[Knight Templar]

Okay, there's a possibility next school year that I might be able to have my way with the school system (almost impossible) and get my sixth period off from High School next year, to which I would be able to take a class at my local Junior (community) College. As referenced by the title, I've pretty much narrowed it down to taking another language. Problem is, I have a good interest in almost all of my options, so I'm kind of stuck on choosing any over the others. Note, I'm already taking third year (well, fifth if you count Jr. High) Spanish in High School. I think I'd like another language, specifically due to the amount you learn about the culture while you learn the language. Plus, I'm sure knowing three languages can only be a good thing in-terms of getting into the US College System. In addition, I may (most certainly) will need more for any job in the future I would like to have.

Here are my choices:

German
Russian
Chinese
Latin
Japanese


And no, I'm not asking you to choose for me, just wondering what your input on the situation / choice is.

That is all.

[Stunaep]

I´d say latin or russian. Latin will give you a basis for all indoeuropean languages, so you can learn french, italian, spanish on the fly. Russian is actually a rather sought after languages in companies that deal with eastern europe/asia (read: everyone in oil business). It's hard as hell though.

[Liberator]

Where do you plan on working after school?

Computer Hardware? Chinese
Business in general?  German/Russian/Japanese
Anime Otaku? Japanese

[Knight Templar]

Originally posted by Liberator
Where do you plan on working after school?

Computer Hardware? Chinese
Business in general?  German/Russian/Japanese
Anime Otaku? Japanese

Langley.

[Setekh]

Originally posted by Knight Templar
specifically due to the amount you learn about the culture while you learn the language

Awesome reason to pick up the language. I totally agree, and I think it's great that you recognise that.

In light of that, which culture do you want to learn most about? It may be best to pick the one most alien to you, because it gives you the most contrast and your experience will widen to a greater degree. Which of the cultures that you mention do you know the least about?

[kasperl]

Latin.

The culture is great, the story's are fun, though the national sport in Ancient Rome and Greece seems to have been adultery and suicide.
It isn't much use in it's own, but it will help you a lot when learning French, and even German and Dutch.
 And knowing Latin will make you seem all educated and stuff. Though taking 2 extra languages is possible, if you're good at it.

[beatspete]

I can see the advantages of Latin, but I'd say German.  Having one main European language under your belt opens more oppertunities in business.
I don't know to what extent you'd be expected to know chinese or japanese working in the same business roll.  I think most companies would just hire an interpriter, probably casue their cheep in China, and in Japan its just part of their friendly hospitality/culture.

[pyro-manic]

I'd agree with steak - choose one that's far removed from your current languages. You've got English fluently, and Spanish down pretty well (dunno what qualifications you've got in it, but you should be pretty good after 5 years ), so look at something completely different. Chinese is probably the most interesting and challenging, purely because it's so bloody hard , but Russian or Japanese would be useful as well.

I did GCSE German a few years ago, and I really enjoyed it. It's easy, because the phonetics and spellings are so similar, and you'll get good at it quickly.

Latin is dead, so it's not going to be very practical. It looks very good on a CV though - gives the impression you're well-educated. And, as kasperl and Stunaep said, it'll help you learn other European languages more easily.

I'd personally go for Chinese or Japanese, because they're the most different (including entirely different alphabets) and therefore the most interesting. But it's all a question of what you want to do with it. Career-wise, I'd say Russian or German. For cultural development, Chinese or Japanese. Latin is the odd-one out, because nobody uses it any more, but it's still useful.

Good luck with whatever you decide on!

[Liberator]

Originally posted by Knight Templar


Langley.

*assumes this to be some kind of lame Evangelion related spam*

[kasperl]

Langley=CIA HQ. IIRC.

[Gloriano]

Originally posted by Knight Templar


Langley.

Oh you want be CIA's office rat;)

[Taristin]

Learn arabic. They'll let you in the CIA faster with that.

[Corsair]

Originally posted by Knight Templar


Langley.

If you want to work at the CIA then take Chinese. I just went to an NSA recruitment thing in DC this week and they said they want people who can speak Korean, Chinese, or Arabic most of all. Ditto CIA, I'm sure. I'm going to hear from them on Wednesday.

Hell, that's why I'm learning Arabic right now...

[Kazan]

Deutsch

[Taristin]

Ja, uber alles.

[Knight Templar]

Setekh: Exactly. The only problem with High School Spanish (mine at least, for the most) is you hardly get any of the culture as much you are baby sat. God, our educational system sucks. But I'm expecting more from a College than I am from a highschool.

Anyway, in that respect, Japanese is probably the culture I know the least about, and even less how to speak in.

Pyro: Russian or Japanese would probably be my highest scoring languages in terms of culture, usefulness, and my personal interest. I would be most interested in taking latin the most, (although Russian is a close second) but it doesn't have a lot of practical use other than being l33t and studying up on things.

Beat: German would deffinitely be the easiest. I have a friend taking it too, so that helps. I'll probably talk to him about this a bit too.

Kas: The cool thing about this is, it would be an 'extra' class so to speak, so it would be a great time for me to take something like Latin, because I can still take one or two more languages before I go off into the world in 6 or whatever years.

Lib: See Kas.

Snipes: Yeah, that would be my choice, hands down, if they had it. But it's a Community College, and Arabic (Farsi, whatever) is rather specialised I think, so it's not available at the time being.

Corsair: Chinese would make sense with the current world politcal situation. BTW, we need to talk. Got IM?

[Rictor]

aww, why isn't Serbian on the list? You could open up a bakery and have that genuine Serbian atmosphere. :D

Hmm, each has its merits. If you learn Russian, you could become a famous writer/chess player, and get to wear the funny Russian fur hat. Not to mention that the wonderful world of organized crime will suddenly become open to you.

If you take German, you could move to Germany, go to raves and pick up ridiculously hot girls. Oh and, raise and army to conquer the world. Learn Japanese, and you get to sit in a sauna with lots of fat, sweaty Japanese businessmen, and later get drunk and sing kareoke. Latin doesn't really do you any good, since the Roman empire is pretty much dead these days, though I hear the Pope and Silvio Berluscioni have some plans about that whole thing. With Chinese, you can either join a triad or go do business in China, though that may at times amount to the same thing.

For a cereer in the CIA, I would recommend learning Chinese. Not much use for German or Japanese, unless the CIA knows something I don't. Personally, I plan to learn Greek, go set up a small resort or something on the Mediterranean, and spend all day on the beach writing and/or enjoying myself. Well, not really.

[Falcon]

No don't learn any language instead spend your lives in misery and torment living in a dark cave while you wait for death.

[Liberator]

Apologies, my mind didn't put "Langely" and "CIA" together fast enough and I assumed you were referring to Asuka, pilot of unit 1(or is it unit 2).

[Knight Templar]

Rictor: You managed to miss the stereotype of Russian Hookers.