My first language is English and my second language that I am learning in school is Spanish. My Spanish average for this past year was a 99. I am considering learning a third language, but I have some questions before choosing…
-Which language would be most practical? (German, French?) I live in the USA
-Which are languages to stay away from? (most difficult, explain why maybe??)
-I intend on being an SLP, would that matter?
-Does anyone know of a program that helps teach language including grammar, not just vocab? (besides Rosetta Stone or Pimsleur?)
-if I were to travel anywhere it would be Europe or Canada, if that matters (out of country anyways)
Thank you so much for the help!
Thanks,
Matt =)
French! Third most popular I believe.
I think German may be slightly more used in the US, but if you want to go to Canada, French would be of more use
I should imagine the hardest languages are those that use an entirely different script/writing system, such as Arabic and Chinese. French and Spanish are popular as second languages to learn in school. A lot of Canadians speak French, so if you are interested in visiting Canada, you should have a go at the language.
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Thanks. Does anyone know good programs for language learning?
I use Duolingo and it’s pretty good (and free)
A good chunk of western Europeans speak English, so it is kind of a waste to learn French or German in my opinion. A good option would be Mandarin (Phonetically, since the alphabet is insane) or Russian (new, yet familiar, alphabet and strange grammar for English speakers) since most people who speak these languages do not speak English.
Well, there is no alphabet, but thousands of characters to learn. Even if you were not concerned with reading and writing the language, the tones of the spoken language often present challenges for an English speaker.
if we were still living in the 1980’s and the Berlin Wall hadn’t fallen 
To the OP, it really all depends on your interests. Where do you want to travel? What cultures interest you? If you have an interest in the people/culture/arts/etc., it will make learning the language more enjoyable.
Yes, many Europeans, like me, speak perfect English, but when you go off the beaten path in France or Italy for example, you will find fewer people who do speak English. Even in the tourist centers, the residents always appreciate the attempt to speak their language.
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@skieurope Okay. I am just interested in learning another language for personal enhancement, and if it makes me look more competitive, then that’s an added bonus, not my main reason for learning another one.
@Madeline25 I have heard of Duolingo. Do you have to download anything? I am always afraid of downloading something and getting a virus…
Idk what you have to do to get it on the computer but I downloaded it as in app on my iPhone
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@Madeline25 oh that’s good, I’ll definitely look into it!
To use the desktop version of Duolingo you just go to the website. No downloads. If that’s what you use to learn a language, I recommend at least checking out the desktop version because it has explanations of any grammar rules, idioms, things like that. The app is mostly just vocab, unless I missed something.
If you want an easier language, French and German would both be solid choices. German is pretty similar to English and it’s a very literal language and that makes it easier to learn the vocab. The grammar can be a little weird though. French grammar is also weird, and idk how similar it is to Spanish. But since you’ve taken Spanish, another Romance language might be a little easier.
Memrise is a good app if you want to pick up extra vocab.
If you intend to become an SLP, you should learn sign language. You can learn it on your own or take a class outside school since your school may not offer it.
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Yes, I recommend duolingo. I used it for Spanish practice while I took the class.
I am a native Russian and Byelorussian speaker, and the grammar is a bit difficult for a new learner, but it is definitely doable. My friend has been studying the language extensively for about four years (with a tutor and some classes) and can speak fluently (not perfectly of course but very very well). If you decide to travel to Eastern Asia and Eastern Europe, Russian would be very handy. There is Russia (of course), Belarus, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, parts of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. I believe the language is still spoken somewhat in Poland? I am not sure about that one. Some people in parts of Mongolia and the northernmost parts of China still speak Russian.(I am part Mongolian/Chinese. My great grandparents are half Chinese, half Mongolian. Both speak Russian.) Russian would most definitely not be useless or a waste of time. If you decide to pursue it, send a PM, I would be glad to find you some material to start with!
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Do it for personal enhancement; do not do it to appear more competitive, because you won’t be. Remember that most international applicants, who have a lesser chance of admissions to a US college than domestic applicants, are multi-lingual.
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@Madeline25 @sprights I began using Duolingo yesterday night, just getting a feel for the website, thanks! (Thanks to whoever mentioned it!)
@zapfino I do intend on taking an ASL course at some point. My school does not offer a SL course, but there is an independent study program where you can pick a class to learn not regularly offered… however I would need to find a teacher within the school (Special Ed Teacher? SLP?) If push comes to shove, a CC that I just took Algebra II at offers a sign language course over the summer.
@sequoiababy I will look into German or French, I think I’m leaning towards German at the moment
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I’ve always heard it’s helpful to learn a language from a culture that interests you!
I also use Duolingo, it is mostly vocab. I’m not exactly the best self-teacher, but it is pretty helpful!
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Esperanto is an option. It’s an auxiliary constructed language that was created so it’s made easy to learn. Kinda of a lingua franca. It’s easy, only one article, simple grammar rules, no conjugation, and completely phonetic. So knabo (boy) is pronounced ka-nabo, not just nabo. The course just came out recently on Duolingo and I suggest you check it out.
Afrikkans is also easy to learn from English speakers, very similar grammar rules and language roots. Russian is another option, there is a very low amount of native Russians that can speak English so that might be helpful. Once you get past the cyrillic alphabet, it’s pretty simple.
So don’t just stick with the Indo European languages like your Spanish, German, French, Italian, Latin. A lot of English speakers can already speak those languages. Explore into some more of the slavic languages.