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Languages...

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  • 13-07-2009 3:43pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 456 ✭✭


    I've been thinking about learning a new language for the summer........


    Strategically, what would be the best language to learn?
    Which would look best on a cv?

    Already have French and German.:)

    Opinions. Please. :p


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 9,249 ✭✭✭Stev_o


    Business sense would say Chinese.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 456 ✭✭aine-maire


    Yeah, I was thinking about that,but the writing's very off-putting! :p

    So, I presume you mean Mandarin, yeah?


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,222 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Give Polish a lash, go on, you know you want to. :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 424 ✭✭Walsh


    I'd say spanish, 4th most spoken language in the world or something? It's also similar to French so would be a doddle for you to learn it seems.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,082 ✭✭✭Pygmalion


    Learning Chinese would involve learning hundreds, if not thousands of characters, and even then you'd still probably regularly come across ones you need to look up.
    Japanese is easier in that once you know about 90 basic characters (along with the more common Kanji for very common words) you can write things phonetically and understand a lot of it, but has far less speakers so wouldn't be nearly as useful.

    Spanish would be the best as it's the 2nd most used language in the world I think.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 168 ✭✭the_god_swan


    Has to be Spanish and then go visit South America and mingle with the locals... :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 18,159 ✭✭✭✭phasers


    +1 for Spanish, also I've heard that it's not too hard to pick up, especially if you have French


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,440 ✭✭✭✭Piste


    Go for Spanish, it's really easy if you know French.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 38 Anthem


    I'd agree with the Spanish option - rather similar to French, and doesn't involve the entire new alphabet and writing system of Chinese, despite being widely spoken.:rolleyes:

    You could always go against the grain and learn Latin though! :D I did it for JC and definitely found it the most interesting of any languages I've ever studied. (Irish, German, Spanish..)


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,440 ✭✭✭✭Piste


    I'd like to learn Polish at some point. Seems like a cool language.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 51,054 ✭✭✭✭Professey Chin


    Japanese

    Or Klingon :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,070 ✭✭✭✭pq0n1ct4ve8zf5


    I'll jump on the Spanish bandwagon here, language spoken by hundreds of millions of (mostly quite sexy) people, and having French is a definite advantage for it.


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 7,395 Mod ✭✭✭✭**Timbuk2**


    Dutch

    It has similarities to both French and German, both of which you know!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 264 ✭✭TheManWho


    I would go the opposite direction, millions of people have Spanish or Japanese or Russian on their cv's, if you want to show off and set yourself apart, go for Ancient Egyptian.


  • Posts: 4,630 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    The problem with Ancient Egyptian is that the spoken language isn't exactly known, only a modern interpretation of the sounds (the last time I checked, anyway).

    Go for Attic Greek (ancient Greek), I've started to try learn it this summer and it's good so far. A bit confusing, though.

    Once you already have a few modern languages, adding more is a bit boring (in my opinion). Go for something exotic and esoteric.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 357 ✭✭djcervi


    Spanish..Spanish...Spanish!!!

    Why?
    3rd most spoken language in the world.
    Spain and Latin America are interesting countries to visit.
    The people are generally friendly and good fun.
    Spanish actresses: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona much?), Paz Vega (spanglish)....
    Great cinema and some good directors (i.e. almodovar is of spanish origin)
    ....(need anymore?:P)

    Personally I have Irish, French and Spanish. I think my next one should be Italian. I'll see :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,057 ✭✭✭Krusader


    Gaeilge, nothing like speaking your own tongue


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,095 ✭✭✭OLP


    If you're going to learn an eastern european language just learn Russian as you will be able to communicate with most people from those countries


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 456 ✭✭aine-maire


    Wow,shoulda added a poll :p

    Crosáidí,tá Gaeilge agam, féach ar m'ainm úsáideora :)

    Hmm, I think Spanish or Russian are looking the most appealing now...Ancient Egyptian would be amazing, but I was kinda hoping to learn a living language, so to speak...I have a few words of Latin anyway, lol


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,418 ✭✭✭Shacklebolt


    Theres an aine-marie and an Anne-Marie... I'm confused :confused:


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  • Registered Users Posts: 9,249 ✭✭✭Stev_o


    Theres an aine-marie and an Anne-Marie... I'm confused :confused:

    One's from Dublin the other some place in the middle of nowhere??? Think they called it Sligo or something.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 456 ✭✭aine-maire


    Theres an aine-marie and an Anne-Marie... I'm confused :confused:

    Well, we're different people, we're not allowed the same username, what's the confusion?
    Stev_o wrote: »
    One's from Dublin the other some place in the middle of nowhere??? Think they called it Sligo or something.

    I'm not from Sligo or Dublin? :confused:

    Talk about dragging the thread off track for no reason...:pac:


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,249 ✭✭✭Stev_o


    aine-maire wrote: »



    I'm not from Sligo or Dublin? :confused:

    Talk about dragging the thread off track for no reason...:pac:

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/member.php?u=211054 < That one.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 456 ✭✭aine-maire


    Stev_o wrote: »

    Yeah,she's from Sligo. I'm still not from Dublin! :D

    There's not a third one, is there? :eek:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 443 ✭✭Mr Maroon


    djcervi wrote: »
    Spanish..Spanish...Spanish!!!

    Why?
    3rd most spoken language in the world.
    Spain and Latin America are interesting countries to visit.
    The people are generally friendly and good fun.
    Spanish actresses: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona much?), Paz Vega (spanglish)....
    Great cinema and some good directors (i.e. almodovar is of spanish origin)
    ....(need anymore?:P)

    Personally I have Irish, French and Spanish. I think my next one should be Italian. I'll see :)

    Yep, Spanish. It's an easy language to get the basics of too.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,109 ✭✭✭QueenOfLeon


    Theres an aine-marie and an Anne-Marie... I'm confused :confused:
    Stev_o wrote: »

    Yup, that'd be me, Ive got the very distinctive "!!" aswel :p Bit of random off-topic-ness going on here eh? Ah i feel so loved...talked about behind my back lol :cool::p
    Stev_o wrote: »
    One's from Dublin the other some place in the middle of nowhere??? Think they called it Sligo or something.

    Shh you....we've already covered this....Sligo>Leixlip. Fact ;):D

    aine-maire wrote: »
    Yeah,she's from Sligo. I'm still not from Dublin! :D

    There's not a third one, is there? :eek:

    Na its just us :p:D Hi! :)


    As for languages, id go for Spanish! Probably not too hard to pick up since you've got french...and if you're into travelling, you're opening up opportunities for speaking it in so many other countries. And the sound of it...amazing :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,930 ✭✭✭✭challengemaster


    Shh you....we've already covered this....Sligo>Leixlip. Fact ;):D
    Ok, so Sligo is better than Leixlip....that really doesn't say much anyway tho! :pac: :p 'bout the only place it is better than ;)

    As for languages.... Aside from that, you already kinda know American* too....just change the spellings of a few words...leave out a few u's here and there... :pac:

    I'd go for Japanese or something like that - Japanese is just awesome.



    *I'm totally cringing writing this


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,109 ✭✭✭QueenOfLeon


    Ok, so Sligo is better than Leixlip....that really doesn't say much anyway tho! :pac: :p 'bout the only place it is better than ;)

    Ooh, i can think of ALOT more places that sligo is better than....dont make me reveal YOUR fabulous location mister! :p:D


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,930 ✭✭✭✭challengemaster


    I'm sure anyone who speaks Swedish or knows the lyrics (in english) to some Basshunter songs will clearly know my location....

    (Sitting on ventrilo playing some DoTA)


    :pac:

    Clearly better than sligo! :p

    (And I for some reason know all the lyrics in Swedish o.O )


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  • Registered Users Posts: 121 ✭✭Gear9992


    why not try something different like chinese or japanese, we'll all be speaking chinese in a couple of years anyway :)


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