I have no idea where to put this so I am sorry if this forum is in the wrong place!
I plan on majoring in Political Science and maybe doing a double major in History. I would like to learn either French, German, or Russian. I am very interested in Europe and European cultures. I would like to learn French because it is spoken in both Europe and Africa, and I have an interest in French culture. I would like to learn German because of the interest I have in German history and culture. I am absolutely fascinated by Russian history and Russian is spoken in Eastern Europe, which is also a plus. I hope that gives you a better picture of my interests.
I honestly cannot decide. Which one is more beneficial for me to learn? I would like this language to helpful when studying abroad and in my career. However, it is not a must that it help me further into the future since I am not sure what I want to do with my degree.
Thank you for all/any help given!
Sorry to add! But if there are any other languages you think I should consider, please let me know! My college is very strong in languages and it will most likely have it or I could take it as an independent study.
Thank you once again!
Disclaimer: I shamelessly encourage people to study a critical language if they can, so I vote for Russian. However, study the language that most interests you, whether it’s Russian, French, German, Polish, Spanish, Romanian, Czech, whatever. Studying a language has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made because it’s forced me to reexamine how I view other cultures. Hope this helps!
@dorie13 Thank you so much for your advice!
I would go with French - because you expressed an interest in the living culture. For the others, it seems you are more interested in the history. I have lived in France and Germany and speak both languages.
But look at it in terms of where you would want to live. France is a very pleasant place to live, with a functioning society and an intact culture. You would really get a European experience there.
In contrast, Germany is rather boring, very much like America but more rigid in certain ways. Russia has lots of problems and is a society in formation, if you linked yourself with it your time would be dominated by diplomatic and basic economic issues. If that’s what you want to spend your career on, which to me is a dreary prospect, then it might be right for you. It is also too cold!