Language learning struggles.

I got to around B1 German before deciding to study French because I find French culture and global influence more interesting than German, but holy shit, just one month in, I realized French listening is so much harder than German. German is extremely easy to listen to and speak, whereas French is easier to learn grammar and vocab wise IMO. 

I was wondering if anyone else here has studied multiple languages and noticed differences in difficulty between the two. Also my French prof is hot AF.

Edit: I should add, French is harder to listen to because a lot of words have letters that aren't pronounced. Speaking wise, this does make conjugation easier, but overall pronunciation is harder. 

13 Comments
 

I’ve studied multiple languages. Usually the second language is the hardest - it gets easier.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Why tf do I get MS for this? The third language gets easier.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Honestly people MS for no reason and don’t reply as to why. I have a degree in Spanish, minor in East Asian Studies (Mandarin Chinese), and studied abroad in language immersion twice. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I am fluent in Spanish and taught myself passing Dutch via the internet.

 

What did you use to learn Dutch, and also why Dutch? It's an interesting choice.

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

For Dutch, I use Duolingo and reading Dutch newspapers and watching Dutch television.

I picked Dutch due to personal curiosity. The Dutch were pioneers of our industry and their Calvinist religious movements paralleled the ones of my own heritage.

Also Dutch is incredibly similar to English (so it's quite easy), and is more or less what English would look like today if the Norman conquest had not happened.

 
Most Helpful

I've been trying to learn French basically all of my primary education life, and suck ass at it, it's a difficult language for sure. I do want to sit down one day and finally learn it, really just need to start immersing myself in it more. Learning other languages, just like Excel shortcuts, takes a lot of practice. It would be great to find a partner that speaks a foreign language, learning that from them, and then ensuring your kids are at least bilingual. I can order pierogis (and even make some) and piwo anywhere since my parents only spoke Polish at home.

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

Nostrum magnam sint harum laborum. Veritatis architecto eum ab qui et alias quae. Impedit doloribus quibusdam nemo ut. Culpa at aspernatur ullam ad. Ullam at aut minima omnis.

Sit ut consequuntur labore at reprehenderit. Ipsa ipsam sequi totam odio dolor quis.

Culpa pariatur ut ipsam qui. Iusto sed qui dolores dolores itaque est. Quia aliquam enim minima ipsum. Vero sapiente dolores dolor tenetur ut consequatur sint nostrum.

Voluptatibus neque earum provident voluptatem harum. Ut quisquam itaque repudiandae libero voluptate. Non quos odio quis rerum error alias labore.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”