[lg policy] The importance of foreign language education and the liberal arts

[Harold Schiffman]

Letter: The importance of foreign language education and the liberal arts



Published: Wednesday, November 3, 2010



In response to Jon Leibowitz's Letter to the Editor (10/27/10), it
seems timely to remember the goals of a liberal arts education, as
well as to review the nature of second language acquisition.

First, WCAS offers a succinct summary of the goals of a liberal arts
education on its webpage, highlighting the importance of being
prepared for a "lifetime of change" in a complex world. Through
emphasis on critical thinking and writing, through exposure to many
fields of study—and the ways they interact—and through attention to
reason, liberal arts students can expect to be well prepared
intellectually for life beyond the university, as well as be "informed
and responsible" citizens of the world. In fact, WCAS underscores that
most importantly, a liberal arts student learns how to acquire
knowledge and expand understanding.

As part of these goals, all WCAS students must demonstrate proficiency
in a foreign language. In an increasingly interconnected world,
linguistic and cultural competency are even more important today than
ever, and in today's global market, all professionals — even great
chemists — collaborate with, manage, and/or trade with people and
organizations from all parts of the world. Thus, not only is
proficiency in a foreign language helpful or, depending on the
situation, even crucial, but cross-cultural understanding also is
fundamental to working well with others.

Foreign language faculty are experts in their field and have a deep
understanding of how second language acquisition works. Current second
language acquisition pedagogy focuses on developing communication
skills in the language of study, skills that are useful for real
communication in the real world. Cultural content is central to this
learning process, and forms the cognitive basis for language
acquisition.

Also fundamental to foreign language study is practice, as acquisition
is a subconscious process whose success depends on meaningful
interaction in the target language. Thus, in order to ensure that
students are exposed to both learning and acquisition processes,
foreign language faculty are careful to incorporate assignments
steadily and effectively throughout the course. Moreover, students
must be in class in order to interact, i.e., communicate, in the
target language. While an immersion experience cannot be replicated on
campus for obvious reasons, a steady amount of work in a foreign
language course solidifies learning and acquisition—going beyond the
50 minutes of daily class time, and thus, reinforcing and assisting
with the student's learning. By creating a continuum that will help
students with the acquisition process, as well as by focusing on
cultural knowledge, foreign language faculty fulfill their role in
WCAS' mission as a liberal arts school.

—Heather Colburn

Director of the Spanish language program



—Elena Lanza

Assistant Director of the Spanish language program

On behalf of the Spanish Language Program faculty

http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/letter-the-importance-of-foreign-language-education-and-the-liberal-arts-1.2393386
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