Will being trilingual help?

[Jeffy]

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I'm Hispanic so I speak Spanish fluenty. Great. Whatever. But by December, I will also be fluent in Nepali as a result of a study abroad program I'll be doing. Do med schools even care if someone speaks Nepali or any other language that is't Spanish? Or will it somehow help my application? I'd think that it could only help stand out. What do ya'll think?

 

[Doctora Foxy]

Of course it will only help. How much? Depends on whether or not you stress it as a big aspect of your application.

 

[Original]

Speaking Nepali will help extremely. They like to brag about stuff like that in their propaganda brochures. Make it sound exotic. Like no med school class can be complete without a nepali-speaking person. I speak yoruba and you can bet that I put it in my essays. Despite the fact that I might never get to use it on the wards in the U.S, it still adds some cultural "spice" and diversity (I want to say bull****, but then I think they (adcoms) have a point 😀 ).

 

[oldman]

It doesn't ever hurt to know more.

 

[Taty]

I think it does not hurt . I speak Ukranian, Spanish, Russian. It only helps me to know more.
As a doctor you going to have different patients, so it helps you understand them better I think. 🙂

Taty

 

[Dr. Kermit]

I am bilingual and while I don't think it helped me in the admissions process, I do think it made for interesting conversations during my interviews. In one of my interviews, I was even asked how to say certain words in Vietnamese.

 

[vinsanity]

It definitely helps. I speak Spanish, Cantonese, and of course English. The admissions officers were impressed.

 

[Tweetie_bird]

ok, well...quick question.
I have spoken 5 languages FLUENTLY since I was a kid, and I only understand about 2 others. Out of those 5 langues, I have used perhaps 3 all the time and the other two being remotely used. Yet, i could carry a conversation in them with .....15 mins of practise. What should I put down on my application as number of langues?

I don't want to sound like a fake or anything...so is it better to be conservative about the number?

Thanks,
Tweetie

 

[Resident Alien]

I speak three languages, and know one 50-50. No med schools ever mentioned it.

 

[hellokitty]

Being trilingual will help distinguish you from the rest of the applicants. Make sure that you put it into your personal statement. I speak 2 Chinese dialects and spanish and I am sure that it had gotten me a couple of interviews (I was asked about it at all of the open-file interviews).

 

[guavero]

Hey Vinsanity and Hello Kitty,

Are you fluent in Spanish and Chinese? If so, which country are you from?

El Tico

 

[Mutterkuchen]

Definitely put it on your application. It certainly sounds interesting. However, I do question how you think that you will be fluent by December. It takes years for most adults to become fluent in a non-native language. If you were 5 that would be another story.

 

[Jeffy]

•••quote:••• However, I do question how you think that you will be fluent by December.••••First of all ace, if you knew, you'd know that I'm doing an intensive language study while Im there. Second of all chief, I'll be living with a family that does not speak a shred of English. And by the way, everyone that has come out of this program can speak, read, and write the language after only a couple months due to the program's intensity. So don't ask me "how I think I'll be fluent by December." And the answer is "no," Corky, I'm not 5.

 

[Original]

JBJ,
BowB4Jeff is right. It's certainly possible for an adult to become fluent in a language in as little as 5 months. Especially when there is no other choice than to attain this fluency; and that seems to be the case with his program.

 

[Mutterkuchen]

If you can become fluent in 5 months, more power to you. I certainly did not mean to be offensive. I would like to say, though, that just because you can speak, read, and write a language does not mean that you are fluent.

I myself learned two languages (in addition to English) the way that you described: intensive study combined with total immersion. I spoke virtually no English for virtually 1 year for both of the languages living in both Nicaragua and Germany. Though I was able to speak, read, and write both, I certainly will not be arrogant enough to put on my med school application that I am fluent in either! Conversant and proficient, yes, but not fluent. There is a big difference. Fluency takes years not months, unless you learn the language as a child. . . even if you learn it a intensive environment.

 

[Original]

JBJ,
I'm sure we're all saying the same thing. He is certainly not going to be able to speak nepali as well as a monk who has never left Nepal before. However, he'll be able to effortlessly carry out conversations in a fluid manner. That's fluency right there. There are several grades of mastery of a language. Some people are life-long scholars of the language and are on a totally different level than 99% of native speakers can even fathom. One doesn't have to attain such virtuosity to claim fluency.

 

[guavero]

Oye Jeff,

De que parte de Costa Rica sos? Mae, yo vivo por Curri 🙂

Tico

 

[Jeffy]

JBJ,

I can see what you mean, but overall I would have to agree with Original. If my definition of fluency is that I am able to communicate in depth effortlessly with people in their native tongue, thats good enough with me. I dont plan on being Sherpa King BowB4Jeff but I sure as hell do think that I can define myself as fluent in Nepali when I get back. In fact, I'm hoping the adcoms will wanna see how fluent I am. By the way, sorry about the tone the first time. 🙂

Original,

See above. I agree entirely with your remarks. 😀 The program is exactly as you described it.

Guavero,

Yo soy de aqu? y nac? en California, pero mi mam?, pap?, y hermano todos nacieron en Costa Rica. Mucho de la familia m?a que todav?a vive en Costa Rica son de San Francisco de Dos R?os, a 15 minutos de San Jos?. Tambi?n tengo bastante familia en Cebadilla, un pueblo en el campo en Alajuela cerca a Turrucares y Atenas. Aunque la ?ltima ves que yo fu? alla fue hace 3 a?os, voy cada 2 a?os a visitar mi familia.

Entonces soy gringo 🙁, pero todav? soy Tico. Espero hablarte otraves pronto. Pura Vida!

 

[guavero]

Oye Jeff,

Pura vida mae, Tuanis saber que hay otro tico por aca. Por cierto, en que anio estas? Estas en el proceso de aplicacion a una escuela de medicina, o ya aplicastes para el anio que viene? Por si acaso querias saber, yo vivo por plaza del sol, en Curridabat. Yo antes iba a San Francisco de dos Rios a mejenguear con mis amigos 🙂

Ahi nos hablamos 🙂 Pura vida mae!

Tico

 

[Barbara]

I think it's always a good thing to be fluent in several languages. Since I was a kid, my parents taught me some, but also hired some tutors for the rest. As a kid, I felt offended like: "why can't I play with the rest of crowd, but be stuck with that tutor?" Well, today, I can write in my amcas essay--I speak fluently Slovak, Czeck, French, English, Russian and Polish. But, can't speak fluent Spanish---havent' try hard enough. So, congrats to those that do

 

[nebula7]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Tweetie_bird:
•ok, well...quick question.
I have spoken 5 languages FLUENTLY since I was a kid, and I only understand about 2 others. Out of those 5 langues, I have used perhaps 3 all the time and the other two being remotely used. Yet, i could carry a conversation in them with .....15 mins of practise. What should I put down on my application as number of langues?

I don't want to sound like a fake or anything...so is it better to be conservative about the number?

Thanks,
Tweetie•••••Tweetie,
I would only put languages that you are sure you would do great if interviewed in that language. The Dr I used to work for knew spanish, and put that on her app, but she was surprised when her interviewer drilled her in spanish!
If you are talking about a personal statement, maybe you could state which ones you are most comfortable with as being "fluent," and the others you could say something such as.."While on a less extensive basis, I also am familiar w/ (language)"

 

[Jeffy]

•••quote:••• I think it's always a good thing to be fluent in several languages. Since I was a kid, my parents taught me some, but also hired some tutors for the rest. As a kid, I felt offended like: "why can't I play with the rest of crowd, but be stuck with that tutor?" Well, today, I can write in my amcas essay--I speak fluently Slovak, Czeck, French, English, Russian and Polish. But, can't speak fluent Spanish---havent' try hard enough. So, congrats to those that do ••••Nice job trying to mask "advice" with "Yeah ME (while patting oneself on the back)!"
🙄

 

[Mutterkuchen]

nebula, that was the point that I was trying to make earlier with respect to being fluent. No offence bowb4, but there is no way you will be fluent in 4-5 months. That includes the definition that you gave for fluent, "communicating effortlessly in the native tongue." It takes simply longer than that. If I am wrong, send me a PM in January.

That being said, I am envious of a 5-6 month to Nepal. I wish you the best. I wish it were me.