I have to learn a 2nd language for my English Degree. I mostly just want to use it for conversation, but reading books in that language wouldn't be bad either.
I'm planning to go all the way with a Ph.D., so what countries esteem Academia enough that it is worthwhile to learn their language? I'm currently thinking of German.
>>7333183
>have to learn
No... you don't... you just need to pass the tests.
German. Always German.
>>7333183
German would be useful
Why not something more remarkable and uncommon? Arabic, Russian, Mandarine... I think one of those would be worthwhile to learn.
>>7333305
Too hard to do, my class schedule is already packed as I'm majoring in Stats as well. Can only devote time to a language based on English characters
>>7333183
ancient greek or latin
don't be a pleb
French is easier than German and has a richer literary tradition. The only thing is that there's a severer leap in difficulty between being able to read it and being able to speak it.
>>7334623
>English characters
>Literally getting a degree in English and not knowing that the alphabet is Latin
>>7333183
Russian. Idk about Russian academia, but I feel like you should be doing it for the literature anyway.
>>7334623
Only latin alphabet eh? Then take Finnish! It's so easy, even I can speak it!
Seriously though, I guess German is one of the quite easy ones with some actual use. If you just wanted an easy language with no use I'd take Swedish, which is like a poor man's German that sounds gentle.
Source: Had to learn Finnish, Swedish and English in school (from elementary to high school)
>>7334639
You'll be able to read before you're able to converse if you're learning via classes and/or self-study. The only way to get good at speaking is full immersion.
Warum ist Deutsch so perfekt?
I didn't chose a second language and idk if I will manage to get the required credits to graduate in 2 years.
How fucked am I ?
As someone who speaks 5 languages (dutch my mother language, english, french, german and spanish)
Id recommend you to learn spanish because the language is used in large parts of the world or maybe french if you like literature
>>7334796
Also how come non of you speak more than 1 or 2 languages? Are you born in some shithole third world country or something? How can you do international buisness and be succesful if you can only communicate in 1 language?
I feel sorry for you poor fellows
The only people who are telling you to speak german are german themselves. German is almost useless
>>7334804
You only need to speak American.
>>7334654
Es ist nicht schwer. Deutsche ist wie Weltanschaung und Logik. Es ist schön obwohl es ist stark und klar.
t. American learning German
Spanish or German, try to learn Latin too.
>>7333305
German is more remarkable than any of those languages, though. I also believe they're all more common; Mandarine definitely is.
Arabic might be remarkable in the sense that it is novel and unexpected, but not in the sense that it is an attractive language.
>>7334807
I only speak English and French, and can only read English and some German (no French), and I'm suggesting German.
>>7337185
How is Arabic not attractive? Have you heard Arabic before?
OP should go for German though.
>>7337193
It is attractive, just not as attractive. Definitely better than Mandarine though.
>>7333183
I think a romance language will allow you to communicate in some form with several language mainly in conversations.
I speak spanish and withing a few days was able to understand Portuguese and Italian.
>>7333183
you definitely want to learn mandarin, OP
an english PhD won't get you shit unless you can convince the administrators of a chinese uni to give you ridiculous amounts of money
you'll just be a slave anywhere else
thank me in 10 years
>>7337193
why learn a language where you will only be speaking to guys?
>>7334749
Not rly fucked, language courses are worth a lot of credits in most schools, just go sign up for them,,, dumbass.
>>7334807
This, no one speaks it except Germans and there are less German works in Bloom's canon than English, French, and Russian. Go with Chinese OP
