Foreign Language?

Question

I'm seriously thinking about going to Harvard and into Law school and foreign languages look really good on a transcript. So, out of: German, Spanish, Latin, and French, which one do you think most would help me out?

(I was thinking Latin)

Answer 1

Latin is a good choice since so much of our language is based on Latin roots. If you just want a foreign language on your resume take Spanish. It is the easiest and may come in handy in your law practice. Bi-lingual people are in high demand. Latin is a dead language (no longer spoken) but it can help you academically.

Answer 2

-----Latin is a dead language. If you needed to take Latin, you would know it and would not be asking the question. Where you live/plan to work has a bearing on what living language you need. German is a hard language to learn, and not that useful in the USA. Spanish is easier and will become more and more useful; English/Spanish speakers will be more and more in demand. I do not think French is that useful in the USA; it would be more useful in a former French colony or parts of Canada. I would avoid Latin like the plague. I took two years of German in high school in El Paso, Texas because I had lived in Germany for 18 months: huge mistake. I taught myself a lot of Spanish by finding a cheap little book called, something like, "The 1,000 Most Common Spanish Words", making up flash cards and charts, and memorizing them. I got into an e-mail conversation with a man in Argentina and could understand almost everything he said, and could write him. -----Jim

Answer 3

I would argue Spanish. Although Latin will help you with law terminology, it is a dead language and the terms are easy to learn without taking Latin. Spanish is the second most popular language spoken in the United States. It will be more useful in the long run, and will help you when applying for a job.

Students who complete Spanish studies will be able to recognize basic legal vocabulary and have the ability to formulate simple sentences and questions that are useful in legal settings.
You will also have a more extensive knowledge of legal vocabulary, and will be able to write simple texts and carry on basic conversations as they would in a legal setting.

Whatever field of law you decide, I can guarantee Spanish will take the prominent role over any other language.

Good luck!

Answer 4

This is a good question. Don't take latin. You'll learn the latin terminology that you need in law school, there are about 50 or 60 terms and thats it. Take SPANISH. If you are fluent in spanish, particularly with regard to legal terminology, there is absolutely no ceiling on how much money you can earn. I wish I'd taken more spanish in college for that very reason. My spanish-speaking colleagues are raking in the money from the Latino community.

Answer 5

It deppends on what are your plans for the future... Maybe the Latin can help you to understand a lot of things but isn't very useful in the "real life" if you think you'll have to travel or practice in another country think about wich and take the decision based on that.

Answer 6

Greek is the mother language of all languages. As a matter of fact, 60 to 70 percent of the words in the English dictionary have their origin in the ancient/modern Greek language. And for a smart lawyer, this could come very handy.

Good luck

Answer 7

Have you ever thought about learning an Asian language, such as Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) and Japanese? I know some may downplay the role of Asian languages in English-speaking countries but to the best of my knowledge, Asian languages are gaining ground in many European countires (actually in the English-speaking world!!!)