<p>I am switching the language that I take because at the moment I am taking french, and I hate it with a passion. What language would be helpful for a doctor to know? I know a lot of people will say spanish but really, I don't think I'll like that much better than French. I wanted to do something completely different so I was thinking maybe Latin/ Greek (classics) or maybe ASL (american sign language). Which would help a doctor more?</p>
<p>Well, my advice would be Spanish. You might like one Romance language better than another. D1 hated Spanish in HS and ended up taking French in college and enjoying it considerably more. She enjoyed her French even more when she was able to read the menu and order her own meals in Geneva and discuss wines with some vintners on her vineyard tour in France this summer.</p>
<p>D1 is terrible at languages so she tried several in college. (I mean tried as enrolled then withdrew.) I recced Latin to her–thinking no oral portion! Bonus! However, Latin, as D1 found out, taught at the college level extraordinarily fast paced and required tons of memorization (vocab plus declensions and conjugations). If she had hung in there, the class would have covered more than 2 full years high school Latin in under a semester. They would have been well into Caesar by the end of the term. (And would have finished most of Wheelock. Urgh!)</p>
<p>D2 says lots of kids at her school take ASL (in part because the other major college for the hearing impaired–the one that is NOT Gallaudet–is in her college town. Thus large deaf population locally.) ASL is kind of a trendy foreign language alternative because people think it’s easier to learn (no written tests for one thing, not oral tests either), but like all languages it has its own vocab, its own grammar and its own regional variations and it does take many years of practice to become completely fluent. </p>
<p>However, there is a diminishing need for ASL interpreters simply because improvements in treatment and wider use of cochlear implants are reducing the number of profoundly deaf. (It’s an huge issue in the deaf community with some equating the use of cochlear implants to genocide since the deaf culture being changed enormously by these new technologies.)</p>
<p>"Which would help a doctor more? "
-Spanish. One of the best classes that D. took in college. One semester class enabled her to talk freely in Mexico. We were impressed! Strongly recommend. Spanish is also very easy, will boost your GPA (in case you need a boost)</p>
<p>Too many considerations to answer your question. </p>
<p>As a rising HS senior, you have to first think about getting into a college. Then, you need to consider if the college that you matriculate to next fall has a FL requirement and IFF they will accept ASL in fulfillment of the FL requirement.</p>
<p>To the first point, colleges, particularly highly selective ones, much prefer 3+ years of FL in one language, not 2+2 in different languages. So, for college admission purposes, a third year of French is better than a first year of ASL or Spanish (all other things being equal, including grades). To the second point: it depends, but I’m guessing that most highly selective colleges will not accept ASL as fulfilling their FL requirement for college graduation.</p>
<p>But the short answer to your question is Spanish – it’s a no-brainer.</p>
<p>SPANISH. My D is in med school and is very sorry she took French instead of Spanish.</p>
<p>I might consider spanish, how hard would college spanish be starting out with no previous spanish? I feel like it might be really hard because there will be hispanic kids who are fluent and kids who have been taken it since they were 5 with me, any comments?</p>
<p>College Spanish 1 taught over one semester is roughly the equivalent of the first two years of HS Spanish, as is French 1 and Italian 1. I hardly think that you will have any native speakers in the Intro class.</p>
<p>At least at my high school (I go to a private school) 1 year of a language would be a lot to do in 1 semester, let alone 2, I’m not sure how a person would learn so much information in such a short time.</p>
<p>Spanish is the easiest foreign language. D. placed into Spanish 3 at college, all she took was 1 semester, great results. She had taken Spanish in HS though. She did not feel inferior to anybody in college, she is not hispanic. But Spanish is her 3rd Foreign language, which could have made a difference.</p>