So I'm looking to study another language....

[Bloody Peasant!]

Hey all, I know this is probably the sort of thing that would make more sense to ask on another forum but w/e this is my favorite online community by far and well I'm just bored and tired and chatty so why not.

I'm American and have been studying Spanish for upwards of six years now, and while I still have a lot to learn and want to continue that study in the future I'm starting to feel like it's about time to start getting another language under my belt. So I have a few questions.

1) Would it be OK to start studying another Romance language, IE French or Italian, while still studying Spanish, or is this a road to confusion?

2) I'm potentially interested in studying a Slavic language, especially since my main interest in archaeology (my major) is in Bronze Age Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Obviously Russian is probably the most practical one based on size/international importance, but at the same time I'm really open to any suggestions. If there's any insight anyone wants to put in in that regard (which ones you've studied, which ones you find easiest to get a hang of as an English speaker, differences between the languages that might make some more viable options, etc). My university teaches Russian, Polish, Serbo-Croatian and Ukrainian.

3) I'm an undergrad right now and since my needs-based grants don't carry into grad school I'm considering studying in one of the European countries that offer little or no tuition. Off the top of my head these include France, Spain, Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Greece, Iceland, Germany and Austria. I guess of those my first choices would be Spain because I already speak Spanish with some proficiency, Finland because I have family from Finland and have always found the country extremely interesting, and Norway or Iceland because well I just plain like mountains, fjords and cold weather. Just how easy is it (legal intricacies aside) to move to another country with a different native language where you don't know anyone? And do many people in Europe particularly find English speakers in their countries with little or no proficiency in their language petulant twits? Would I be better suited getting a good grip on the language before arriving even if everyone in the country speaks English? Also for Finns in particular, is it easy to get around Finland if you learn Swedish rather than Finnish? Because I've looked into the two and frankly Finnish intimidates me. Do Finns find Swedish speakers to be petulant twits, and if so more or less so than English speakers? I hope I'm not opening a can of worms here.

Hmm I notice those questions got progressively more convoluted. Like I said, chatty. I feeeel like I had another question but it's slipped my mind probably because as mentioned I'm hella tired at present. Ah well, input would be lovely. Ciao!

[Eldan]

Add Switzerland to that list. I paid some 500 franks per sememster. You would get by with English, though, at least in Zurich and at any universities. French or German would help.

[Aedilred]

1) Would it be OK to start studying another Romance language, IE French or Italian, while still studying Spanish, or is this a road to confusion?
I think you would be fine. In fact, I think studying multiple related languages can help improve facility in all of them. There is some minor room for vocabulary confusion, of course, but I don't think that's anything to get seriously worried about and I think the benefits would outweigh the risk.


And do many people in Europe particularly find English speakers in their countries with little or no proficiency in their language petulant twits? Would I be better suited getting a good grip on the language before arriving even if everyone in the country speaks English? Also for Finns in particular, is it easy to get around Finland if you learn Swedish rather than Finnish? Because I've looked into the two and frankly Finnish intimidates me. Do Finns find Swedish speakers to be petulant twits, and if so more or less so than English speakers? I hope I'm not opening a can of worms here.
Cans of worms on this topic have been opened in the past, but hopefully this one can stay sealed. My experience has always been, except in the unfriendlier parts of Paris and one Switzerland ski resort, that people in Europe will work to accommodate anyone who is obviously making an effort and not just barking questions at them in English and expecting them to understand. Regarding those who don't make that effort, I don't think "petulant" is really the word so much as "obnoxious" and/or "ignorant", although the responses to it certainly can seem petulant. Obviously there is a personal element to it, but if you're polite and learning (and trying to use) the language you would probably be fine.

Of course it would depend where you were. In some places it can be hard to get any experience in the language you're trying to learn because the locals are keen to use an English-speaker to practise their English. In some countries English is so widely spoken you can get away with speaking very little of the local language at all (although the effort would be appreciated). But that's not universal and in some parts, especially outside the main tourist areas in Latin and Eastern Europe, English is not very widely spoken and if you don't speak a mutual language to a conversational level you can really struggle.

[Pahvimato]

A Finn here.

How easy it is to get around speaking Swedish highly depends on where in Finland you were planning to study. For example, in Vaasa (it's on the Coast, on about the same latitude as the center of Sweden) it's easier if you speak Swedish. In general, if you are planning to speak Swedish instead of Finnish, the coasts are a good bet. Swedish is mandatory to study in Finland, although I'd claim most Finns can't speak it that well.

You should be able to just speak English, since most, especially the younger population, can speak it.

It depends on what you study and where you study, really. Obviously it's easier to learn to speak the language that's spoken around you - and until you do, you can speak English.

On the petulant twit part I agree with Aedilred.

[Eldan]

Of course it would depend where you were. In some places it can be hard to get any experience in the language you're trying to learn because the locals are keen to use an English-speaker to practise their English. In some countries English is so widely spoken you can get away with speaking very little of the local language at all (although the effort would be appreciated). But that's not universal and in some parts, especially outside the main tourist areas in Latin and Eastern Europe, English is not very widely spoken and if you don't speak a mutual language to a conversational level you can really struggle.

There's also places where hte locals get annoyed if you speak their language badly and will want you to switch to English.

[Gwynfrid]

There's also places where hte locals get annoyed if you speak their language badly and will want you to switch to English.

Not so annoyed, I think, as impatient. If the guy in front of you wants to get things done and he speaks English way better than you speak his language, he'll naturally want to switch to English rather than try to sort out what you mean. You'll find that a lot in the smaller countries where nearly everybody speaks very good English, especially in Northern Europe.

I wouldn't worry about going for two Romance languages at a time, since you're already well advanced in one. Sure you'll mix them up sometimes, but the benefit you get from the common Latin roots will more than compensate for that. Be warned that Italian is generally considered harder to learn than Spanish, and French harder than Italian. Of course if you go for a Slavic language or for Finnish, then the commonality doesn't exist.

[Bloody Peasant!]

I wouldn't worry about going for two Romance languages at a time, since you're already well advanced in one. Sure you'll mix them up sometimes, but the benefit you get from the common Latin roots will more than compensate for that. Be warned that Italian is generally considered harder to learn than Spanish, and French harder than Italian. Of course if you go for a Slavic language or for Finnish, then the commonality doesn't exist.

Coolness. I have heard from my friends who study Italian that Italian is actually easier than Spanish for them...certainly the languages have a lot in common. I would like to learn Italian and possibly French at some point in time, although I'm not sure if I'd like to do it right away (I would like to try out something new and frankly three languages at once sounds like a bit too much to handle). Then again my grandfather on my mom's side is Italian and is fairly adamant about me learning it at some point. But then if I did what all my relatives told me my dad would have me speaking Lithuanian like he does, heh.


Add Switzerland to that list. I paid some 500 franks per sememster. You would get by with English, though, at least in Zurich and at any universities. French or German would help.

Neat, I'll put that into consideration as well. I had a friend who was from Switzerland.


A Finn here.

How easy it is to get around speaking Swedish highly depends on where in Finland you were planning to study. For example, in Vaasa (it's on the Coast, on about the same latitude as the center of Sweden) it's easier if you speak Swedish. In general, if you are planning to speak Swedish instead of Finnish, the coasts are a good bet. Swedish is mandatory to study in Finland, although I'd claim most Finns can't speak it that well.

You should be able to just speak English, since most, especially the younger population, can speak it.

It depends on what you study and where you study, really. Obviously it's easier to learn to speak the language that's spoken around you - and until you do, you can speak English.


Thanks for the info. Follow up question: any chance you or anyone else knows what the job prospects are in Finland (and I suppose for other countries where most people speak English) for someone who only speaks English?

[Pahvimato]

Thanks for the info. Follow up question: any chance you or anyone else knows what the job prospects are in Finland (and I suppose for other countries where most people speak English) for someone who only speaks English?

In practice, you'll have to know at least the very basics of Finnish in most workplaces. Speaking both Finnish and Swedish is considered a plus in most. Again, depends on where you are. Bigger cities have some jobs available if you only speak English, but there aren't many of those.

[Bloody Peasant!]

In practice, you'll have to know at least the very basics of Finnish in most workplaces. Speaking both Finnish and Swedish is considered a plus in most. Again, depends on where you are. Bigger cities have some jobs available if you only speak English, but there aren't many of those.

Fair enough. Good to know, thanks.