salpert

Recently I've been thinking about what I want to do for a career/in college, and I would absolutely love to learn the six (yes, all six) UN languages so I can become a translator of some sort. What college major would I want, and what schools are best for this? Thanks!

ticklemepink

Ahhh that'll take a LOT of time. I'm actually just a senior waiting to hear from PhD programs that will require 4 languages at least that I need to pass for my research and I'm only working on 2 of them!

If you've studied only one language in high school, then continue through through college and start your second once you've passed out of elementary/intermediate level. Trying to learn two brand-new languages at once can mess up your thinking process. There's a good chance that you'll probably only at least make through 2 languages in undergrad at minimum, especially that you might want to major in international relations which usually require a LOT of courses (in history, econ, poly sci, languages). However, with that said, I'd start with one language family at a time (French and Spanish for Romance, or go with German and Russian (as they have a lot of similiarities in grammar))

I recommend looking at GWU, American U, and Georgetown as they have excellent international relations program that offer a lot of opportunities in DC with all those embassies and int'l orgs.

Learning languages is not an easy thing and it does take several years to actually become fluent for translation and the best way to become fluent orally is to LIVE in that country. So pick one language that you know you'll be passionate about so you can study abroad in that country in your junior year.