HS language choice —does it matter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD needs to choose her language. Do colleges care? If could see something like Mandarin being more impressive but what about German v Spanish? What if she wants to go pre-med.


Thanks!

German?! You’re not in the DMV, are you?

DP here. We are in LCPS and German is still offered.

What do you mean "German?!"

DS just graduated this spring -- in FCPS -- took German starting in 8th grade (asynchronously- thru the HS), did an amazing 3 week travel/study abroad program which was thru the HS (GAPP) the summer after sophomore year, and continued to take German thru senior year. Received the German dept award and scored a 7 (highest possible) on the IB exam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD took ASL and numerous people told me that "no credible college" would take it and she is going to a great school with 4 years of ASL and wants to be an interpreter. I think this would come in handy in the medical field.

Yeah, if you’re really going to try use a language to boost a college app, better for the language to have some hook for you personally than to just choose “the hardest.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD needs to choose her language. Do colleges care? If could see something like Mandarin being more impressive but what about German v Spanish? What if she wants to go pre-med.


Thanks!

German?! You’re not in the DMV, are you?

DP, but FCPS teaches German.

[Anonymous]

Colleges don't care, but you're an idiot if you take a language that isn't Spanish.

[Anonymous]

If you’re pre-med you need to take Latin.

[Anonymous]

My Dad's a retired doctor who studied German way back in the 1960s, then ended up taking multiple classes on medical Spanish so he could better communicate with his patients.

I'm a lawyer and my (not fluent but okay) Spanish came in handy when I was clerking and answering calls from pro ses (I did also take a seminar specifically on legal Spanish). We of course had interpreters as well but I could do scheduling basics and tell people about our interpreters.

If you are planning on doing anything where you interact with the general public in the US, go for Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges don't care, but you're an idiot if you take a language that isn't Spanish.

Disagree with the comment above.

There might well be good valid cultural reasons to choose - or to avoid - certain languages, purely as one example.

Ours will take Spanish. If we were in Canada, ours would take French. We do not have a compelling reason to pick French or German...but we respect that other families are different from ours.

[Anonymous]

The one you can get an A in all four years. If that’s French, so be it; if it’s Latin, so be it. If it’s Spanish so be it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges don't care, but you're an idiot if you take a language that isn't Spanish.

Disagree with the comment above.

There might well be good valid cultural reasons to choose - or to avoid - certain languages, purely as one example.

Ours will take Spanish. If we were in Canada, ours would take French. We do not have a compelling reason to pick French or German...but we respect that other families are different from ours.

This is a USA-centered website. Not Canadian. I assumed I was addressing a USA audience. In the USA, tens of millions speak Spanish. In our hemisphere, hundreds of millions do. It's silly to take any other language in the USA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges don't care, but you're an idiot if you take a language that isn't Spanish.

Disagree with the comment above.

There might well be good valid cultural reasons to choose - or to avoid - certain languages, purely as one example.

Ours will take Spanish. If we were in Canada, ours would take French. We do not have a compelling reason to pick French or German...but we respect that other families are different from ours.

This is a USA-centered website. Not Canadian. I assumed I was addressing a USA audience. In the USA, tens of millions speak Spanish. In our hemisphere, hundreds of millions do. It's silly to take any other language in the USA.

Someone whose family fled a Latin American dictatorship and atrocity (no shortage of those in the last 100 years) to settle in the US would have every reason to avoid learning Spanish. Just like some cultural groups avoid learning German for similar reasons. Someone whose family are Swiss German might choose German so they could better communicate with family members. The best answer varies by each family's own situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges don't care, but you're an idiot if you take a language that isn't Spanish.

Disagree with the comment above.

There might well be good valid cultural reasons to choose - or to avoid - certain languages, purely as one example.

Ours will take Spanish. If we were in Canada, ours would take French. We do not have a compelling reason to pick French or German...but we respect that other families are different from ours.

This is a USA-centered website. Not Canadian. I assumed I was addressing a USA audience. In the USA, tens of millions speak Spanish. In our hemisphere, hundreds of millions do. It's silly to take any other language in the USA.

It’s also a DC-centered website where there are about a hundred reasons why someone may want or need to learn a language other than Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges don't care, but you're an idiot if you take a language that isn't Spanish.

Disagree with the comment above.

There might well be good valid cultural reasons to choose - or to avoid - certain languages, purely as one example.

Ours will take Spanish. If we were in Canada, ours would take French. We do not have a compelling reason to pick French or German...but we respect that other families are different from ours.

This is a USA-centered website. Not Canadian. I assumed I was addressing a USA audience. In the USA, tens of millions speak Spanish. In our hemisphere, hundreds of millions do. It's silly to take any other language in the USA.

Someone whose family fled a Latin American dictatorship and atrocity (no shortage of those in the last 100 years) to settle in the US would have every reason to avoid learning Spanish. Just like some cultural groups avoid learning German for similar reasons. Someone whose family are Swiss German might choose German so they could better communicate with family members. The best answer varies by each family's own situation.

Stop being an ass. Latin Americans are proud people. They're proud of their culture, traditions, and language. I've never in my life heard of a Latin American family who moved to the United States who were so traumatized by their experience under a dictatorship that they had an aversion to their children learning Spanish. That is utterly ridiculous.

What I HAVE heard of and known first hand are Latin American families who moved to the USA and were so determined that the family assimilate that they insisted that their children only speak English and not learn or use Spanish. That does not happen nearly as much today as it has in the past, thankfully.

[Anonymous]

Everyone worth talking to in the USA speaks English. Take whatever you want, just learn English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone worth talking to in the USA speaks English. Take whatever you want, just learn English.

I enjoy talking with my lawn guy, who does not speak English. He's definitely worth talking to.

[Anonymous]

If kid is considering pre med or healthcare, then definitely take Spanish. In nyc and other major cities, Spanish is very useful in health care. My kid was interested in international relations so chose mandarin. It was a good fit for them, they enjoy the challenge and it helped their application narrative bc they plan to continue that path. Choose what makes sense for your kid and their interests/goals. Some premed kids take Latin bc it can help with vocabulary but Spanish is more practical from a patient care perspective.