I read an entry on NAFSA's blog today which referred to a recent article from the New York Times by Lawrence Summers, former president of Harvard University. The article, entitled "What You (Really) Need to Know", is about the future of higher education. One of the points he makes is that foreign language study is no longer an important aspect of higher education because
English is the lingua franca these days. The NAFSA
blog entry, written by Victor Johnson, attacks the NYT article. Johnson writes that the study of foreign language is still relevant due to the ease of communication, as opposed to using a translating device or app. He argues that the United States is arrogant by not learning foreign languages and insisting the world comes to us.
My question is, what about American exceptionalism? Does learning a foreign language and/or requiring foreign language as part of an undergraduate degree really diminish the value of America? I have to wonder about it if the former president of the premier American university believes foreign language study is a skill quickly losing its usefulness.
My experience in studying a foreign language during college is that there are different students of foreign language. There are the students who take Spanish because we live in Oklahoma and everyone takes Spanish in high school and are finished as soon as the general education requirement is fulfilled. There are those who study a language because they want to pursue a career in that language, translating or business for example. Finally, there are those who study a language because they love languages and cultures for their own sake. (I fit in the last category.) Summers is correct that for the majority of students studying a foreign language, particularly in the first category, it is a waste of time, energy, and university dollars. Most students will not work abroad or communicate daily with someone who does not speak English well. But what about the other two categories? Is there a value in communicating in French with a French business associate? Should an American journalist be able to ask a visiting dignitary questions in his or her own language? Summers would argue no, and I believe he would be in the majority of Americans. And I haven't even begun to discuss the impact of foreign language on study abroad programs! I think I see a part two ahead...
My experience in studying a foreign language during college is that there are different students of foreign language. There are the students who take Spanish because we live in Oklahoma and everyone takes Spanish in high school and are finished as soon as the general education requirement is fulfilled. There are those who study a language because they want to pursue a career in that language, translating or business for example. Finally, there are those who study a language because they love languages and cultures for their own sake. (I fit in the last category.) Summers is correct that for the majority of students studying a foreign language, particularly in the first category, it is a waste of time, energy, and university dollars. Most students will not work abroad or communicate daily with someone who does not speak English well. But what about the other two categories? Is there a value in communicating in French with a French business associate? Should an American journalist be able to ask a visiting dignitary questions in his or her own language? Summers would argue no, and I believe he would be in the majority of Americans. And I haven't even begun to discuss the impact of foreign language on study abroad programs! I think I see a part two ahead...
