I do think that there's one reform in the humanity/social science/arts & letters departments of American universities that would provide a massive upgrade: require proficiency in at least one language other than English in order to graduate.
Perhaps my biggest academic regret is that I remain monolingual. In every other nation I can thin…
I do think that there's one reform in the humanity/social science/arts & letters departments of American universities that would provide a massive upgrade: require proficiency in at least one language other than English in order to graduate.
Perhaps my biggest academic regret is that I remain monolingual. In every other nation I can think of (with the possible exception of the UK) that's practically unheard of for a college graduate. In more than few large nations, that incapacity is uncommon even for high school graduates. The US has really been coasting in that regard. It's false security.
I sympathize with your thinking, especially now that we live in *such an International World ! However, that language will not be as useful if we only begin the study at College age. I live in Santa Fe, NM, where we have so many Europeans both visiting and in residence, that some of our Green Interstate Mileage Markers are listed in Kilometers. I am astounded by how well-educated young Europeans are compared to most young Americans.
A young German National woman here speaks *impeccable English. Far better than all but the best educated Americans. However, in Germany, the training in English begins in First Grade and does not end until graduation from High School. Learning their English from the Brits, of course, does give the Germans a lovely British Accent, but you can still hear the "bounce", or rhythm, in their speech that comes from the Native German language cadence.
Only a short time ago, Americans did not perceive a *need to be bi-lingual, much less multi-lingual, because, of course, we can drive 3000 miles coast to coast without *ever hitting a language change, or being stopped and asked for "our papers". We can go North to Canada and still be understood as long as we stay out of the French-Speaking areas of Eastern Canada.
When I first when to Europe, I was stunned at the fact that, what *seemed to be "every Fifty miles" or so to an American, you hit a complete language change, and you used to spend much time at borders presenting your "papers".
It is not uncommon for Europeans to speak as many as five different languages, simply because they are required by their very geography to do so. Good thing that many of the languages are very similar. Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French and Romanian are all "Regional Dialects" based upon Ancient Roman Latin.
English has a *lot of French based words in the language ever since "William the Conqueror", a French-speaking Norman, invaded and conquered England in 1066. French became the official language of his court, and that French eventually blended with the local Anglo-Saxon, producing modern English.
Now that we *are so International, your point becomes even *more important ! Scientists working on International projects will often speak *only in German during the course of the project. They find that German as a language, suffers the *least from ambiguity and potential for misunderstanding. (That is also the reason that German humor is often *very different from the humor of "other" languages.) ;-D
In fact, there can be *no question that much-improved Public Education is an integral aspect of American Infrastructure.
I do think that there's one reform in the humanity/social science/arts & letters departments of American universities that would provide a massive upgrade: require proficiency in at least one language other than English in order to graduate.
Perhaps my biggest academic regret is that I remain monolingual. In every other nation I can think of (with the possible exception of the UK) that's practically unheard of for a college graduate. In more than few large nations, that incapacity is uncommon even for high school graduates. The US has really been coasting in that regard. It's false security.
@ Mascot
I sympathize with your thinking, especially now that we live in *such an International World ! However, that language will not be as useful if we only begin the study at College age. I live in Santa Fe, NM, where we have so many Europeans both visiting and in residence, that some of our Green Interstate Mileage Markers are listed in Kilometers. I am astounded by how well-educated young Europeans are compared to most young Americans.
A young German National woman here speaks *impeccable English. Far better than all but the best educated Americans. However, in Germany, the training in English begins in First Grade and does not end until graduation from High School. Learning their English from the Brits, of course, does give the Germans a lovely British Accent, but you can still hear the "bounce", or rhythm, in their speech that comes from the Native German language cadence.
Only a short time ago, Americans did not perceive a *need to be bi-lingual, much less multi-lingual, because, of course, we can drive 3000 miles coast to coast without *ever hitting a language change, or being stopped and asked for "our papers". We can go North to Canada and still be understood as long as we stay out of the French-Speaking areas of Eastern Canada.
When I first when to Europe, I was stunned at the fact that, what *seemed to be "every Fifty miles" or so to an American, you hit a complete language change, and you used to spend much time at borders presenting your "papers".
It is not uncommon for Europeans to speak as many as five different languages, simply because they are required by their very geography to do so. Good thing that many of the languages are very similar. Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French and Romanian are all "Regional Dialects" based upon Ancient Roman Latin.
English has a *lot of French based words in the language ever since "William the Conqueror", a French-speaking Norman, invaded and conquered England in 1066. French became the official language of his court, and that French eventually blended with the local Anglo-Saxon, producing modern English.
Now that we *are so International, your point becomes even *more important ! Scientists working on International projects will often speak *only in German during the course of the project. They find that German as a language, suffers the *least from ambiguity and potential for misunderstanding. (That is also the reason that German humor is often *very different from the humor of "other" languages.) ;-D
In fact, there can be *no question that much-improved Public Education is an integral aspect of American Infrastructure.
"However, that language will not be as useful if we only begin the study at College age."
That's beyond dispute.