Torn between two Foreign Language majors...

College Majors
1

<p>I am a college freshman who has not yet declared a major.
**I would like to double major in Psychology (or Political Science) with a language major.
I already have 4 years of Russian from HS and while I am not too fond of the language, I feel that it would be more advantageous because it is uncommon. The one that I would really like to study is FRENCH.
While I feel more strongly toward French, choosing this would mean starting from level 100 classes, something that would definitely hinder my ability to graduate on time.
(I am planning on declaring a Public Policy minor while fulfilling my Pre-med requirements for Medical School.)</p>

<p>What do you think is the better option?</p>

2

<p>Sunny</p>

<p>I take it from your post you’re considering becoming a physician? The most “practical” foreign language for you would be Spanish if you are planning on practicing in the US. I wish I had stuck with my Spanish - I often have to find an interpreter while seeing patients and it is sometimes diffiicult.</p>

<p>That being said, it is always a goal in foreign languages to become “proficient”. It would be an uphill climb to accomplish fluency in French with only 4 yrs. of college, but can be done - especially if you study abroad in a French-speaking country and “immerse” yourself.</p>

<p>It would be ashame for you to not continue your Russian, but if you don’t really care for it - why torture yourself for limited usage in the medical job market.</p>

<p>CJ</p>

3

<p>Some comments:

  1. Russian: It’s not advantageous simply because it’s uncommon. It would be advantageous because it serves a purpose, utilitarian or cultural. For your intended career (medicine), it’s not very advantageous. Moreover, if you’re not fond of Russian, you will not enjoy it enough, or perhaps, be good enough in it, for it to be a good choice for your major.
  2. French: It’s not very advantageous for your intended career, unless you have an interest in global health (primarily in Africa). It’s not clear that you have an interest in that area, however, or at least, you didn’t indicate that you do. Otherwise, it’s of cultural interest. And there is nothing wrong with that.
  3. French or Russian + Psychology: Neither language is particularly important for contemporary psychology. (There is an interesting body of Russian-language research in psychology, much of which has not yet been translated, however. But again, it’s not clear that this is an area in which you would want to specialize at an advanced level.)
  4. French or Russian + Political Science: Either of these languages would have relevance to the politics and international relations of countries/regions in which they are spoken. It’s not clear that those political or international aspects are the focus of your interests in those languages, or, at least, you didn’t indicate that this is the case.
  5. There is no rule that says a second major or a minor has to be directly related to one’s first major. Many people consider double major or major/minor combinations in this way, and complementary fields offer some advantages, but it’s your education, so follow your interests.
  6. To become fluent in either language you should plan to study abroad. Is this feasible for you, given the requirements for another major and your plan to complete premed requirements, too. As a major, Russian often offers the option of focusing on the language or on the literature/culture; for French, it’s usually a focus on the literature/culture. That’s fine if that’s your interest, but if not, can you serve your purpose in studying the language without a formal major in it, e.g., just taking language courses?
  7. Double majoring while also completing the premed requirements (and, a possible minor in public policy) might be difficult, or at the very least, leave you with little room for electives beyond the requirements. Have you sketched out a plan for the next four years to see how things fit together? (There might be some overlap between the premed requirements and requirements for supporting coursework for certain subspecialty options in psychology, e.g., neuroscience, though those options usually are more intensive in terms of research, etc.)
  8. As the other poster indicated, Spanish might be more useful for a practicing physician in the US health care system.
  9. If you major in political science, why minor in public policy, too? There is considerable overlap.
  10. See this link: [The</a> Twelve Most Useful Second Languages for English Speakers - a knol by Dominic Ambrose](<a href=“http://knol.google.com/k/the-twelve-most-useful-second-languages-for-english-speakers#]The”>http://knol.google.com/k/the-twelve-most-useful-second-languages-for-english-speakers#)
  11. Since you’re interested in medicine and public policy, have you considered other possible majors, e.g., history of science/medicine/technology (depending on whether your school offers this); often such a majors includes course offerings in the social and policy aspecy aspects of health care as well as the historical aspects.</p>