h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've decided to do a beginner's class in a language in the New Year. I was gonna do Arabic for something different, but it's not available to start in January, so it's down to German or Spanish. I think Spain's more fun than Germany, and it'd be easier cos I've previously studied French and Italian, so what does German have to recommend it?

Or would you recommend Spanish?

I'd recommend one where you have more opportunity to practise live at home.

Motivation and previous knowledge are important factors to consider.

Previous knowledge comes from what you know about French and Italian, so being Spanish a romanic language too, you are going to find it easier, as you have said. That´s important because that will fuel your motivation.

For motivation you say Spain is fun... what else could I say? Of course it is, it´s not that Im nationalist, it´s an accepted fact from most foreing people.

Then, who knows, you could come to Spain and learnt Arabic in Madrid, or Granada, Córdoba...

About the language itself,it is the second language in US, it´s the language of a community of over 500 million people, the number of students choosing Spanish is increasing everywhere...
So, by choosing Spanish you will probably have more chances to practice it.

more facts about Spanish:A86058156

There also some topic of your interest: La Liga, wouldn´t you love listening to Guardiola and understand him?

A86058156

I heard the Pepster gave a speech to the Spanish parliament a few months ago. I saw a tiny bit with subtitles, I think I love that man!

you mean this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVuZwBGlpRc


He is speaking in Catalán, his mother tongue.He is in the Catalonian parliament.

I think he´s quite elegant, in all senses.

If Cameron had bent over and taken it last week I would have said German but as he kept his pants on I'd say Spanish.

Spanish is probably more useful as more people globally speak it, more access to media resources to practice with.

If you do get a chance, do study Arabic: it's probably next on my list once I'm more confident with Urdu and can handle two languages.

It would be Spanish for me too!

I´m currently learning German. That´s mainly because I´ve already had lessons on it in school, so I´m more just re-learning it. Even so, I can´t really come up with any good arguments to choose German over Spanish.

If I were you, I'd choose spanish. Mainly because if you're going to go around calling yourself Pedro, you should really speak Spanish.

That's the one Maria.

Er, very good point there egon.

For some reason I think I'm going to do German though. I think that if I had to, I'd be able to learn Spanish much quicker than German, and it's not really a commercial thing.

I hope I got here in time to change your mind, Herr Pedro.
Take 5 minutes out of your life now and save yourself from
a life of Teutonic angst. Mark Twain was deadly serious
when he wrote this:

http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/awfgrmlg.html#x1


~jwf~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP2cM3Q3O9A vs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfvGx_atG0Y

Your call






Oh... wait. Maybe I got it wrong:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeRJLzOfFR0 vs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsLR26cJpmY&feature=related

Your call.

Y.

Horses for courses. No language is bad to learn, surely?

Spanish has less grammar than german. Oh, OK...less complicated grammar. You don't have to get all your pesky genders and cases to agree. My daughter seems to be picking up Spanish quite quickly.

Whatever you choose - I stumbled upon this the other day for vocabulary learning:

http://www.memrise.com/topic/

Unfortunately no Swedelish.

I think German comes out of British mouths more naturally than Spanish.

I learned a phrase in Mandarin the other week that I hope to use to amaze and, perhaps, baffle Chinese people I meet:

'Maritime University'.

Long story...

I tell a lie. Memrise has a community version of Swedish.

(although they don't handle Swedish letters very).

very *well*! Fan!

Still can't decide. Spanish would be easier, but German would be more of a challenge. Hmm...

If music's to be a factor Yelbakk, then I don't think I'll learn either!