I would like to have a career in healthcare. I am currently in college and have to take four semesters of a foreign language. I took spanish in high school and had a hard time with it because I can’t roll my R’s. Would it be more useful to learn sign language? Or should I just suck it up and learn spanish?
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Are there more deaf people than spanish speakers around you? If so, you’re better off studying sign language.
They’re both useful, I can’t argue with that.
My vote would be for Spanish, as that is definitely useful for lots of jobs. Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and it’s the second most spoken language in the US, so there are LOTS of speakers. Plus, it’s great for travel.
Not to mention that ASL would only be useful in the US, being American Sign Language and all.
I’m not sure why not being able to roll your R’s would be a hindrance to your learning Spanish (I can’t roll mine, not the trilled R, anyway), but you can do it eventually with practice.
edit: Listen to Rayna. 🙂 Definitely do Sign if you already prefer it; if you’re not planning to become fluent in Spanish or another foreign language, there *might* not be much point in forcing yourself.
Honestly, unless you are either practicing on the border of mexico or next door to a deaf school, you’ll have to decide based on what you’ll expect to need.
Spanish is most prevelant, and I can’t count the number of times it has helped me. I translate all the time for other people, and I can’t help but be glad I studied it when I see the relief spread over someone’s face as they realize someone can understand them and help them. It’s a terrible situation to be going to see a doctor in a foreign country and not understand a word, when you’re sick and scared (take it from me; I’ve been there).
I don’t know where you live, but it’s likely that, if you’re anywhere in the southern half of the US (and maybe elsewhere, I don’t know), Spanish will be the most useful. Plus, it looks really good on your resume and helps you get hired.
A good way to stop being irritated and frustrated with a language is to get out there and use it. Make Spanish friends, hang out with Spanish people, volunteer in a local church’s ESL (English as a Second Language) class and you will learn more than you thought possible, and without even trying. And then class will be easier and more enjoyable. Better yet, go on vacation somewhere exclusively Spanish-speaking.
Okay, now that I’ve advocated Spanish, Let’s assume you just really hate it and don’t want to take it still.
Take Sign! All the Spanish classes in the world won’t help you or your gpa if you’re miserable and not learning anything! Some people’s tongues’s just weren’t designed to learn other spoken languages; Sign Language is amazingly easy to learn and remember, because you are DOING something, which is easier to replicate later (as opposed to trying to remember a bunch of random sounds that make no sense to you). I practically double my vocabulary every time I start signing–lol it’s easy because I don’t know much–and it usually sticks too, because the signs represent the things they mean (Like pretending to hold a baby means “baby).
If communication in ASL breaks down, you can always start writing, but it’s great to chat silently across a room!
Good luck either way!
They are both very useful to know, but I would choose Spanish. There are an increasing number of Spanish speaking people in the United States. If you are wanting a career in health care, I would highly recommend learning Spanish and a lot of employers like it when you know Spanish. It can increase your paycheck by 7-8 dollars just by knowing it. I’m in the process of learning Spanish, and I can’t roll my R’s at all, but I’m still great at Spanish.
This is a really cheesy thing to say and really cliche, but the thing that I’ve learned the most if say it loud and say it proud.
When you mumble, it’s hard for a teacher to correct you and help you.