Which Foreign Language is Best to Learn in Life?
French, German, Spanish - Are They All Related in One Way or Another?
My choice of language is Latin. Many people tend to confuse this with Spanish, however, I am referring to the Latin language of long past. Today it is only spoken in Vatican City, as it is the official language there, but it can also be heard in many Catholic Churches offering the Latin Mass. I took it because I wanted major in science, and it has proven to be very helpful. It is also a great language to take for people who wish to major in Linguistics, as it is the backbone of all of the Romance Languages. Latin is very hard to learn, as it really isn't a conversational language. When learning it, you will mostly translate ancient works, which is very time-consuming and can be boring. However, Latin is prevalent everywhere, and once you learn words, phrases, or endings, it will become recognizable. Some of the places I have seen it have been in state mottos, outside of buildings, and in art. Along with learning Latin, typical lesson built into class work include: mythology, Roman numerals, and Roman history. For people who enjoy studying Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and other key historical figures, Latin provides a way to translate actual texts and decrees issued by the Roman Empire. History and Humanities majors will definitely benefit from this.
So if any of these occupational areas interest you, then Latin would be my first choice. I can say from personal experience that it is a hard language and you must always "keep practicing it.". I do hope though, for the future, that Latin will never die out, as I have see it making somewhat of a comeback. In fact, many Catholic Churches who once did away with the Latin Mass, have now embraced it and have brough it back to life again.
Published by Aimee E
A.E. has been a professional writer/editor since 2001, and has a BS Degree with a major in Middle Grades Education. A.E. is available for writing/editing assignments by message. View profile
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3 Comments
Post a CommentI am terrible at foreign languages. I don't know why. I took French and Spanish, and did badly in both. My brother took 3 years of Latin, and he seemed to like it. He did say it helped him on tests like the SAT and such. Thanks for the advice!
Interesting article. I'm a French teacher, so it'd be hard for me to not recommend it. By personal experience, I can say French would be a good recommendation because the fact that it's still spoken makes it easier to learn (since using something always makes you learn it faster). The fact that it's pronunciation is difficult and not immediately obvious gives a broader perspective on foreign language pronunciation. Its latin roots make it just as easy to move from French to Italian or Spanish with minimal difficulty (especially since they're pronounced easily). And that's basically it. I'd really say that an American should learn Spanish because it'll probably be a second language in the US before too much longer. Anyway, great article and some great facts!
Very interesting. I opted for French, but Latin seems very helpful as well. I might consider learning Latin with my children. It could prove helpful in school.