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<h1 class="entry-title">Not just a side dish</h1>
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<li class="entry-author">by <a href="http://www.presby.edu/bluestocking/author/bluestocking-admin/" title="Posts by BlueStocking Admin" rel="author">BlueStocking Admin</a></li> <li class="gmail-category">in <a href="http://www.presby.edu/bluestocking/category/campus-community/academics/" rel="category tag">Academics</a> · <a href="http://www.presby.edu/bluestocking/category/campus-community/" rel="category tag">Campus Community</a> · <a href="http://www.presby.edu/bluestocking/category/student-life/" rel="category tag">Student Life</a> · <a href="http://www.presby.edu/bluestocking/category/student-life/studyabroad/" rel="category tag">Study Abroad/Travel</a></li> <li class="gmail-date"> — 7 Feb, 2018 </li> </ul>
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<div class="gmail-flex-caption">Libby in Lyon.</div>
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<p style="text-align:center"><strong>by Libby Fowler |</strong><em> Co-Editor-in-Chief</em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">I took my first French class when I
was around 11 years old, which was taught by a woman who was born and
raised in Europe. She seemed very “French” to my young self, with her
flyaway, unkempt dark hair, her modest use of makeup, and her brown
clogs that she wore nearly every time I saw her.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Since then, there has not been a year in my life in which I have not studied a language </span><span style="font-weight:400">— </span><span style="font-weight:400">although
there were three years during which I studied a semester of Spanish and
two years of Latin (I refer to this time as the “dark ages” of my
educational career, due to the absence of French). The 11-year-old me
found something gratifying in being able to communicate in another
language, although my motives back then were perhaps less than honorable
(since I really just wanted the ability to speak to my sisters in
French without my parents’ understanding). Needless to say, I can’t
imagine my life without some kind of language in it. </span></p>
<div id="gmail-attachment_5114" style="width:123px" class="gmail-wp-caption gmail-alignleft"><img class="gmail-size-thumbnail gmail-wp-image-5114" src="http://www.presby.edu/bluestocking/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/IMG_2110-e1517976843215-113x150.jpg" alt="" width="113" height="150"><p class="gmail-wp-caption-text">Cheese in France.</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Although I may not have known it at
the time, the study of language sculpted me into the person I am today.
Not only did I begin learning about a completely different culture, but
this, in turn, taught me valuable knowledge about my own identity as an
English-speaking American.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">As I reflect upon my time spent
applying to colleges and universities, I remember how many people
advised me to emphasize how I was a “diverse” individual, as well as
being sure to mention my concern for and knowledge of other languages
and cultures. I learned that the need for this multifacetedness only
increased as I began attending a liberal arts college, which required me
to take a few courses in the Modern Foreign Languages Department. It
was at PC that my passion for language was truly exposed. While I have
always had an interest in the French language, without PC’s requirement I
don’t know if I would have started studying the language early enough
to complete a French major.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Unfortunately, it seems that many college students don’t share my passion for language. According to Amelia Friedman of </span><i><span style="font-weight:400">The Atlantic</span></i><span style="font-weight:400">
in 2015, “Only 7 percent of college students in America [were] enrolled
in a language course.” This unhappy truth is confirmed by a 2015 survey
conducted by the Modern Language Association revealing, “a 6.7 percent
decline in enrollment in such courses (comparing 2013 data to 2009
data).” This proves dangerous to recent graduates in a world that is
becoming more interconnected each and every day. </span><i><span style="font-weight:400">The News & Observer</span></i><span style="font-weight:400">
deems this statistic to be “a backward slide that hurts the nation’s
ability to compete economically and diminishes the overall quality of a
typical American education.”</span></p>
<div id="gmail-attachment_5122" style="width:123px" class="gmail-wp-caption gmail-alignright"><img class="gmail-size-thumbnail gmail-wp-image-5122" src="http://www.presby.edu/bluestocking/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/IMG_1921-1-e1517977760473-113x150.jpg" alt="" width="113" height="150"><p class="gmail-wp-caption-text">At a book shop in Lyon.</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">While some students don’t take
language courses simply because they may not enjoy them, I can’t help
but think that they simply may not be aware of the vast benefits reaped
upon studying a foreign language. Language-policy analyst Rachel Hanson
emphasizes this point: “Languages are not a side dish…You can use [them]
to augment and fortify other skills that you have, and expand the
application of these skills.” In fact, according to </span><i><span style="font-weight:400">The News & Observer</span></i><span style="font-weight:400">, “Educators and researchers say the process stretches a student’s overall learning skills.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">There is some dispute on whether the
problem lies with apathetic students or a lack of qualified language
teachers and professors. However, the cause should not necessarily be
the focal point </span><span style="font-weight:400">—</span><span style="font-weight:400"> rather, the immediate goal ought to be increasing proficiency and skill within American students by whatever means necessary.</span></p>
<div id="gmail-attachment_5111" style="width:95px" class="gmail-wp-caption gmail-alignleft"><img class="gmail-size-thumbnail gmail-wp-image-5111" src="http://www.presby.edu/bluestocking/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/IMG_2693-85x150.jpg" alt="" width="85" height="150"><p class="gmail-wp-caption-text">With Dr. Kiley at the airport on the way to France.</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Language </span><span style="font-weight:400">—</span><span style="font-weight:400"> more specifically, language at PC </span><span style="font-weight:400">—</span><span style="font-weight:400">
has altered my life path. It is due to the enthusiasm and aid of Dr.
Patrick Kiley that I decided to pursue a French major (in addition to
the English major I already had) and visit France. It is due to Dr.
Commans that I have discovered an unexpected passion, despite its
endless challenges: researching and analyzing French literature by
female authors. Spanish professor Dr. Saffi gave me invaluable advice
concerning the poetic voice following my French capstone presentation
last semester. I have found solace in Dr. Knight, from whom I have never
even taken a course </span><span style="font-weight:400">—</span><span style="font-weight:400">
and yet she was still willing to invite me into her office to talk,
motivate, and even offer to write me a letter of reference if I decide
to pursue graduate school in the future. Every correspondence I have
ever had with any of the professors within the Modern Foreign Languages
has been full of encouragement. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Studying a foreign language is
difficult and there is no doubt about it. Sometimes even the English
language confuses me, which I’ve been speaking for a solid 22 years now;
nevertheless, the challenge is worth it in every way. What logic is
found in shortchanging oneself and avoiding something that has been
proven to sharpen your mind (and make you more employable)? </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">It is bittersweet to think that I
must leave my home in PC’s Modern Foreign Languages Department in just a
few short months. But, I know that without the experience and challenge
I would be a mere shadow of the woman I have become — and am still
becoming. I urge any person capable of learning, especially my fellow PC
students, to explore things unknown and unfamiliar; you will not be
disappointed. </span></p></div>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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