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Most useful language to learn next?

Milpool

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I'm trying to come up with another language to learn that has a lot of potential in the next 10 to 20 years.

Obviously, Mandarin is high on that list. Any other languages I should think about?

When I look at lists of the most widely spoken languages, Russian, Arabic and Hindi are up there. Any thoughts on those?

Best value in business vs work required to learn the language?
 

scarphe

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Originally Posted by Milpool
I'm trying to come up with another language to learn that has a lot of potential in the next 10 to 20 years. Obviously, Mandarin is high on that list. Any other languages I should think about? When I look at lists of the most widely spoken languages, Russian, Arabic and Hindi are up there. Any thoughts on those? Best value in business vs work required to learn the language?
for which secotr do you work? and waht languages do you know already?
 

imageWIS

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Spanish, for the women
wink.gif
.
 

scarphe

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Originally Posted by Milpool
I know english and spanish already.

without knowing the sectorin which you work, mandarinf would eb the overall better choice. but Arabic would eb better if you want to master both speaking and written forms.
 

uhurit

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Learn Farsi/arabic on a professional level + behave yourself (...good credit, no drugs etc) ....and the world of behind the curtain opportunities shall open for you
teacha.gif
 

Aaron

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I just got back from traveling through China and picked up an extremely small amount of Mandarin while I was there. It's an extremely hard language to learn (coming from a Western, English speaking-perspective) but I believe it could open up a lot of doors for you.

Plus, if you like challenges, Mandarin is a big one. I've been told it takes 9 years of full-time study to become fluent and I fully believe that.
 

Sherlock

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Why would mandarin open a lot of doors? Unless you're planning on going to china, I can't see how knowing chinese will help you in anything here in the western hemisphere. I would suggest that japanese is more important from a business perspective.
 

hossoso

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Jive.
 

Sherlock

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Originally Posted by uhurit
Learn Farsi/arabic on a professional level + behave yourself (...good credit, no drugs etc) ....and the world of behind the curtain opportunities shall open for you
teacha.gif

The only possible uses I can think of for either of those languages is if you intend to apply for a job at the cia/nsa or the military, or if you intend to become an islamic scholar.
 

Milpool

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Originally Posted by Sherlock
Why would mandarin open a lot of doors? Unless you're planning on going to china, I can't see how knowing chinese will help you in anything here in the western hemisphere. I would suggest that japanese is more important from a business perspective.

So much mfg is conducted in China now, plus it is a massive economy that most every US company wants to sell their crap to the Chinese.
 

Milpool

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Originally Posted by Sherlock
The only possible uses I can think of for either of those languages is if you intend to apply for a job at the cia/nsa or the military, or if you intend to become an islamic scholar.

I think "behind the curtain" implied cia/nsa/military.
 

Mblova

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step 1) learn urdu/Arabic
step 2) join cia
step 3) become the US version of James Bond
 

Hartmann

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Try learning European, I hear the EU is going to be the next big thing.
 

javyn

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Cockney hip-hop.
 

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