What language did you learn for grad school and how hard was it to learn?

by zxex

Basically, I'm looking at grad schools, but I'm not anywhere near fluent in another language, so I have to learn fast. But I want to know others experiences.

notaflatlander

How easy the language is to learn isn't that relevant. You should be thinking about the language that will help support your research -- particularly if you plan on going into a PhD program.

In my case it was Japanese (which I found impossible) and German (which was no problem). I use both languages to read sources for my dissertation. Even an "easy" language is very difficult to learn well. It's best not to waste time building unnecessary skills to save a little time in the short run.