Should I take two foreign languages in the same school year?Answered
I want to take French next year. However, I have to take Spanish because nothing else fits in my schedule. Should I take both in the same school year?
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5 answers
Hi @humanbeing!
What exactly do you mean by having to take Spanish because "nothing else fits in your schedule"? Are you saying you have other options for the French time slots but no alternatives for Spanish?
In general there's nothing wrong with taking multiple languages per se, but it's much better that you take a language you're interested in and sticking with it long-term. Having four semesters in French will look much better to colleges than having introductory courses in French, Latin, German, and Mandarin (which would leave you unable to communicate in either one).
If you think you'd be much more likely to stick with French long-term, then it's probably best to do that, even if you have to take a quick Spanish intro first. But if you think you could also stick with Spanish, and there's other classes in the French slot you might be interested in, then I'd go with that.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.
Hello, I would recommend sticking to one language that you find interest in. The reason being, colleges are more interested in long-term growth and commitment to a particular language. Say you began taking Spanish your freshman year, your commitment to Spanish all four years would appear stronger than doing both Spanish and French, or just French. Hope this helps.
If you want to pursue something in the arts, like language, sure. But I wouldn't advise you to unless you really want it and will stick with it for more than 2 years. Also, if you are passionate about French, you can learn it in your own time and it will look great in your application. Spanish is advised for school though, because it is usually faster-paced, and will be more beneficial for the future since it is a more wide-spread language. If you have nothing else to fill the spot for the elective, choose one that will help you meet the requirements to graduate, maybe a fine art, a business elective, and etc.
hard no
How can you take French if Spanish is the only thing that fits into your schedule? If French fits why not drop Spanish?
I’d only recommend taking two languages if you want to go into language studies or a career that multiple languages would be beneficial for. That said, a lot of people believe knowing more languages the better because you can communicate with a wide variety of people. But, If you want to be a 9-5 accountant, 2 languages probably isn’t necessary. If you want to work for the UN and go to other countries, then I’d say take both.
It depends on what interests you! Learning a language is difficult, so don’t overexert yourself if the other classes in your schedule are difficult. Very few students at my school double up on languages unless they’re studying language in college, since they take so many honors/AP courses.
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