<p>I've been taking Spanish since the third grade, and I do like it, but I also want to learn german. Would it be possible to continue on with higher level Spanish classes as well as learn a new language? Do you think it could get difficult trying to do two languages at once at the college level? Anyone done something similar?</p>
<p>I had friends who learned multiple languages in college with no problem. The hardest part is the time commitment, in my opinion. Language courses, especially at the lower levels, often meet more often than other courses and they can require more work and practice if you really want to become proficient in the language. It was hard for me to schedule the classes around the courses i already have to take, but if you’re more dedicated than I was, you should be able to manage. If you’re already pretty proficient in Spanish, you may be able to skip into literature courses, which at my school at least, weren’t quite as much of a time commitment, as far as class meetings went and were more like adding another lit or history class or something.</p>
<p>I’m learning German right now as a false beginner. I have a non-credit 2 hour community college class a week. But I find that in order to really get a grip on the new vocab and the previous week’s lesson that I need to really allow a minimum of 2 hours, ideally 3-4 to do well in the next week’s class. </p>
<p>But that also includes trying to watch the daily news summary online plus random youtube clips (check out classic Sesame Street in German) plus having a couple of kid’s books at several different levels I look at before I go to sleep. If you do the minimum- class and homework alone, you won’t learn as well and languages are like math- you really need the basics solid to build upwards from.</p>
<p>Generally, college foreign language departments will want to place you into language courses appropriate to your existing skill in the language (regardless of whether or not you present high school, AP, IB, college, or other credit in the language) so that you do not waste your time or the college’s time in beginner courses that you already know. So if you already know Spanish very well, you may be eligible to take advanced or literature courses.</p>
<p>Yep. I did that with French and German. Started off taking advanced level French courses and added beginning German language courses. Worked out fine. I ended up dropping German thinking it was going to be useless, but then I ended up making a bajillion German friends on exchange in Paris (where I am for this semester and next), so I decided to pick it up again in the spring since I have actual German friends to help me improve.</p>
<p>Also, since you’ve already taken Spanish, you already understand what it takes to learn a foreign language. You know your strengths and weaknesses, so that will make it that much easier to study a new language.</p>
<p>ALSO: Americans seem to think taking two foreign languages at the same time might be too difficult, but people in Europe do it all the time. I didn’t believe it until I got here. When your native language isn’t English, you pretty much have to learn another language. All of my non-native English friends here speak at least three languages, if not four. (The most common, since I’m in France, is native language+English+French.) Some actually speak a fourth language. All fluently.</p>
<p>So yes, you can definitely do it!</p>
<p>I WISH I had started off at the proper level in French. I tested into 102/could’ve bumped to 201 but I took 101 thinking I was just gonna do the gen ed requirement and be out.</p>
<p>Turns out I decided to major in it, and I’m in 201 now and am beating my head against the wall because I didn’t challenge myself sooner. I’m not perfect at it, and I DO need help with being able to blurt stuff out on the fly, but I know that I would’ve adapted easily enough last year if I had gone with it. </p>
<p>I’d say to start at whatever level Spanish your college says and then start a new language if you’d like. A lot of people do it and they seem to really like it. One of my friends is learning like 3 other on his own in addition to French. </p>
<p>The world is vast and diverse, so take whatever measure you’d like to get a better taste of it. :)</p>