Useful Languages to Study - Portuguese? Russian? (1 Viewer)

[WileyWanimal]

Hello!
Firstly, I apologise if this is in the wrong forum, I didn't really know where to put it.

Basically, what I'm asking is what languages would be the most useful, with a view towards international relations/foreign affairs/NGO work in the future?

To give some background, I'm currently in year 12, I adore and have quite an aptitude for learning languages and I currently study Italian and French. I really have very little idea of what career path I would like to take, but I am intending on going on to study languages at uni. Italian is really my first love, while I find French quite easy but just don't love it the way I love Italian (sorry, very sappy and cliché, I know). Plus my French isn't nearly as good as my Italian because I only started it last year.

Anyway, I'm going to apply to Cambridge to read French and Italian, but they don't have an ab initio course in French, which means my French would essentially have to be at a similar level to my Italian by next October. Of course, another option is to forget about French for now and pick up a new language instead... This is really exciting, but I want to choose carefully and make sure it's not only a language I'll enjoy, but a really useful language. (unlike Italian! )

I'm scared of learning an Asian language like Mandarin, even though I know China's becoming such an important world player. I've been considering either Russian or Portuguese.

So what do you think? Russian, Portuguese, or something different?


Thanks so much in advance!
Wiley

 

[WileyWanimal]

I think I'm going to study Spanish... go to South America...
buuuummp.

 

[lolitaaa]

Chinese, Mandarin. I'm such a hypocrite, but sorry I'm Russian.

 

[Queenroot]

Mandarin

 

[sweetalmond]

I would say that in the future knowing an Asian language will be most useful. French used to be the second-language everyone learnt, however times have changed. I study French myself and I enjoy learning the language however even if you were to work in europe, english would be the required language not french or spanish or portuguese. Everyone is europe is learning English. I'd say learn Mandarin, Japanese. If you are considering working in Brasilia maybe portuguese then.

 

[sweetalmond]

what does bump mean

 

[Queenroot]

what does bump mean

It's BoS code for saying "Let's bump"

 

[sweetalmond]

what's lets bump

 

[juvialockser]

I think learning an asian language like Mandarin or Japanese would be very useful, I know they look really scary and hard but when you actually learn them they aren't that bad. But out of Portuguese and Russian I think Portuguese would be a good option because it covers a lot of the world and it's a romance language like French and Italian so it will be easier to learn. Its doesn't really matter which one you choose though, any language would be useful in it's own right so I'd pick the one that seems funner to you.

 

[juvialockser]

It means that you put a reply on a post so that the post will be shown more so other people will see it.