I'm strongly looking at doing an eight week summer intensive program in one of several languages. The eight week program is equivalent to a year's worth of classes in the language. I have studied none of these languages beforehand, having only three years of high school Japanese and a few semesters of college German.
Here are the languages available in the program I'm interested in:
I'm leaning towards Turkmen or Lithuanian, but I'm pretty open to suggestions. I intend to work in areas related to international relations and economics, long term, but the language I choose for this program needn't be chosen primarily with that in mind, of course.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
No Chinese? I thought you wanted to swear like Jayne.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Never been an interest
In this case, I'm letting my choices be constrained by this particular program. Its extraordinarily strong at IU, and has many important contacts in the IR (International Relations) world, so taking any of the languages will get me lots of networking opportunities.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
would it be this summer? Does that mean you'll be in town this summer (I'm still not sure what I want to do).
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
It would be second summer session, and in town. First summer session I'll be doing some sort of research (also in town).
[ February 21, 2006, 01:27 PM: Message edited by: fugu13 ]
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
Hmm. Well from an IR standpoint, I'd think that Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian would be the most worthwhile seeing as how that region has known particularly large amounts of conflict and IR work lately.
But that might not be proactive enough. I'd say Turkmen for looking towards the future.
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
No Basque?
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
*snort*
These are languages offered as part of a program cosponsored by, among others, the Russian and East European Institute and the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. Both of those are very strong programs here at IU, along with Central Eurasian Studies. Very strong as in among the best in places to study those things in the world.
Oddly enough, I don't think we have much in the way of Basque here. I think our linguistics department has the traditional Basque speaker, but nothing beyond that. Its just not an area with a really strong program.
Posted by oolung (Member # 8995) on :
learn Polish! You'll have great time, I promise! Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
Luxembourgish.
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
but if you're thinking jobwise, I'd lean towards either Russian or one of the EU 10.
Posted by sweetbaboo (Member # 8845) on :
Romanian
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
Want to be rich? Learn Arabic.
Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
What?! No Bulgarian?!
Russian is probably a good choice. Others are more unusual/interesting, but Russian will probably be more useful.
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
Of course Russian will get you around the majority of those countries anyways. Probably more useful.
Posted by Lissande (Member # 350) on :
Only try that if you're big and intimidating-looking.
You already speak English anyway, which will get you around 'most of those countries' with a much more polite reception.
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
*points up*
what she said.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
You would think decades of being exposed to warm Russian hospitality and fun-loving hijinks would incline East Europeans to look on the Russians more warmly.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Kama, haven't you met fugu? Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
yes?
oooooh. ok. No, I meant the second part of what she said Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
fugu, you should learn the language of looooooooove. Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
Of those? Russian...
If I could pick a list of languages to be fluent in I would pick English, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin. I think if you speak those you're pretty much set.
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
I'd pick one of the rarer languages: Azeri, Georgian, Kazakh, Uzbek, Turkmen, Tajik, Uyghur, Pashto, or Tatar just as some extra job security.
Posted by Artemisia Tridentata (Member # 8746) on :
If they ever reenstate the draft, any of the above would win you a year in Monterey CA.
Posted by BandoCommando (Member # 7746) on :
quote:Originally posted by The Pixiest: Of those? Russian...
If I could pick a list of languages to be fluent in I would pick English, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin. I think if you speak those you're pretty much set.
True, especially considering the following conditions:
a) certain portions of the United States are rapidly becoming (or already are) bilingual between Spanish and English (or America's rough equivalent) due to high levels of immigration from Latin America - legal or otherwise. As a public school teacher, over half of my school (even in Oregon!) is Hispanic. While the kids speak and understand English fairly well, it is almost impossible to speak with parents, unless I have an interpreter. And scheduling time with them? A nightmare.
b) Chinese and U.S. economic interests are becoming so alike that it seems as if our two countries are going to have it out sometime in the next few decades. I want to have a nice deep hole I can bury myself in for a few years if this ever happens. And if the Chinese win, it'd be a definite plus if you could speak Mandarin.
c) Japan has been on par with the U.S. economy for quite a while now - theirs is the lingua franca in some parts of the world.
d) English...well...this may sound arrogant, but if one had to, one could get by in MOST of Europe by speaking English. Not that one would be appreciated or treated well, particularly if the arrogantly and ignorantly went around asking "par lez vooz english?" everywhere they went. Of course, this is more of a testament to the low priority placed on learning foreign languages within the U.S. public school system, rather than a fault of the European community.
Posted by TimeTim (Member # 2768) on :
Well, I'd lean towards Uyghur or Kazakh. The Uighurs are one of the many ethnic minorities in Northwest China and so far as I understand Kazakhstan is pretty frickin' huge and is poised on the cusp of massive oil and gas development. If you're looking at IR then what more could you ask for than to be able to communicate in the heart of what will surely be a large exporter of natural resources in the next decade?
Posted by genius00345 (Member # 8206) on :
I recently took an online course in Esperanto. I recommend it as an introductory course to linguistics in general because it allows you to observe grammar and syntax in a flexible yet structured language setting.
I don't remember the exact site, but you can search for it if you're interested ("online esperanto course" maybe).
Also, you may learn some useful word roots!
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
I have no real opinion on the subject, but for fun I'd learn Hungarian.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I remember Mr. Abrams saying that neither time he went to Kazakstan did he hear much Kazakh, it was pretty much Russian. You could always stop by Batchelor and talk to him, he likes people who are aware of the world, and think he knows something, and you're parents live two blocks away.
Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
I think you should learn Bosnian so you can rap and program with Irfan in his native language.
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