World’s Languages Shouldn’t Be Foreign To Us

Something’s better than nothing, right? Because of a recent decision by the New Jersey state school board, this fall’s class of incoming high school freshmen is the last group to be required to take two years of a foreign language. I suppose we should be grateful that the board — after an intense debate — didn’t completely eliminate the foreign language requirement but instead decided to scale it back to one year for those entering high school in 2004.

It is true that in today’s global village, you can travel across oceans and to many distant lands without speaking one word of any other language except English. So why should we bother with foreign languages? The answer is that language is a critical instrument that shapes one’s view of the world. Understanding the meaning of words other people use provides perhaps the most insightful gateway into the cultural differences that dominate our global landscape. As Oscar Wilde wryly noted, “Language is the noblest instrument we have, either for the revealing or concealing of thought.” Know the instrument and you can understand the thought.

What does it say about our willingness to become engaged in the world when we, as a nation, continue to belittle or underemphasize the importance of other languages? Of course, learning a foreign language is one part of a global education.

Participating in the global dialogue also requires a strong knowledge of history, economics and geography, and, most of all, an awareness of the deep connections that interweave our modern world. Studying abroad and using technology to garner views from afar also are indispensable to the modern global citizen. But learning another language is perhaps the true foundation of any education.

Supporters of the state board’s move point out that New Jersey does require schools to teach foreign languages from the first through eighth grades. It’s also true that nationwide there has been a significant increase in foreign language programs in elementary schools, from almost none in 1979 to thousands of programs today. Yet the level of these programs varies widely, and even the better ones still do not come close to successful efforts in other countries.

As a college president, I’m well aware that the problem extends beyond K–12 education. At the collegiate level, the emphasis on foreign languages and international education has not been adequate, and the number of students enrolled in foreign language classes has declined drastically over the last 40 years.

According to surveys by the American Council on Education (ACE), public support is strong for foreign language instruction and for international education in general. In a 2002 ACE survey, for instance, 80 percent supported a foreign language high school requirement. Many people today recognize that learning other languages and becoming a global citizen is necessary for professional success in a wide variety of fields.

Additionally, acquiring such knowledge may facilitate international cooperation and, ironically, it may be the most patriotic act of all. Our national security and our competitiveness are dependent on being able to understand other cultures and movements that extend beyond borders and impact our economic, political and cultural environments. Lacking that awareness will lead to foreign policy mistakes, financial blunders and international misunderstandings.

How sad a commentary is it that in the aftermath of September 11, there were desperate calls for Arabic scholars to help make sense of what had happened and for Arabic speakers to translate the voices of a world so little understood. The same need is apparent now in our mission in Iraq. ACE was one of many groups that noted a “dangerous” shortage of experts in America well versed in non-European cultures and languages. “On the whole, the quantity, level of expertise and availability of U.S. personnel with required skills do not match the national strategic needs at home or abroad.”

U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, said one lesson of September 11 “is that all future measures of a rigorous K–12 education must include a solid grounding in other cultures, other languages and other histories … we need to put the ‘world’ back into ‘world-class education.’”

Our ignorance speaks volumes and makes clear the case for foreign language instruction and global education. Our ignorance is a luxury we cannot afford after September 11. But in many places we offer some global lessons. And in New Jersey we still have a mandate for some foreign language instruction, and something’s better than nothing, right?

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