foreign language
Reading the information on Generation Y leaves me wondering why a foreign language isn't a requirement at career colleges. I work at two institutions and neither of them offer foreign language courses. I feel this is a key skill for students to acquire with the changing dynamics of our nation. Especially for those entering the medical field and serving a diverse population. In a typical class, I usually have 3-5 that are bilingual while the rest are mono-lingual.
William,
this is a good question & really up to the institutional leadership. You are right that the line on fairness/equality must be walked. Some of the decisions may be driven by prominence of particular ethnic/language groups in a community (if one is dominant). Other factors would be qualified personnel who can teach the languages (it is much easier to find a qualified Spanish instructor than some other languages) & obviously it may be driven by budget as well. Can we afford to pay a language instructor or do we leave that up to individual students? All good, legitimate questions that should be discussed.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Although it probabably would be agood idea to offer a language in school, how would you decide what to offer? Spanish, which seems to the most language spoken about on here, is not always going to be most prevelant, at least in my eyes. It seems more and more ethnic groups are appearing,which could lead to the question, why is my language not offered? as much as our society embraces diversity, there it is sure to offend someone or some group. How does an instituion offer a variry of options fairly?
Douglas,
and in this era of globalization it is key to learn a language & about other cultures.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think this is a great idea. I had the opportunity to serve a two-year mission in Spain, totally immersed in the culture. I learned to speak Spanish fluently. Because of my language background, I have been offered several jobs and other opportunities that have not been offered to my peers within the profession. With that said, I know first-hand that speaking a foreign language has tremendous benefit.
Mark,
I agree that the challenge is not really in the students seeing the relevance or value of the foreign language, but more how to do they fit it in, especially since it's not vital to landing a job.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
On the plus side, I think most of my students would welcome a Spanish class. They would see the relevance of it, and it would remind them of Sesame Street. They like to communicate.
On the down side, there is some animosity toward Spanish speakers. Also, it is difficult to learn a foreign language, and my Generation Y students have enough on their plates. It's a very interesting suggestion, however.
This is a very good question. With our population becoming so diverse, I think it is important for this generation to be bi-lingual. As said above, especially those entering the medical field. I am a baby boomer, a nurse for 30 years and many times I wish I would have taken spanish as a second language. It is very frustrating to take care of someone who doesn't speak english.
Michelle,
this is a good question & personally I would say it's because it's not seen as directly related to the career/job training. However, I wonder if your point will not be considered as we move forward as it seems to be increasing in it's "relatedness."
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
