2008 Woodie Awards
Letter: Languages are important part of the Liberal Arts
Issue date: 12/1/06 Section: Opinion
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To the editor:
One can agree that the presence of social science courses in the curriculum here at Saint Joseph's University is essential, but the assertion by Ms. Van Meter in the Oct. 12 edition of The Hawk that courses exposing our students to foreign languages are "expendable" is one that cannot be ignored. In light of the fact that the agenda of the author of promoting one area of the University's curriculum was tastelessly carried out at the expense of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature and, more specifically, the Italian Program, I feel the need to respond to this article from the perspective of one who is a Psychology major (like the author) and also of one who has taken more than a completion of the GER requirement away from her study of a foreign language.
The suggestion that the acquisition of a second language "doesn't have application" in the lives of those who study it is one statement of this article that I had (and still am having) a difficult time grasping. One cannot argue against the fact that the ability to communicate in a language other than one's native tongue is often essential to the progression of one's own personal success in terms of the current global economy. More and more companies today interact with companies based overseas on a daily basis and the demand for employees who can converse in the language of their foreign affiliates, understand that country's culture and act as a liaison between companies has greatly risen in the past decade. Therefore a student who has studied a foreign language indubitably has more of an advantage over one who has not, regardless of their career choice. I do not doubt that employers enjoy social science courses, but I can guarantee that a résumé of a recent graduate displaying any foreign language comprehension will place them higher on a company's list of those who they are considering for hire. And when considering the University as a business venture, as Ms. Van Meter so aptly put it, wouldn't it behoove Saint Joseph's University to continue foreign language requirements in order to give their students the competitive edge as they leave Hawk Hill and enter the work force? Our "toughest competitors" (cited as Villanova and Loyola) both have foreign language requirements, with Villanova offering more than ten languages to their students. I find that the author's suggestion to expend ours would most definitely place our curriculum sub-par to those universities that require the study of foreign language.
One can agree that the presence of social science courses in the curriculum here at Saint Joseph's University is essential, but the assertion by Ms. Van Meter in the Oct. 12 edition of The Hawk that courses exposing our students to foreign languages are "expendable" is one that cannot be ignored. In light of the fact that the agenda of the author of promoting one area of the University's curriculum was tastelessly carried out at the expense of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature and, more specifically, the Italian Program, I feel the need to respond to this article from the perspective of one who is a Psychology major (like the author) and also of one who has taken more than a completion of the GER requirement away from her study of a foreign language.
The suggestion that the acquisition of a second language "doesn't have application" in the lives of those who study it is one statement of this article that I had (and still am having) a difficult time grasping. One cannot argue against the fact that the ability to communicate in a language other than one's native tongue is often essential to the progression of one's own personal success in terms of the current global economy. More and more companies today interact with companies based overseas on a daily basis and the demand for employees who can converse in the language of their foreign affiliates, understand that country's culture and act as a liaison between companies has greatly risen in the past decade. Therefore a student who has studied a foreign language indubitably has more of an advantage over one who has not, regardless of their career choice. I do not doubt that employers enjoy social science courses, but I can guarantee that a résumé of a recent graduate displaying any foreign language comprehension will place them higher on a company's list of those who they are considering for hire. And when considering the University as a business venture, as Ms. Van Meter so aptly put it, wouldn't it behoove Saint Joseph's University to continue foreign language requirements in order to give their students the competitive edge as they leave Hawk Hill and enter the work force? Our "toughest competitors" (cited as Villanova and Loyola) both have foreign language requirements, with Villanova offering more than ten languages to their students. I find that the author's suggestion to expend ours would most definitely place our curriculum sub-par to those universities that require the study of foreign language.
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