Foreign Language Requirement

Since I was a Spanish major, I would like to think that there should be a language requirement at the university level, but I'm not sure if that is a reality.  It certainly could be worked into the general education courses, but doing this may cause many students to dread taking a foreign language.  In my experience many students become overwhelmed by attempting to communicate in a language they do not know or that they have to learn from square one.  They shut it out because they think that all they will learn are formulas for conjugating verbs or have to memorize list after list of new vocabulary words.

In place of a required foreign language class then, I would propose a required foreign culture class with introductory language elements.  I think the first step is getting students interested in learning another language and showing them why it would be important to learn.  Many university students may come to college with prior knowledge of a language, but I have found that in high school not that many actually learn about culture.  I know this too from personal experience.  I became a Spanish major by chance.  I had a free class my freshman year so I decided to take Spanish because it has always been relatively simple for me in high school.  Only when I took that first course at UNH however did I really learn about culture in Spanish speaking countries.  That being said, it was the culture and the real world application of Spanish that made me want to continue with the language.  I truly think that this can be the hook needed at upper levels for students are not already interested in the language.

Finally, I believe that languages should be incorporated into all learning starting in the elementary school.  If this can be done, then a required course at the university level would be very possible.  From an early age, expose to another language would only be a positive thing.  It would open doors for students to become fluent in many languages and communicate with people around the world.  They do this in many counties in Europe and I think that we could all learn from their example to improve foreign language education here in the United States. 

Foreign language requirements

I think that making a requirement for foreign languages at the university level could either help or hinder students, depending on their major and background.  I believe foreign languages are building blocks for general learning and become helpful skills to have in most situations including in the job market. 

As a requirement for university level students, I think that foreign languages may hurt more than help some students because there are some people who struggle greatly with learning a new language.  If required to complete a foreign language series, some student who do not do well in those classes may fail to complete the requirement.  One example of this kind of student is a science, math, or engineering student.  Speaking from my experience as a former engineering student, I know that there are people whose minds simply function differently when it comes to different kinds of information retention and comprehension.  Some people are, through no fault of their own, simply better at analytical thought as opposed to creative and language based knowledge.  For that kind of student, forcing a language requirement upon them could, at best, take up some of their time from their other studies, detracting from their focus, or, at worst, cause them to fall behind in their coursework or even prevent them from progressing because of failures. 

While I certainly understand the desire to create a well-rounded student, I think that there are better ways to broaden a student’s knowledge and skill set while in college.  One sure way to hinder a student’s progress in school is to force them to do something they do not enjoy or understand. 

Language Requirement

I do believe that all students at the university level should be required to take at least one foreign language class. I know many people argue that required classes in college (our beloved “gen-eds”) are pointless because for many people, once they get to the college level, they already know which subject areas they are interested in and which subject areas they are not. I understand this argument but throughout my time at UNH, I have actually come to support the idea of required classes, and I definitely believe that a foreign language class should be among those necessary courses.

            I think it is very important to remember that everyone at the university level has very different educational backgrounds depending on the type of secondary education they received. Students may think they “know” what they are interested in when they enter college, but their like or dislike of certain subject areas may just be the product of their previous schooling. At the university level, you will find some students who came from high schools that offered seven or eight languages. Some of these students chose to take three years of intensive Spanish in high school, then studied abroad for a summer, then took one year of AP Spanish and aced the AP test. However, you will also find students at the university level who came from high schools with struggling language programs—students who were only offered Spanish, who studied it for three years but were taught entirely in English, and students who had unenthusiastic teachers and poorly written textbooks. The students who had nothing but bad experiences with foreign language classes are probably not interested in taking college level language classes because they already think that they will hate it. It’s these unmotivated students that need the language requirement. It’s these students who need to give foreign language a second chance in college to see how it can benefit them throughout their lives.  

At the university level, students usually have many different languages to choose from, so if you hated Spanish in high school, you can try Chinese in college! If you meet a cool friend in one of your classes from Tunisia, you can try Arabic or French! It doesn’t matter which language you study or why you want to study it, it just matters that you give foreign language a try. Languages can open up so many doors for a person. Not only do languages help people communicate but they help people build relationships, tiptoe/jump out of their comfort zones, and open their eyes and minds to different ideas. I think that studying another language can only benefit a person—to what degree it will benefit them in their life, I don’t know, but I definitely think that studying foreign languages is a good thing that everyone should try to have a good experience with. At the university level where there are so many people from so many different places, all with different educational experiences and backgrounds, I think it is very important to require students to take at least one foreign language class.

Discussion #1: Foreign Language Requirement

Should a foreign language be required for all students at the university? Why? Express your opinion on this issue. Don't forget to read your peers' postings and respond to them.