decisions, decisions...(an unpaid-account poll)

[dchenes]

Given that:
(a) I can take Harvard extension school courses for cheap in three months, and
(b) the extension school offers language classes, and
(c) I want to make a living off knowing languages, and
(d) none of the French classes they offer will do anything for me,

Which of the following should I start with? (listed in no particular order)

A. Spanish
B. Italian
C. Russian
D. German
E. Japanese
F. Chinese
G. Korean
H. Arabic
I. Hindi
J. Irish Gaelic
K. Greek

Comments

[melopoeia.livejournal.com]

Spanish is useful.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

German!

[stemware.livejournal.com]

If you want something that is commonly applied, you could learn Spanish, but I imagine Spanish speakers are a dime a dozen and it would be more useful to learn a tourist language like German or Japanese.

Chinese and Korean have decent business applications (Chinese particularly long term). Italian is pretty hard to find except in older people in this country, so there's a niche there. Russian may have some tourist applications. Hindi is kind of useless since most Indians do business in English.

Irish Gaelic has a coolness factor as does Greek :-) Arabic? Sure.

German or Chinese

[cuilean.livejournal.com]

Since you know French as well as you do, you have such a root in the romance languages that you can understand and be understood in Spanish and Italian.

I'd say pick up German, and then you can translate almost anywhere you go in Europe... or Chinese, because despite it being broken into many dialects, there's going to be a need for translation between the only two real superpowers of the world (and I'm not referring to Microsoft Vs. Everyone Else.)

[sebastian-tombs.livejournal.com]

Spanish, Chinese, or Arabic, in that order except whichever sounds more interesting.

I'd go with Chinese, personally