<p>Hi, I'm a history major/political science minor at a small state college. Next semester I need to start my language class if I want to graduate early. So I'm signed up for Modern Standard Arabic, French and Spanish are the other classes offered. I really don't care about the language I learn, Arabic is a beautiful, ancient language and French would be my second choice if it weren't for scheduling conflicts. Should I take a chance on Arabic? What can I do with it? The honors director said it would look good on grad applications.</p>
<p>Unless you plan to use the language at a future job or as part of your graduate school research it doesn’t really matter and isn’t much different from your liberal arts requirement courses. Most people just take a language and then forget it the following year. Unless you actually make a conscious effort to use the language you’ll lose it. </p>
<p>Some graduate schools do have language requirements. </p>
<p>So basically…just take whatever interests you and don’t worry about taking it too seriously unless you see it as directly related to something you want to do.</p>
<p>A language is only really useful if you can speak it enough to help in a business. Just being able to book a room and count to 100 doesn’t even warrant a line on your resume. </p>
<p>Grad school language requirements tend to be reading proficiency in the main foreign language of that field. So Arabic would be useful, if you want to focus on the Middle East in some way. French for Africa and South East Asia etc. Depending on your history focus, Latin or Ancient Greek or Old English might be what grad schools are looking for. But you usually get time in your schedule once you’ve started your masters to develop that proficiency from scratch. </p>
<p>The one caveat I’d add is that you’ve really got to have some personal reason to connect to the language and keep you going when it gets boring/tough. If you’re itching to visit Egypt or Jordan once you graduate, great. Muslims might want to learn about contemporary Islamic culture. But to really improve you need to be doing more than class. Read kids’ books. Watch news and tv online. Get a pen pal once you can write the basics. </p>
<p>If Arabic then seems too detached for you, then consider French or Spanish. My German class of adult learners all have some link to the country. Sons and grandchildren living there. Members of the town twinning association. My best friend is German and I want to go back and be able to speak to her mum properly. </p>
<p>Pick the language that will enrich your life the most. It needn’t be career related :)</p>
<p>I also took languages like French, Nihongo, Mandarin and Korean but the thing is, I took those languages at the same time not even thinking that I should be fluent with each languages. That is my mistake. Take first the language that you really wanted to take and be fluent with.</p>
<p>Yeah it’ll good in grad application but take languages one at a time. If you want to study Arabic then take it if you’re interested to work in Middle east that’ll do but be sure you are fluent because if you’re going to apply and you’re not even fluent at it, it’ll end up as a waste. Take language that would be useful for you.</p>