Good Foreign Language for Physicists

[Quantum_Grid]

Hey guys;

I got to take a foreign lang. naxt semester, and I am wondering what to take. My major is physics and I am thinking maybe French (I want to go to CERN!) or maybe Greek.

Whats a good foreign language for a physicist?

 

[lisab]

Greek seems a curious choice...any particular reason?

 

[rootX]

My friend is doing like 3 Greeks because he wants to read bible/something.. in greek

 

[arildno]

Norwegian.

 

[Sorry!]

Man I've always wanted to learn latin... lol :D I'm into social sciences though

 

[symbolipoint]

To decide which language to study, ask yourself, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO WITH OR USING THIS LANGUAGE AFTER YOU STUIDIED IT FOR TWO SEMESTERS?

 

[Hel]

Latin. A springboard to learning any latin-based language out there. If you were a biologist it would help binomial nomenclature and lots of terminology make sense.

 

[drizzle]

German is quite an interesting language [there’re lots of good physics books and articles for any physicist to read]

though, I’m not expecting you to handle the language by studying it for only one semester, or is it two..whatever. I think you need at least 3 years to be good at it

 

[Quantum_Grid]

actually, i am considering trying to teach myself with rosetta stone or something, and AP'ing out of the classes.

i read in a book somewhere a while back that a lot of physicists learn greek.. don't know if there is any merit to that, but i really have do idea which one to pick.

 

[rootX]

I would ask myself which country I would like to work in. There is no other point in learning a language IMO.

 

[Quantum_Grid]

well like i said, i would like to do some REU at CERN, and speaking some French would definitely help. when i get out of school with a PhD though, i have no idea yet what i want to do.

 

[lisab]

actually, i am considering trying to teach myself with rosetta stone or something, and AP'ing out of the classes.

i read in a book somewhere a while back that a lot of physicists learn greek.. don't know if there is any merit to that, but i really have do idea which one to pick.

That brings up something I've always wondered...has anyone ever used Rosetta Stone (or a similar product)? It's not cheap (about $600, IIR). Is it effective?

 

[Astronuc]

French, German, Spanish would be good, and so would Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Farsi, Japanese, in the long term.

 

[Mororvia]

That brings up something I've always wondered...has anyone ever used Rosetta Stone (or a similar product)? It's not cheap (about $600, IIR). Is it effective?

I subscribed to the older online course which basically operates like the CDs. They have a newer one now where you can talk to a native speaker. I found it fairly effective early on to learn some basic words and phrases. To me it got difficult really quickly though, especially with the speaking. Sometimes I feel like I repeat the phrase correctly but it still stays I'm wrong. It can be discouraging.

I'm not sure if I'm going to resubscribe again or not. I was motivated in the beginning but now I don't know if I see the point in continuing since its not likely I'm ever going to travel soon enough to use it.

 

[Quantum_Grid]

Yeah a friend of mine let me borrow his Italian version of RS, and it seemed pretty cool. I don't know what it's like in the long term though, as in actually learning to speak a language fluently. I would like to hear some opinions about that from someone who has spent some time with the software.

 

[archis]

My language top list becouse of their popularity is Chinese, Spanish, Russian, English, Arabic

 

[Quantum_Grid]

Chinese seems like it would be pretty hard. I can't decide between Spanish, German, Italian, or French...

 

[lisab]

Chinese seems like it would be pretty hard. I can't decide between Spanish, German, Italian, or French...

I'm sure we have members here who work (or have worked) at CERN - where you said you would like to work someday. To those members: what is your advice?

 

[harborsparrow]

Learning to READ (not necessarily speak) German is probably the most accessible language to a native English speaker (in terms of vocabulary, the 500 or so "core words" that a child would learn first--like parts of the body, for example--are often so similar in English and German that people recognize them immediately). Also, there is a decent amount of mathematical and scientific literature in German.

Most scientists are required to develop reading proficiency in at least one foreign language, the thinking being, I believe, that they should be able to read foreign journals in their original due to the vaguaries of translation.

 

[Preno]

If this is your first second language, I'd recommend one of the easier, "mainstream" European languages (i.e. French, Spanish or German) before starting Greek.

Learning to READ (not necessarily speak) German is probably the most accessible language to a native English speaker (in terms of vocabulary, the 500 or so "core words" that a child would learn first--like parts of the body, for example--are often so similar in English and German that people recognize them immediately). Also, there is a decent amount of mathematical and scientific literature in German.

I'd say written French is somewhat easier for English speakers to understand than written German. I'm pretty sure English speakers which aren't familiar with either language (and with no training in historical linguistics/IE studies) will readily understand more words in this random extract from Le Monde:

En apparence, rien, ou presque, n'a changé. Dans le pavillon aux volets verts où est installé son cabinet d'orthophonie, Claude Breton-Fèvre continue à corriger le défaut de prononciation d'un enfant ou à raccompagner en souriant les patients sur le pas de la porte. Mais depuis un an, une part d'elle-même reste constamment à l'affût des bruits qui viennent du premier étage. "Je guette les chutes, je vérifie que maman se déplace pour aller aux toilettes et, entre deux patients, je me dépêche parfois de monter pour vérifier qu'elle va bien."

Il y a un an, Claude Breton-Fèvre et son mari ont décidé d'accueillir chez eux la mère de Claude, qui ne pouvait plus vivre seule. Atteinte de la maladie d'Alzheimer, la vieille dame venait de fêter ses 88 ans. "Elle pouvait encore se déplacer ou manger seule mais elle rangeait les objets à des endroits étranges et elle n'avait pas toujours conscience de l'heure, raconte sa fille. J'avais peur qu'elle fasse un jour une chute, qu'il lui arrive un accident."

Les premiers signes de la maladie de Germaine Breton sont apparus à l'été 2003, lors d'un séjour à la montagne : de soudains déséquilibres, quelques chutes inexpliquées, de petits oublis. A la rentrée, une neurologue lui prescrit un traitement médicamenteux, puis, trois mois plus tard, des séances d'orthophonie. A l'époque, Germaine Breton, qui, a 83 ans, vit dans une maison, à Palaiseau (Essonne), avec sa curatrice, une ancienne enseignante qu'elle connaît depuis trente ans.

than in this bit from Der Spiegel:

Kanzlerin Angela Merkel kann aufatmen: Für die FDP kommt ein Bündnis mit SPD und Grünen nach der Bundestagswahl nicht in Frage. "Es wird keine Ampel geben", stellte Parteichef Guido Westerwelle klar. Die Sozialdemokraten werben dennoch unverdrossen weiter um die Liberalen.

Berlin - Die FDP schafft Klarheit: Ein Ampel-Bündnis mit SPD und Grünen nach der Bundestagswahl wird es nicht geben. Die Liberalen stünden als Mehrheitsbeschaffer für eine Regierung mit Sozialdemokraten und Grünen nicht zur Verfügung, heißt es in dem Wahlaufruf, den die FDP-Spitzengremien am Samstag in Berlin ohne Gegenstimmen bei zwei Enthaltungen verabschiedeten. Damit hat die SPD nach der Bundestagswahl in einer Woche keine realistische Machtoption mehr als die Fortsetzung der großen Koalition. Der Aufruf soll am Sonntag auf dem Parteitag in Potsdam offiziell beschlossen werden.

Die Koalitionsaussage der FDP sei "glasklar und ohne Wenn und Aber", sagte Parteichef Guido Westerwellenach den Beratungen. Er hatte vor Beginn der Gremiensitzungen bereits die Wahlziele seiner Partei genannt: "Wir wollen die Große Koalition beenden. Wir möchten, dass es keine Chance für eine Linksregierung gibt. Wir setzen ohne Wenn und Aber auf eine bürgerliche Mehrheit aus Union und FDP." Die Programme von SPD und Grünen liefen auf eine weitere Belastung der Bürger und der Betriebe hinaus, sagte er dem "Focus". "Es wird keine Ampel geben." Die FDP sei damit in der Koalitionsfrage die einzige Partei, die völlig eindeutig sei.

Among the Germanic languages, ime Norwegian is more similar to English (both in grammar and general appearance) than German is. Of course, it is much less useful.

 

[Red Rum]

If you wan to learn a language just to complete the requirements, choose an easy one like Italian or Spanish which is perhaps a little more difficult but a lot more useful. Choose French if you have a flair for accents and want to impress the babes. If you want to learn something genuinely useful with an eye to the future, choose Mandarin or Russian... or perhaps Arabic if you're of a pessimistic nature. But remember that the language of international communication is English. Even Chinese from different provinces sometimes speak to one another in English rather than one of the Chinese dialects.

 

[drizzle]

If you wan to learn a language just to complete the requirements, choose an easy one like Italian or Spanish which is perhaps a little more difficult but a lot more useful. Choose French if you have a flair for accents and want to impress the babes. If you want to learn something genuinely useful with an eye to the future, choose Mandarin or Russian... or perhaps Arabic if you're of a pessimistic nature. But remember that the language of international communication is English. Even Chinese from different provinces sometimes speak to one another in English rather than one of the Chinese dialects.

and what do you mean by that?!

 

[Ithina]

Does it have to be a foreign language, or can it just be a second language? I took two years of American Sign language for my language requirement. ASL is good if you are a visual-spacial learner.

 

[amalgamx]

As a second language I would like to learn either Polish or German. You could learn one of those?

 

[Borek]

In general: learn Polish. Then, wherever you are, you have to find a local Pole (and there will be one around, there always is at least one) and he will be able to speak with natives.

This idea is based on my uncle observations. He is a sailor and he was everywhere, so I bet he knowns what he is talking about.

 

[Lisa!]

The language of nature

 

[CRGreathouse]

and what do you mean by that?!

My guess: more conflict between the US and Arabic countries means more opportunities for using the language. More conflict is bad, hence "pessimistic".