What languages would you like to learn?

LAA   Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:59 pm GMT
If you would like to learn an additional foreign language, what would it be, and why? I for one, would like to learn French some day. Not only is it one of the major languages of the world, but I am also attracted to it for a peculiar reason. It sounds like Latin to me, with a Celtic accent. I still love Italian, but it is not as widely spoken as French.
Benjamin   Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:34 pm GMT
I'll be studying French and German at university, so they're more or less taken care of as far as the future is concerned. Other than that...

I have some knowledge of Esperanto, but would like to be able to use it really well. If what you really want to do is know people from all over the world, be able to communicate with them on an equal level and be able to travel very cheaply, Esperanto is arguably the most useful language for you. It's also very easy.

Afrikaans — possibly the easiest 'official' language for native English speakers to learn, especially those who already have some knowledge of German. Again, I know some already, and it would make learning Dutch fairly straightforward.

Dutch — well, why not? It would seem like a good idea, considering the other languages I'd know by then.

I might consider resurrecting some of my Spanish later as well.
Aldvs   Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:09 pm GMT
My preferences goes to German and Japanese.
I think German is the most impressive language of the Germanic ones that I've heard. I would like to learn it if I would have the time enough. To really impress anybody I would bet for any version of Chinese (or Arabian) but its complex phonetics makes it a too hard work. So I'd prefer Japanese.
LAA   Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:47 pm GMT
Japanese would be very easy to pronounce, but it is entirely unrelated to your native language, as a non-Indo European language, and it would be difficult to learn. If I had all the time in the world, I would improve my Spanish (actually take proffessional training), and I would learn these languages, in the order below:
French
Italian
Portuguese
German
Dutch
Welsh
Russian
Greek
Nahuatl
Mayan
Japanese
Mandarin
Cantonese
Korean
Thai
Tagolog

In California, there is now actually a tri-lingual radio station, with programs in English, and also in Spanish and Nahuatl.

Realistically I'll never learn all of these languages of course. But I would like to be natively fluent in Spanish, French, and English, and speak a couple of other languages like Italian and Portuguese on a basic level.
Aldvs   Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:09 pm GMT
<<Japanese would be very easy to pronounce, but it is entirely unrelated to your native language, as a non-Indo European language, and it would be difficult to learn.>>

That's the funny thing about it, both are different to my native language. I've tried some of Japanese by myself and it's not too easy but I think it's quite accessible.
LAA   Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:18 pm GMT
Well, German is not of the Romance family, but it is still within the Indo-European branch of languages, just as Spanish is. Japanese on the other hand, is completely unrelated.
Aldvs   Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:40 pm GMT
<<German is not of the Romance family>>

Yes, that's what I meant. Really other Romance languages don't attract me much, well except maybe the Romanian.
LAA   Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:48 pm GMT
Why not? They are among the most beautiful in the world. Is it because they are already very similar to Spanish? Because you want to learn something different and more exotic? But German is far more related to Spanish than Japanese is, despite some similarities in phonetics. I agree that Japanese is easier for me to pronounce than German, but Japanese is completely unrelated.
Aldvs   Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:58 am GMT
<<They are among the most beautiful in the world. >>

Keep in mind that beauty is an abstranct term that has a meaning depending on every person. I'm sure that everybody finds their own language beautifull, that's natural. I've heard people here that say that German is harsh but I find it impressive, solid and strong which could be attributes of beauty as well, at least for me.

<<Is it because they are already very similar to Spanish? Because you want to learn something different and more exotic? >>

Yes, it could be explained that way.

<<But German is far more related to Spanish than Japanese is, despite some similarities in phonetics. I agree that Japanese is easier for me to pronounce than German, but Japanese is completely unrelated. >>

That's not important, if you like it, go fot it. By the way you're still young and it's a good moment to start with your prefered one.

I would add Latin and Greek like 100 years ago where both (and French) were taught at high schools in L.A. Today survive only the French and Latin and Greek were replaced by English.
Mucks   Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:01 pm GMT
I'd definitely prefer Russian and then Italian although the latter is not so useful.
LAA   Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:46 pm GMT
<<That's not important, if you like it, go fot it. By the way you're still young and it's a good moment to start with your prefered one. >>

But, I'm an adolescent. I thought language learning advantages only applied to young children under the age of 10, when many things are still forming?


I will say one thing about my mother tounge. English is the king of rock music!
Arthur   Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:07 pm GMT
>>But, I'm an adolescent. I thought language learning advantages only applied to young children under the age of 10, when many things are still forming?

I started to learn German when I was 17, and I learned Swedish when I was 23 (living in Sweden for one and a half years, though). I have managed to learn both languages quite well and even reach a fluency level, and good pronountiation. Not that it was that easy, though!!!!!...:-)

My point is, your age should not disencourage you from trying to learn. Wanting to learn counts more than you would believe....
Aldvs   Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:10 pm GMT
<<But, I'm an adolescent. I thought language learning advantages only applied to young children under the age of 10, when many things are still forming? >>

Yes, but I was talking about the time. If somebody starts from his childhood will perform a perfect dominion of the language but keep in mind that children don't chose languages to learn. :-)
LAA   Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:32 pm GMT
So you're saying that if I learned Japanese right now, I would sound like a native in adulthood? I don't think I understand what you are saying.

I went through a phase a couple of years ago when I was really interested in Japanese culture and history. And what I learned in Japanese was not that difficult (basic level), and pronouncing it was a piece of cake. But I have since forgotten most of what I learned, except for a couple of key phrases.
a.p.a.m.   Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:44 pm GMT
The languages that I am interested in learning are mainly the major Romance languages and Slavic languages.