French v. German?

[dungeon92]

[dungeon92]

[jazzman]

Another old poll, but n it's fun reading through them.
As a practically native speaker and teacher of both it wouldn't be fair for me to put one before the other. As one poster said, it very much depends what you want to use the languages for.

I'll also consolidate some of the other comments:
German pronunciation is easy for English speakers, and its also a phonetic languauge - WYSIWYS - What you see is what you say. For anyone who has not learned Latin, the Grammar can be quite a challenge. It's a nice language for being formal in.

French is sexy but the pronunciation is is difficult for English speakers to get right, and French with an English accent sounds awful. It takes a while to learn all about the mute suffixes too. The grammar is easier but has a complex system of conjugations.

If you need a dictionary for either language for your Mac, get the Ultralingua dictionaries.

If you want to get your head around something really different, try Thai

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[Aquafire]

[Fox]

If you're into travelling, French will get you a lot further.
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[jazzman]

[Bobaloo]

My daughter just completed an immersion course in German for her Winter term, a full semester in 3 weeks, so my vote would be you should take both. Maybe you'll select German over French..... no, I won't go there.
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[jazzman]

With enough exposure to them, the human being is capable of learning several languages - even the average US expats here in Thailand can get their lips round a few words of Thai after 5 years or so, and the majority of the world's population is bilingual, and certainly code-shifting is very common.

Being really good at languages, however, needs a natural talent, like being a good artist or musician (or web designer ) etc., and discovered early enough can be decisive in choosing a career; otherwise learning several languages simultaneously can be a tad daunting for many people.
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[lumberjack]

As Blackadder once said, the German empire consisted of a hamburger stall in some remote corner of Europe.

German is easier to learn and the French can't spell so my vote goes to German.

That is very stupid. I learnt German and have never been there, whereas I have been to France countless times.

[jazzman]

[JohnnyBoy]

[Aquafire]

[jazzman]

An the Thais just smile stupidly at you like village idiots because they couldn't figure out your awful Thai pronunciation or wouldn't take the gum out of your mouth when speaking Western Atlantinc English.
One of the most important features of their culture insists that must avoid at all costs admitting they can't understand something.

That's the main flaw in Education in Thailand.
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[dungeon92]

I was told by a French foreign exchange student from two years ago I should minor in french in college (she also said to major in political science, move to France, and become a politician), though that might be a biased vote.
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Going to Missouri S&T!!

[Aquafire]