Language recommendation

[Petelink]

I just found out that I may have a choice as to which language I'll get for phase V. Apparently in my guard unit we can choose between French, German, Russian and Arabic, with an off chance of getting something else with some more paper work. I realize there are still two big hurdles (the second half of the delta course and then Sage) but I want to make a careful choice both for my SF career and to help me get a better civilian job with the government. My thoughts are as follows:

1) Arabic is the flavor of the week right now so everybody wants to learn it. I know it is vital to the GWOT, but I've also heard that other languages like Russian and French are coming in handy in places you might not expect, such as in Afghanistan. So, is having Arabic going to become something like Spanish, less important because so many people speak it, while other language like Russian or perhaps Farsi will become desirable because so many fewer people speak them?

2) I have zero experience with Arabic, but I took 1.5 years of Russian in college, know the alphabet and so would be a leg up to start with. And I hear the Russian teacher is smokin' hot!

3) SWC is not the ideal place to learn a language and so this choice must also figure in the quality of that particular language instruction here. Plus after being in the delta course and listening to all my buddies from other MOSs talk about hitting teams in six months (when I'm scheduled to hit sage), a 4 month language sounds fucking fantastic.

Any thoughts?

[Viking]

Remember that there's a difference between speaking a language, and speaking it well.

I would venture to say that if you took Arabic, and stuck to it and improved beyond what you'll learn there, you'll be good to go. I don't think that there will be any danger of it becoming a "saturated" language and speakers being a dime a dozen. There's too much shit going on all over the place, too many dialects, and not enough people willing to stick with it. Look at how long we've been in Afghanistan, and how many people speak Pashto, Farsi, or Urdu?

'Course, Farsi could be interesting down the road. Never know.

I also think Spanish is tapped because so many guys grew up speaking it at home. Not sure if that's a good comparison the the target languages nowadays.

PM sent as well.

[Spinner]

Originally posted by Petelink
Arabic is the flavor of the week right now so everybody wants to learn it. I know it is vital to the GWOT, but I've also heard that other languages like Russian and French are coming in handy in places you might not expect, such as in Afghanistan. So, is having Arabic going to become something like Spanish, less important because so many people speak it, while other language like Russian or perhaps Farsi will become desirable because so many fewer people speak them?


Trust me, Arabic will never become less important because "so many people speak it". Even when schools ratchet up their Middle Eastern language programs, Arabic will still be one of those languages that few westerners speak. It's a tough language, and its useful over a wide swath of the globe.

Good luck to you, regardless of the language you get assigned to.

[mara]

Out of the ones you listed, Arabic. You will ALWAYS have work.

Um, so how hot IS the Russian instructor?

[Petelink]

While I have not LAID eyes on her personally, word is she is *really* hot and straight off the boat. Although someone just told me that there is more than one class going on at a time and so there's more than one instructor. That probably seals the deal for Arabic.

Thanks for the input so far.

[PsyGuy]

I just saw her Thursday while I was taking a Cross Cultural Communications class. Let me just say; mmm, mmm, mmm!!

[mara]

I'm sorry, but a picture is required to determine hottiness level. ;)

[SOTB]

Originally posted by mara
I'm sorry, but a picture is required to determine hottiness level. ;) Ditto. Until said evidence is produced, it is fair to say that those of you who have commented approvingly on her good looks are blind or have low standards. The only manner of regaining any respectability or credibility in ANY post you make from this point on (here) is to get a full-body shot of said linguistic instructor in as little clothing as is possible and post said pic here.

Failure to do so will result in massive taunting and redicule....

[PsyGuy]

Maybe one of the single guys here can oblige you. I don't think my Japanese wife would approve of such said photographic evidence. Let me say in my own defense.... my standards are not low and the Russian IS a nice little number.

I'll see what I can do!

[mara]

No need, I was just kidding. Besides, you've built it up so much at this point, that anything less than Ms. Universe is going to be a dissappointment at this point. I'll settle for some candids of Girlcop.

[SOTB]

Originally posted by PsyGuy
Maybe one of the single guys here can oblige you. I don't think my Japanese wife would approve of such said photographic evidence. Let me say in my own defense.... my standards are not low and the Russian IS a nice little number.

I'll see what I can do! Excuses, excuses.

Your wife can read, right? Show her the thread and where we specifically stated that your email address would be forwarded to whichever universe ruling deity had the watch this month for his use in sending plagues of locusts, rain, and swarms of FAT women dressed in string bikinis to punish you.

She'll understand. For that matter, so would the linguist instructor.

So enough stalling, get some pics....

[PsyGuy]

Originally posted by PsyGuy
Maybe one of the single guys here can oblige you. I don't think my Japanese wife would approve of such said photographic evidence. Let me say in my own defense.... my standards are not low and the Russian IS a nice little number.

I'll see what I can do!

This early post was meant as a joke... hopefully this photo of the teacher will do!!

[SOTB]

Sigh....

[Jedburgh]

French: Still useful - take a look at Africa and the Levant.

German: Pointless.

Russian: Extremely valuable. Yes, there are quite a few Afghans that still speak Russian. Not to mention the obvious use in Russia itself, and the now-independent bits of the former USSR in the Caucasus and Central Asia. And Russian skills readily transfer into Serbo-Croation with a bit of extra training and BAM!, you're operating in the Balkans.

Arabic: Its already been said. The demand will not go away anytime in the near future. You can't compare it to Spanish - we have loads of native Spanish speakers in uniform. Native Arabic speakers in uniform are few and far between - and many that we do have can't be trusted.

Think about Farsi. Its spoken in Tajikistan as well as Iran - this also means its the native language of the Tajiks in Afghanistan. A good Farsi speaker can also transition with a bit of training to Pashtu and Dari. Looking at Iraq, a good Farsi speaker can also transition with a bit of training to Sorani Kurdish, and with a little more effort to Kirmanji/Bahdinani.

[JumpmasterK]

Originally posted by PsyGuy
This early post was meant as a joke... hopefully this photo of the teacher will do!! I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit....

[PsyGuy]

Originally posted by JumpmasterK
I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit....

That's the funniest thing I've heard all day.... OUTSTANDING!!!

[TPD1280]

I used German while in Bosnia. It was a very common second language with the young people who rode out the war living with relatives in Germany.

Russian will always be useful, and with prior exposure you are sure to get more out of that in 4 months than you will any other language.

Arabic is the new Spanish, IIRC, all Muslims are required to learn Arabic because the Koran and all prayers are in Arabic. Makes it useful world wide.

[Anouar]

Originally posted by TPD1280

Arabic is the new Spanish, IIRC, all Muslims are required to learn Arabic because the Koran and all prayers are in Arabic. Makes it useful world wide.

Not every muslim speaks arabic. It is not required for prayer. They should strive to recite the koran in arabic, and do their utmost to learn as many verses as possible in arabic, but their prayer would be accepted regardless.
Learning it is undeniably useful for someone wanting to work in that area or a related field.
Just my 2

[Jedburgh]

Arabic is the new Spanish, IIRC, all Muslims are required to learn Arabic because the Koran and all prayers are in Arabic. Makes it useful world wide.
Arabic is an extremely valuable language in today's operational environment - but lets not get carried away. The majority of Muslims in the world are not Arabs - and they don't speak Arabic. Take a trip to Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, etc - and Arabic ain't gonna get ya very far.

[mara]

Originally posted by SnafuRacer
Not every muslim speaks arabic. It is not required for prayer. They should strive to recite the koran in arabic, and do their utmost to learn as many verses as possible in arabic, but their prayer would be accepted regardless.
Learning it is undeniably useful for someone wanting to work in that area or a related field.
Just my 2

IIRC, I think that the most devout do in fact attempt to learn Arabic-

"Behold, I have given you an Arabic Koran, written in a clear Arabic tongue,"

[TPD1280]

okay, so Arabic is the new Latin: every Roman Catholic over the age of 45 speaks it.:D

[Spinner]

Originally posted by TPD1280
okay, so Arabic is the new Latin: every Roman Catholic over the age of 45 speaks it.:D

And a select few of us under the age of 45(but not by much):D

[eagleyes_oo]

Looks like we better start learning how to speak Korean

[magician]

I have spoken Arabic with Malays and Thais in the south of Thailand.

Learning enough Arabic to navigate your way to and around a mosque is a very smart idea.

[airbornelawyer]

Originally posted by magician
I have spoken Arabic with Malays and Thais in the south of Thailand.

Learning enough Arabic to navigate your way to and around a mosque is a very smart idea. Given that MSA is a slimmed down version of Classical Arabic, you might have a better chance communicating with a madrasa student in Thailand who learned his Arabic from the Qur'an than with a Cairene cab driver who speaks his colloquial Arabic. But most non-Arab madrasa students don't learn Arabic from the Qur'an so much as memorize it.

BTW, Jedburgh, saying "[a] good Farsi speaker can also transition with a bit of training to... Dari" is a bit like saying a good British speaker can also transition to American. The written languages are essentially the same, and the Western and Eastern Farsi and Tajiki dialects all blend together. Because of where I learned it, my Iranian friends grimace at my particular accent (essentially Kabuli, the Brooklynese of Farsi).

I would disagree about the ease of transitioning from Farsi into Pashto or Kurdish, though to a lesser extent with regard to the latter. The transition among Slavic languages is easier, though I find myself constantly using a Polish word when I am looking for a Serbo-Croatian one, or a Bulgarian when trying to say something in Russian.

[Jedburgh]

...you might have a better chance communicating with a madrasa student in Thailand who learned his Arabic from the Qur'an than with a Cairene cab driver who speaks his colloquial Arabic.
For me, the North African dialects are the most difficult to get along in. I've always fared much better in the Levant and the Gulf. Luckily, that's where I've spent most of my time. When I did work in Egypt, I could converse easily with the educated officers, but for me most of the conscripts had such a thick dialect I could barely understand them.
I would disagree about the ease of transitioning from Farsi into Pashto or Kurdish, though to a lesser extent with regard to the latter.
As to Kurdish, there are two main dialects - Kirmanji and Sorani. Farsi speakers are better able to get along with Sorani Kurdish speakers; there are greater differences with Kirmanji.

[Spinner]

Originally posted by Jedburgh
For me, the North African dialects are the most difficult to get along in. I've always fared much better in the Levant and the Gulf. Luckily, that's where I've spent most of my time. When I did work in Egypt, I could converse easily with the educated officers, but for me most of the conscripts had such a thick dialect I could barely understand them.


Libyan dialect comes to mind. I never had a chance to talk to anybody from Libya, but I did hear radio broadcasts as we chugged by on our ship in the Mediterranean. Most of the indigenous, native Arabic speakers I met told me that even they had trouble understanding that dialect.

[shark11]

what to they speak in Sudan? Arabic? I think we have atleast 30 years of a good market for arabic. African Languages are becoming popular now too like Swahili.

[WS-G]

German: Pointless.
Generally speaking, I quite agree. On rare occasion, it can prove useful when least expected. I personally had an isolated case in Baghdad where it came in handy: a short visit to a school during the course of one of the few patrols that we didn't have an interpreter along. The PL needed some info from the headmaster, who had no English but just happened to speak good German, so there I was, from running perimeter security to acting as interpreter in one fell swoop.

[shark11]

Just a few thought as I am in the same boat as having to put down a dream sheet of DLI languages.

1. You will probably have to take the DLAB to measure your aptitude to learn a language. There are different categories, i.e. easy ones are Cat I and the hardest ones (arabic, chinese, korean, etc) are Cat IV. If you have the DLAB score, I would recommend trying to got DLI for the highest Category you can. Its going to pay off down the road.

2. German, French, Spainish are still very popular and useful, a lot of technical documents that we're finding in caves in Afghanistan and everywhere in Iraq are in German, French, Russian etc. But German, French, and Spainish can be learned at almost every community college in the US and are easier to learn than say Russian or Arabic.

3. Based on what languages are available to you, I would say Arabic, then Russian, then German, in that order. Farsi(a Cat III) if you can get it.

[Spinner]

Generally speaking, I quite agree. On rare occasion, it can prove useful when least expected. I personally had an isolated case in Baghdad where it came in handy: a short visit to a school during the course of one of the few patrols that we didn't have an interpreter along. The PL needed some info from the headmaster, who had no English but just happened to speak good German, so there I was, from running perimeter security to acting as interpreter in one fell swoop.

That is the great thing about knowing at least one or two other languages other than your native tongue. Two people, neither one knowing the other's native language, determining that they both can communicate in a third party's language. It's a beautiful thing. :cool: