What language would you have your kids learn?

**nats** · 25-02-2011 19:46

What language would you have your kids learn if you had access to tuition-

Mandarin

Arabic

or a language that is not as popular here in Australia but is spoken by relatives who live overseas.

I know no one (no relatives) who speak Chinese or Arabic yet I have no doubt either would be useful to learn (perhaps more so than the usual school curriculum available when I was at school - French, German, Spanish)

However, if I could even fund such tution for my children to learn a foreign language, I'm torn between having them learn something useful and popular or a language spoken by relatives who live overseas, whom I've never seen and who likely speak English anyway.

WWYD?

**Buttoneska** · 25-02-2011 19:50

I spose mandarin or arabic is the most logical, but for mine I would probably pick french or latin... because I think they are beautiful languages.

**SassyMummy** · 25-02-2011 19:51

Sorry OP, I'd choose neither.

I think in LOTE in school, you're unlikely to learn anything truly useful... so because of that, I'd rather DD learn French because it sounds so pretty. lol.

**BigRedV** · 25-02-2011 19:52

Latin or Irish

But Mandarin or Arabic would be very useful for my children as we have a lot of people in our area who speak those languages

**One of THOSE mums!** · 25-02-2011 19:52

I think that's a really tough question.

When I was younger mandarin and Arabic weren't relevant to the day.
But look at now.
If they learn mandarin and Arabic now, will it be relevant by the time they finish all their studies and go out into the real world.

**bebea** · 25-02-2011 19:54

Definitely Mandarin, if I could speak Mandarin I would have so many career opportunities. But who is to say this is going to be the case when DS enters the workforce!

**nothanksbye** · 25-02-2011 19:55

My kids will learn irish.
No one really speaks it to them...except distant relatives , who also speak english.

**Pina Colada** · 25-02-2011 19:58

Other - Spanish

And Italian (for ancestory reasons)

**BabushkaMumma** · 25-02-2011 19:58

Hard...I speak another language at home - also learned Mandarin at university level, and German too.

I would probably say Mandarin. It's a hard language, requires discipline and commitment which are good qualities to learn and who knows what amazing opportunities could open up there...