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How did you choose your target language? | ||
Tags: Choosing a Language | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| administrator Hexaglot Forum Admin Switzerland FXcuisine.com Joined 7377 days ago 3094 posts - 2987 votes  12 sounds Speaks: French*, EnglishC2, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian Personal Language Map | Message 1 of 28 11 February 2005 at 10:59am | IP Logged |
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What factors do you consider when choosing your target foreign language?
Edited by administrator on 11 February 2005 at 11:01am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| pentatonic Senior Member United States Joined 7248 days ago 221 posts - 245 votes | Message 2 of 28 11 February 2005 at 11:28am | IP Logged |
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For me it's practicality. My wife is German so I figured I should probably learn German one day. Her whole family (except the young children) speak English very well but it is more natural when we visit if I speak German.
The next language I have chosen is Spanish and that's because I've become interested in learning languages and there are a lot of Spanish-speaking people here who don't speak English well or at all. It's the natural choice for me. I don't think I would ever learn a language that I wouldn't have the chance to speak often, but who knows ... 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Malcolm Triglot Retired Moderator Senior Member Korea, South Joined 7316 days ago 500 posts - 515 votes 5 sounds Speaks: English*, Spanish, Korean Studies: Mandarin, Japanese, Latin | Message 3 of 28 12 February 2005 at 2:29am | IP Logged |
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Practicality for me too. I hear Mandarin at least once every time I leave the house. Most of the Mandarin speakers I've met have poor English and appreciate my efforts. By contrast, most young Cantonese speakers here speak English fluently.
What's interesting is that I never hear any French on the street even though it's an official language. I even hear more Russian than French! 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Bradley Groupie United States Joined 7224 days ago 55 posts - 56 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 4 of 28 14 February 2005 at 4:39pm | IP Logged |
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I am an International Studies major and I based my decision to learn Russian on a few criteria:
1)Choosing a language w/ a good study abroad option at my school. 2)An important language internationally, which I believe Russia's economy will definitely transition to a future power house within the next twenty years, and they will once again be a major power (not superpower) 3)Russian is a huge stepping stone to all the other slavic languages!! This is a big one, and a reason I believe I'll go after Spanish after Russian, which will give me easy access to the other Romance languages. 4)Not the least, Russian definitely carries a certain aura and mystery to it that just seems to be lacking from most other main languages...Definitely a carry over from the Cold War. 5)One of the official languages of the UN, which is important to and International Studies major. Language learning doesn't have to be all about what it will get you, like saying learning Mandarin or English for the obvious benefits, though this is a good reason to learn a language. But picking a language could have other reasons too, like I want to learn Gaelic, for the simple fact that my family comes from Ireland and I would like to recall some of my heritage. Whatever your reason, you gain a better perspective of the world and become a "better" person for it. 
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| ElComadreja Senior Member Philippines bibletranslatio Joined 7239 days ago 683 posts - 757 votes 2 sounds Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Cebuano, French, Tagalog | Message 5 of 28 14 February 2005 at 8:04pm | IP Logged |
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I chose spanish just out of utility. Depending on who you ask there may actualy be more spanish speaking people in Houston than english. Also, The shear number of countries that you can use spanish in is the highest i think (maybe don't count english)
On the flipside I'm studing other romance languages now for the (relative) ease while still paying attention to usefulness. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| administrator Hexaglot Forum Admin Switzerland FXcuisine.com Joined 7377 days ago 3094 posts - 2987 votes 12 sounds Speaks: French*, EnglishC2, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian Personal Language Map | Message 6 of 28 15 February 2005 at 1:02am | IP Logged |
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ElComadreja, you are right about the number of countries, even so more when you consider all the other countries you can reach indirectly through your knowledge of Spanish.
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| ElComadreja Senior Member Philippines bibletranslatio Joined 7239 days ago 683 posts - 757 votes 2 sounds Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Cebuano, French, Tagalog | Message 7 of 28 15 February 2005 at 4:09pm | IP Logged |
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For sheer # of people chinese is it, but I think that's just because china has alot of people in it? correct me if I'm wrong. Not that's there isn't a significant number of mandrin speakers in houston.
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| Monox D. I-Fly Senior Member Indonesia monoxdifly.iopc.us Joined 5136 days ago 762 posts - 664 votes Speaks: Indonesian* | Message 8 of 28 10 November 2010 at 4:31am | IP Logged |
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Yes, it's really practical.
At first, I choose English as my main target because English is an international language that connects many people in the world. My second target is Arabic due to my religion belief (I'm a moslem after all). And third, Japanese because I like reading manga and watching anime. 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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