Mandarin or Arabic? I think I want to switch!

Ok so a shorter version :smile:

I'm about to send of my applicaiton in a couple of days. I'm applying for German and Mandarin, but I really think I may want to change it to German and Arabic... I know that Mandarin would better for me as I could never even travel to the middle east happily but I've just had this annoying feleing for so long that I would enjoy the course so much more!

Also, what doens't help is that I don't really like any of the unis offering German and Mandarin, whereas German and Arabic has a lot better choice...

I know that my family wouldn't be happy with me switching to Arabic, but they're quite good and they'd never stop me, just wouldn't be particularly pleased about it.

I don't know what to do? :frown:

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Reply 1

alixxxxxx1

that was a bit unnecessarily long lol...probably why no ones answered.
you dont really have a problem i mean if your application hasnt been sent off just change it.

Reply 2

footballcrazy12

i cant be asked to read all that

Reply 3

afua12

yeh, It was a bit ridiculously long to start with, it's just that I'm so confused!

I'm just having a look now to see which unis offer both courses, maybe I could just apply to those for straight German and then see if I could switch courses to add Arabic/Mandarin once I'm there...

really, any suggestions at all would be really helpful :smile:

Reply 4

Belle88

I would definitely learn Mandarin, what are you gonna do with Arabic? I'm sure you'll love any uni you go to - that's how it ends up for most people

Reply 5

Toffee_Kid

I'd say Arabic - if you wouldn't want to travel to the middle east, the northern Africans speak arabic as well (although the dialect + accent are a little different, like British English and American English are, but they are still beautiful places and you'll be able to communicate perfectly)

At the end of the day, do what you think you will enjoy most. If you'd most like to learn German and Arabic then that's what you should do :smile:

Reply 6

motherofpearl

I love Mandarin, and I would definitely stick with that. It's really, really fun and beautiful.

Reply 7

pookiepotato

Hey OP, I think Arabic may be more useful. You don't necessarily have to travel anywhere to put it to use. Also consider that I think Mandarin is harder.

Reply 8

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pookiepotato

Hey OP, I think Arabic may be more useful. You don't necessarily have to travel anywhere to put it to use. Also consider that I think Mandarin is harder.

Arabic is harder than Mandarin. Hardest things about Mandarin are remembering the character and pronunciation. Anyway, I think you should do the language you will enjoy the most; it seems like you want to do Arabic to me.

Reply 9

PeanutButterJellyTime

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I learnt how to speak arabic in 3 weeks. Getting more fluent slowly. :eyeball:

While I was in Sudan.

Reply 10

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PeanutButterJellyTime

I learnt how to speak arabic in 3 weeks. Getting more fluent slowly. :eyeball:

While I was in Sudan.

Your point is? You have no comparison as you haven't studied Mandarin (I don't think so anyway :p:

) And moreover, it depends on what you consider as 'fluent.' I highly doubt you could merely be at an intermediate level in a language with only 3 weeks at the native country.

Reply 11

PeanutButterJellyTime

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Your point is? You have no comparison as you haven't studied Mandarin (I don't think so anyway :p:

) And moreover, it depends on what you consider as 'fluent.' I highly doubt you could merely be at an intermediate level in a language with only 3 weeks at the native country.

I worked with my dad. Could have decent conversations with his business partners in Arabic.

Reply 12

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PeanutButterJellyTime

I worked with my dad. Could have decent conversations with his business partners in Arabic.

Did you have any prior knowledge of the language? If not then either you're an incredibly quick learner OR your father's business parters were just dumbing down the grammatical structures/vocabulary used when speaking with you. I just find it hard to believe that you can be fluent in three weeks without any prior knowledge of a language.

Reply 13

PeanutButterJellyTime

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I have no prior knowledge I just basically went everywhere by local transport.(that was hell its crazy hot and annoying when there is no room to move) Arabic is pretty easy to pick up I think.

Reply 14

Noémie

stop arguing.

op, you could apply for some german and arabic and some german and mandarin. take a look at which culture interests you more: arab or chinese.

Reply 15

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PeanutButterJellyTime

I have no prior knowledge I just basically went everywhere by local transport.(that was hell its crazy hot and annoying when there is no room to move) Arabic is pretty easy to pick up I think.

Okay and I agree, the heat is incredibly annoying in Asia too! Also, Noemie we are not arguing! :p:

I must go, so ye: I think that you should choose the two language that you will enjoy studying the most.

Reply 16

Anatheme

I'm biased since I'm studying Arabic, but still…

I wouldn't study Mandarin because I don't really like the language nor do I appreciate the culture that much. It may be useful indeed, if you can spend a long time in the country, because mentalities are different and it may be quite a shock. The language is of course difficult, and I do believe that it's harder than Arabic, tbh. The pronunciation is not easy, for sure, but I suppose that learning ideograms is complicated and they work with a system of ideas, which is very difficult to master when you only ever used words to describe your thoughts. If you are interested in culture and History, a Mandarin course would suit you because Asian history is incredible and China in particular. I don't think they focus much on eco/pol like Arabic courses can do sometimes, but it's probably worth it if you love civilisation.

I chose Arabic because I particularly love the political background, I find the conflicts pretty interesting and they have (like China) an incredible history and culture. What is difficult with the language is the very important amount of vocabulary. They are fond of synonyms and will use them all the time. There is also the fact that each country has a different dialect and that Moroccan people won't understand Syrian people. The alphabet only has 28 letters, the pronunciation is a bit of a bitch if you have no experience of it (like Muslim students in my course have almost perfect pronunciation, English students can die… ), and I suppose you have to quite like grammar if you want to learn Arabic. It is, however, well structured and with rare exceptions, so if you learn it correctly and stick to it, you should be fine.

Now, I would say that Arabic is probably more useful since you can use it not only in one or two countries like Mandarin but in about 15, which widen your range a lot. Bear in mind that even with a degree you won't get to know the language perfectly and will need to spend a significant amount of time in either China or an Arab country to reach fluency. And I believe the Middle East has more links with Germany (Ottoman empire, etc) than China does, so you may find that enjoyable when you study a degree :smile:

I tried to be as unbiased as I could, I hope it helps you. As said before, choose a language you really think you have a genuine interest for, because these two languages require a lot of work and commitment, and if you end up not liking it, then it's not worth it. I think a pro/con list can be useful in your case, if you want to compare both languages :p:

. Good luck with your application!

Reply 17

Spinal

If you'd rather do Arabic, change your application...it really is as simple as that. Don't apply to do something simply because you think that it will be 'better' for you or because it makes your parents happy. I very much enjoy studying Mandarin, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you will too. Just think about what you'd rather spend the next 3/4 years studying.

Reply 18

renaissancemensch

As it happens, I have also applied to study German and Arabic. It is an unusual combination but don't be put off by strange looks or the lack of choice; Arabic and German isn't actually as rare a combination as it might at first seem- it's possible at Leeds, Lampeter Exeter, Manchester, Durham, Oxbridge (a lot of these courses don't appear on a UCAS search for "German and Arabic"- you have to go to the uni websites). One thing I would add is that Mandarin, undeniably, requires a lot more work than Arabic- I have seen a table showing the average number of hours required to learn different languages and Chinese is more time-consuming than Arabic. But both the Middle East and China are great cultures and civilisations with rich literatures and histories. And if it's usefulness you're after, China is an emerging superpower and a booming economy, but with Arabic you could also make a lot of money in the Gulf. So I guess you'll just have to see what you're more interested in doing. One thing I would not recommend is applying for straight German and seeing if you could switch courses to add Arabic/Mandarin once you're there- I think that is quite unlikely.

Reply 19

Anatheme

renaissancemensch

As it happens, I have also applied to study German and Arabic. It is an unusual combination but don't be put off by strange looks or the lack of choice; Arabic and German isn't actually as rare a combination as it might at first seem- it's possible at Leeds, Lampeter Exeter, Manchester, Durham, Oxbridge (a lot of these courses don't appear on a UCAS search for "German and Arabic"- you have to go to the uni websites). One thing I would add is that Mandarin, undeniably, requires a lot more work than Arabic- I have seen a table showing the average number of hours required to learn different languages and Chinese is more time-consuming than Arabic. But both the Middle East and China are great cultures and civilisations with rich literatures and histories. And if it's usefulness you're after, China is an emerging superpower and a booming economy, but with Arabic you could also make a lot of money in the Gulf. So I guess you'll just have to see what you're more interested in doing. One thing I would not recommend is applying for straight German and seeing if I could switch courses to add Arabic/Mandarin once you're there- I think that is quite unlikely.

I'm pretty sure Scottish unis also offer it (Edinburgh, St Andrews). However I've seen more people doing Arabic and Spanish than combining it with German, I suppose it's more logical to choose Turkish do to evident links between the two languages. What made you choose German?