States. Especially because I want to go to California and work with Children. So after doing some searching I know it's possible to learn both, but I'm not sure how to go about doing so.</p>

<p>Should I take French or Spanish First?
*One advantage of Spanish is, although I live in Michigan, I know quite a few close family and friends who speak it.
*On the other hand, I would like to study abroad within the next 2 years. BUT, the first place I want to go is somewhere the UK and they speak English so it's not really necessary. </p>

<p>Can I take a level 1 class in one while taking a level 2 in the other at the same time, or will it be to confusing? (Hope that made sense.. Like Spanish 2 and French 1 at the same time.)
OR This is probably crazy and not recommend.. but take French 1 and Spanish 1 at the same time? (next semester)</p>

<p>I hope to become fluent in both because I just think it would be very useful. Any advice is appreciated, thanks!</p>

<p>If you have never studied a foreign language before you might want to start with Spanish. Both languages have a good deal of grammar and n vocabulary. With French you have to make an effort to get the pronunciation right, so it is more difficult. After having studied Spanish, French will come easier.
But do not take it lightly. Becoming fluent in a language takes a long time and you should spend at least one year in a country where it is spoken on a daily Basis.</p>

<p>Spanish, all the way. You can practice with people you know, so it’s a better option. I can’t say which language is more difficult, since I am too studying French and my mother tongue is Spanish, so obviously, for me, Spanish is easier.
However, I’ll have to mention you already know all the phonemes in Spanish, sort of. But you will have to learn the ones in French. They have “more” vowels, a different “r”, various rules… Also, the numbers are weird.
Ninety nine is Quatre-vingt-dix-neuf, which means “Four times twenty, plus ten, plus nine”. Not the easiest of the numeration systems.</p>

<p>If what you want to do is to go to Europe, do not learn French from Canadians. Really. It is difficult to understand them, even for French people. I have been taught French by several teachers, all of them from France (except one that was foreign but lived in France for years), and I can understand what they say perfectly. Doesn’t matter which region they’re from: North, South, whatever. But Canadians… I barely get a thing. A teacher lived over there and he told me he couldn’t get what they said until a few months passed and he got used to it. For more info, google “joual”.</p>

<p>Next, let me tell you many people in Europe will understand what you say if you speak in either Spanish or French, because most speak romance tongues and they’re really similar (maybe for you they are not, since you speak a language with Germanic roots). So really, if it is for vacation, you can do with only Spanish and English. Now, for your studies… that’ll be tricky.</p>

<p>Hope I was of help!</p>