Foreign language studies turn students into ‘world citizens’
Claude Hagège, a French linguist, wrote an article in a French magazine that the world is facing a crisis in language extinction. Of 5,000 languages spoken, every 15 days one becomes extinct.
“When a language is lost, we lose a whole way of thinking, a whole way of poetry, a whole way of understanding nature and a whole way of imagining,” Hagège said.
Foreign language studies are important for students to become involved in today’s global culture, said Diane Michelfelder, head of the Languages and Philosophy department.
Michelfelder said there are two important reasons to study foreign languages.
The first reason is to be a successful contributor to the global economy.
She said when she thinks about the future world, she sees one where everyone is bilingual.
Foreign language studies teach students to respect other cultures, act with empathy and expand their own identities.
“We need to see ourselves as more than just an American citizen, but as a ‘world citizen,'” Michelfelder said.
Second, for the liberal arts value, language is a means of communication. Martin Heidegger, a 20th century German philosopher, said foreign languages open up another world and access to a different vision of life, broaden horizons and increase self understanding.
The gift of learning another language is that you can give to the world and have access to information you didn’t have before, Michelfelder said.
“Foreign language studies should become more and more prevalent with the increasing diversity in our culture,” said Al Smith, a foreign language professor at USU. “Learning a foreign language gives a student a sense of pride in their heritage.”
Smith has been teaching French at USU since 1969 and is on the executive council of the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages, a national organization dedicated to the improvement and expansion of teaching and learning at all levels of instruction.
He doesn’t agree with the “melting pot” theory that everyone coming to the United States should mold into our culture and heritage.
“It enriches the school and nation to promote and invest in ethnic diversity,” Smith said. “We need to value the language and heritage of other cultures rather than forcing them to assimilate our own.”