Which Language Should I Learn?

[Eli]

So I decided to learn another language.

I already know English, Hebrew and Russian so the remaining big languages are:

French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and Arabic.

The way I think about it, there's no point in learning Japanese and not Chinese and Portuguese and not Spanish.

So it's down to French, German, Arabic, Chinese and Spanish.

Arabic would be the easiest to learn because I already learned the basics in school once and I know a lot of people who speak the language. But I don't think I'll get much out of it being an Israeli and all that. Out.

Chinese is too hard. At best, I'll learn it but never be fluent and at worst, I'll give up after a while. So it's out too.

German is also probably out. I just don't like it.

So I have French and Spanish left. Both Romance languages. Hrmph. Spanish is more useful, isn't it? Especially considering the fact that the US will be a Spanish speaking country in a generation or two.

Am I thinking right?

[red_jon]

Learn a fake and unimportant language. Like Welsh - tons of people here seem to like speaking in it.

[Eli]

I'm not going to subject myself to the pains of learning another language just for the kicks of it.

[Solver]

Learn German

[Eli]

It's ugly, annoying, smaller than both French and Spanish and I still have a grudge against them.

[Solver]

What the heck, am I the only one who really likes German? French is just about the only language I dislike. Of the languages I've heard, I either like them or feel neutral, French being the only exception.

So, German .

Failing that, Spanish, because it will give you also reasonable ability to understand Portugese, make learning any other Romance languages easier, and it's just good all-around. Plus, they have inverted question marks!

[Arrian]

Arabic seems likely to be useful to you in some way...

-Arrian

[Meticulous Man]

If I were in Israel, I'd probably want to study Arabic - the advantages of mastering that language should be obvious in Israel. The usefulness of the other languages is kind of hard to judge when you don't know what you are going to use them for.

What the heck, am I the only one who really likes German?

No

[Eli]

I need another language to open up more parts of the world for me. For living there, traveling there, working for or with local companies, etc.

Arabic is useless for all of that. For the foreseeable future I won't be able to enter Arab countries. Most Arab companies will not be dealing with Israeli companies or Israelis from non-Israeli companies. So, it's pointless. Learning a language so that I'll be able to chat with Mustafa the falafel seller is not really productive.

[Chilean Presidentâ„¢]

Spanish. You could travel to more countries and understand millions more people

[DinoDoc]

I would have thought learning Arabic would open up opportunities for intell work in the IDF.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Chilean Presidentâ„¢
Spanish. You could travel to more countries and understand millions more people

Bah! They should all learn English.

[Chilean Presidentâ„¢]

We do et Français aussi

[Eli]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
I would have thought learning Arabic would open up opportunities for intell work in the IDF.

And? That's not a big attraction. Besides, I already know that I'll be doing engineering stuff in the IDF. They paid for my degree and I cant back out now.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Eli
And? That's not a big attraction.

Why not? You could be like the Jewish James Bond. The Israeli Q Branch must be awesome.