Most useful language to learn next?

[Simon Templar]

Originally Posted by Milpool

1) Healthcare

2) honestly, I'd like to get away from the healthcare industry, into something else. Kind of hard though due to my work experience and education, plus the crap economy.



If you plan to move to or trade with people from Western Europe, parts of Africa or Canada, then French is a good choice. Still the second most studied language worldwide i would say. French also has global reach and is still considered by some as a prestigious language and used heavily for diplomacy, in UN organisations etc.

For Eastern Europe (and Germanic countries), German would be more useful.

For the USA and Central/South America obviously Spanish and to a lesser degree Portuguese.

If interested in applying for certain government agencies or possibly trade, Arabic and Chinese are in demand. Otherwise i would not bother.

I would start with French or Spanish, basically because they should be easier to pick up for a native English speaker. Knowledge of French will assist in learning Spanish/Portuguese even Italian and vice versa.

 

[Nantucket Red]

The Op already said he speaks Spanish.

 

[DNW]

I would actually counsel against learning Chinese, assuming the OP is an American. My reason is a bit contrarian. So, yes, there are 1.3 billion Chinese, and everybody wants to do business with them. Look around. How many Chinese Americans do you see? A lot, right? Right. How many of them are well educated? Yup, a lot. And then there are Chinese who immigrated to the US for college/graduate school. They were born with an advantage that you'll most likely never overcome, unless you actually move to China and live there for a long time. As a result, when time comes for American companies to send their reps to China to do business, guess who would be on top of the list. Not you.

My point is that the US is saturated with enough Chinese-speaking people that there's no real advantage to learning it now, from scratch, and particularly moreso when you aren't of Chinese descent.

But, if you want to learn it as a hobby in order to score Chinese chicks, that's a different story.

 

[Matt]

couldnt you make the identical case for Spanish? Japanese? Korean? hell, even Vietnamese.

 

[DNW]

Originally Posted by m@T

couldnt you make the identical case for Spanish? Japanese? Korean? hell, even Vietnamese.

Yes, to all of the above. The people who are sent to these countries to do business are sent because they're good at what they do, and the language skill is icing on the cake.

To the OP, I'd say save your time and get good at whatever it is you're good at. That's a better investment of your time, IMO.

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by m@T

couldnt you make the identical case for Spanish? Japanese? Korean? hell, even Vietnamese.

my experience is that Latin American's are the worst at languages, aside from norht americans. the only place i regularly use a translator is south america.

 

[voxsartoria]

My feeling is that most Americans should master spoken and written English first.


- B

 

[merkur]

..

 

[Nantucket Red]

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

Yes, to all of the above. The people who are sent to these countries to do business are sent because they're good at what they do, and the language skill is icing on the cake.

To the OP, I'd say save your time and get good at whatever it is you're good at. That's a better investment of your time, IMO.

And even if the language is your primary skill, such as in translation or interpretation, you still need some kind of specialization, whether narrow or broad.

 

[Milpool]

It seems language is highly undervalued in the US based on a lot of the replies here.

That fact alone is interesting.

 

[Milpool]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

My feeling is that most Americans should master spoken and written English first.


- B

I for not make the understood?

 

[kruze]

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

I would actually counsel against learning Chinese, assuming the OP is an American. My reason is a bit contrarian. So, yes, there are 1.3 billion Chinese, and everybody wants to do business with them. Look around. How many Chinese Americans do you see? A lot, right? Right. How many of them are well educated? Yup, a lot. And then there are Chinese who immigrated to the US for college/graduate school. They were born with an advantage that you'll most likely never overcome, unless you actually move to China and live there for a long time. As a result, when time comes for American companies to send their reps to China to do business, guess who would be on top of the list. Not you.

My point is that the US is saturated with enough Chinese-speaking people that there's no real advantage to learning it now, from scratch, and particularly moreso when you aren't of Chinese descent.

But, if you want to learn it as a hobby in order to score Chinese chicks, that's a different story.

But in my experience, Japanese and Korean chicks are better.