Russian or foreign language in Cal

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>This is an incoming firstyear who is interested in attaining proficiency in a third language, preferrably Russian or French.</p>

<p>I am planning to major in Political Science. is it advisable to take a language course on top of polisci? I am as concerned about the effectiveness of these language courses as about the workload...(say courses by the Department of Slavic/Russian language?) I'm willing to endure heavy workload, but is it worth it? like is it likely that students will be able to use the language for practical business negotiations if not mastery in its literature? is it common for students in Cal to do a third language...? or are they the "lax" programmes used to fulfill credit requirements??</p>

<p>ooops. sorry for bombarding you all with these questions. million thanks for any helpful advice or sharing of experience!</p>

2

<p>Language classes are usually pretty chill. I’m taking two language classes next spring. Not a biggie.</p>

3

<p>If you want to study a language, it’s wise to start early. A hard language like Russian will require at least 3 years for any kind of useful proficiency. You can also look into study abroad opportunities. The language courses will cover everything, speaking, reading, writing, and listening. </p>

<p>Russian is much harder to learn than French. Please keep that in mind.</p>