General_Norris wrote:Stark wrote:Should be one of the easiest languages for you to learn. English is Germanic in origin.
The actual structure of the lenguage is based on Latin and declinations and genders are somewhat complex. It shouldn't be as difficult for English speakers as a Romance language, though.
You're wrong. German and Latin both independently had declensions, as did English (and it still does with its pronouns), as they both (along with numerous other languages) are derived from a common ancestor (Proto-Indo-European).
After just two years of Latin in high school, I found French very easy to pick up, I can read Spanish and Italian just fine, but German has still given me a headache. I wouldn't ever want to learn it except that 90% of the best research in my field of the 1800s is in German, the fundamental starting points for Classics, Nietzsche, Wilamowitz, & Mommsen, were all German.
Though it's a Germanic language, the influence of Normon French on Middle English and the influx of Latin during the Renaissance means that Latin and French are far more recognizable than German, and thus, at least for me and many people I've sampled, is easier to learn, if you're able to learn from a book. Spanish may be easier for some just because of the proximity of Spanish-speaking peoples, and its ubiquity in America. Still, I wouldn't say Spanish is more useful than either. Being able to speak Spanish has its benefits, but it's a small-minded thinking that concludes that Spanish is best because it's closest, when in reality, who knows where life will take you? The importance is mastering fluency and investigating cultures.
Also, German and English split early on. Closer to English than German is actually Dutch, and even closer are Frisian and Scots.
Forlorn Drifter wrote:Yes, because whatever second language you learn affects how women will view you.
Thanks for the corrective to Luke's douchebaggery.
