I have been tossing up between 3 languages for a while now, and can't make up my mind. The three are Spanish, German and Arabic. I'd like to learn Spanish purely for the travel side of things, as there are many countries in which it is very useful.
I'd like to learn German because, as of last year, I'm also an italian citizen, meaning I can work in Europe freely. With Germany being a leader of European affairs, job prospects seem most promising there. Ultimately, with Arabic, I feel it'd be really useful for my chosen career (something in the oil industry), hence making it equally as viable as the other two.. What are your opinions? Which to choose?
Which do you like best?The answer to that question should no doubt be the answer to which you should choose. If you like it, no matter how hard or boring it is, you will work hard to study it and persevere. That's what you want.
What past experience do you have with that language?If you're fluent in only English, German or Spanish is most likely your best bet. The grammar isn't as hard to grasp, and the words should be fairly easy to remember and pronounce for an English speaker.
If you speak another European (romance) language (Italian?), do Spanish. Grammar is more or less the same.
If you speak a Middle Eastern language or an African language, choose Arabic.
Of course, before all of that -- whichever one you've learnt the most of.
What are you aiming to get out of learning a language?If it's a high ATAR, you might want nice scaling. In which case, according to the 2013 scaling report, this would be your preference:
If it's travel like you said, do Spanish. If it's job prospects like you said, do German. If it's for your career, do Arabic.
So:
I have taken a few classes in it already or know a Middle Eastern or African language. I want to learn a language I think will help me in my dream job. I'm not fussy about scaling. I like it.ArabicI have taken a few classes in it already or know a romance/European language. I want to learn a language I think will help me travel around the world. Scaling is not a priority. I like it.SpanishI have taken a few classes in it already or know English or a European langage. I want to learn a language I think will help me broaden my career prospects. Scaling would help me. I like it.German