German
German is one of the official languages of the European Union and the United Nations and can get you through Europe, eastern Africa, and parts of Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and the US. Germany is one of the top export nations in the world and, along with German-speaking Switzerland and Austria, is a hub of international finance. Knowledge of German will give the student a deeper understanding of modern Western culture because large sections of American popular culture have roots in German culture. Modern science is based on, and continues to thrive on, massive contributions from German scientists and German philosophers who shaped most of the modern schools of philosophical thought.