French or German. Which language is the most useful?

German is confined to Central Europe as the language never really spread via a colonial empire in the past, the way English, Spanish and French did. Although there are a couple of places where it lingers on, eg Namibia.

That said, German remains a massive language in Europe and is worth learning from a European perspective. English may be a modern business lingua franca but there are many Germans whose English is basic or even non-existant. Don't believe those who glibly state that all Germans can answer you in fluent English. Go to a place like Leipzig and see how far that attitude gets you.

It's certainly true that German used to be the lingua franca in countries like Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland. As recenty as 10 years ago, I went to Budapest and found many people trying German with me before English. But knowledge of German is slowly fading as a new breed of young English learners comes through.

Anyway, you should learn the language that's right for you, irrespective of it's global demographic influence.

Although German is the 2nd most studied foreign language in Croatia (after English) most people who learned it are not able to speak it (because there is virtually no cultural impact/influence of Geman on Croatian society), even Italian is more spoken in Croatia than German (due to the fact that Istria is practically bilingual).

I learned German for 9 years (5years in elementary school + 4 years in highschool) yet I don't speak it at all. I speak Spanish much better which I've never studied (but I watch subtitled Mexican soap operas quite regularly).

So, German may be studied, but it's not spoken, people forget it fast.
When I was in high school, German was the least liked subject. I wish we had been given the option of choosing the 2nd foreign language. but no, 25% of students were given English+German, 25% of students English+French, 25% English+Italian, and 25% English+Spanish.

Unfortunately, I was in those 25% people who were ''given'' English+German. We were kind of forced to learn it.

<<Although German is the 2nd most studied foreign language in Croatia (after English) most people who learned it are not able to speak it (because there is virtually no cultural impact/influence of Geman on Croatian society), even Italian is more spoken in Croatia than German (due to the fact that Istria is practically bilingual)>>

Although 25 years ago, my parents took me on holiday to Croatia (then still part of Yugoslavia) and my High School German was readily understood on the camp site and in the nearby town. Perhaps because the area was close to the Austrian border?

No part of Croatia is that close to the Austrian border, more likely it was a touristy place frequented with German/Austrian tourists, nothing more.

>>In Germany and Austria almost all people speak a basic English. And in Eastern Europe all people study English too. <<

Cantonese is almost nothing compared to German which has worldwide (or region-wise) influence with an economic powerhouse and has at least 3 countries... the same could be true for Mandarin at the moment, but you guys can expect that Mandarin will take over German and Japanese and Italian, etc, combined, in 20 years or so. The general problem of the Chinese is again English (so that I bring up the issue of them), making Chinese less useful unless with a stake in Chinese business.

But, I want to say German is really becoming similar to Cantonese, although it has far superior economic importance, for example. I did enjoy my German trip and practiced a lot, but the Germans didn't seem to care much. Although I have to agree that from the European perspective my learning German would be easier than their learning Chinese... they just don't care much. That's unlike my people who are in general poor in English but helpful in practicing Chinese, which is very conducive for the foreign learner. The Chinese in general do care about your learning. I don't exactly buy the German who cares attitude. In short, I just think they are a bit aloof. The same goes for some Francophones, but I understood at that time that they were just being friendly with my close to non-existent French level...

Some Germans didn't seem to have taken my point seriously, that they've been learning too many languages, as an economically powerful people, to accommodate the others. The Hong Kong Chinese on the other hand are ironically so poor in foreign languages, although they value them far more almost close to being xenophile. Even some friendly speakers told me that they were experiencing the kind of Americanization.... if the Germans and the Hong Kong Chinese are going down to the spiral of submitting to English (and Mandarin in our case), I think the Germans are going down to an even worse direction because they are after all economically significant even at the global scale. When you can expect 100 millions of generally well-to-do Germanophones are learning English anyway... this gross generalization would easily lead you to think German isn't that worth learning after all.

>>I learned German for 9 years (5years in elementary school + 4 years in highschool) yet I don't speak it at all.<<.

I learned English for 19 years or so (3 wasteful years in kindergarten, 6 important years in elementary, 7 years in HS, all the way thru college times until now), and yet I don't speak it either. Simply said, it's basically out of sight out of mind.

>>Anyway, you should learn the language that's right for you, irrespective of it's global demographic influence. <<

Anything more could be said. But looking back, it'd indeed be foolish not to think of this even for a week or so. Our life is usually too limited for even a single language. Either you master it, or you fail it. I've seen and conceivably expected so many students at my uni, for example, you know, in Hong Kong, where they never learned anything other than English by the end of high school. And here at university they suddenly start with French/German/Spanish... I don't even need to know how exactly they learn, but 3 years of college (instead of 4, until now) just aren't at all enough for all those language skills.

It IS a merit to try to learn something, yeah, for the cultural crap and stuff. But in the German class, where I, with fairly solid foundation, can improve my skills especially with writing, basically the others are still struggling and have a horrible accent, to the point of misunderstanding. That doesn't strike me as interesting and, since I think French is more difficult to speak and sounds more beautiful, the French class could be even worse... People can of course try languages, why not, and even though I haven't been a very experienced learner either (not the kind of guru online), I can already see many problems with those settings.

<<German is not useful in Italy, France, Spain or Portugal, where anyone speak this language.>>
German is an official language in province Trentino-Alto Adige in Italy.Many people have good knowledge of German in region Alsace-Lorraine of France.

<<I speak Spanish much better which I've never studied (but I watch subtitled Mexican soap operas quite regularly).>>

That's amazing. I've met a lot of people with a very good knowledge of Spanish in Europe and they didn't study Spanish at school. They only watch Latin American/Spaniard soap operas (telenovelas).

I know that Spanish is easy in pronuntiation, but they are very good even in grammar. It is impressive their level of Spanish.

I think sometimes that it is more useful to see several series on tv that to go to school or a private academy to study a language.

" As for culture, what do you mean? Is French culture more refined than the German culture ?. "


You're not from Spain. A person from Spain wouldn't ask this kind of question. Remember that Spain has two main neighbors: Portugal and France. France has 600 km of border with Spain, whith whom it share two regions: Basque country and Catalogne. All Spanish people know that french culture is much closer to their own than the much more far north German culture.


" If you are geared toward business, banking, and science then German "

Once again, a spanish person would never be interested by german for working in banking or science since Spain itself is a big financial center, a hub for hugh tech, and a leading science country. every Spaniard knows that France is a much a banking power (la défense in Paris is the biggest financial center of Europe), a science power (Airbuses are built in Toulouse, a few kilometers from Spanish border, and works with many sites in Spain, Sophia Antipolis, Europe's major high tech technopoles lies on France mediterranean shore)


The only reason to prefer to learn French or to learn German (or any other language) is the interest you have in the language and the country(ies) that speak the language. I you were Spanish you would know already most of french, and you wouldn't never have been led to sompare french with German;

German is NOT a language of science. It was once but it is not any more. German IS a country of science. But German is NOT a language of science. German accented English IS a language of science.
97% of German physicists use English as their main language.

Usefulness is a word belonging to the jargon of the petit bourgeois anyway.

<<You're not from Spain. A person from Spain wouldn't ask this kind of question. Remember that Spain has two main neighbors: Portugal and France. France has 600 km of border with Spain, whith whom it share two regions: Basque country and Catalogne. All Spanish people know that french culture is much closer to their own than the much more far north German culture.

>>

I'm from southern Spain indeed (37 º) and both France and Germany are very distant countries, one more than the other but once you take the plane 15 minutes more does not make any difference. When I think about Paris and Berlin they come to my mind as equally northern and gray cities. I don't know what you mean. Then only because French culture is somewhat closer to mine I must choose French?. Assuming your reasoning, I should study Portuguese instead.

<< 97% of German physicists use English as their main language. >>

-- This is pure plain BS. German physicists use primarily English for their publications, just like in any other country.
But if you want to enter a German research team without speaking any German, I wish you good luck.

Anglo-Saxon arrogance sometimes knows no boundaries. It's not that your language is the world medium we prefer to speak it.

<<Once again, a spanish person would never be interested by german for working in banking or science since Spain itself is a big financial center, a hub for hugh tech, and a leading science country.>>

Lol, that was a good one!