On the UTM campus, we have foreign language programs from all over Europe … and Japan. But despite the diversity of the language programs at UTM, they all have one thing in common: UTM students either love them or hate them.
Naturally, those who love language classes will look for any reason at all to apply what they’ve learned to everyday life, and those who hate them will spend the rest of their lives carefully avoiding foreign languages, perhaps even forgetting some English just to be safe.
That being said, we extend to you this question: why all the love/hate? Why does the notion of being able to talk to a non-English speaker either fill you with glee and anticipation or fill you with fear and confusion?
Luckily, we’ve gathered enough opinions on the matter here in Viewpoints, so at least this isn’t a rhetorical question. And, interestingly enough, our contributors’ responses to this question are not what you would expect. Or at least not what the editor expected.
Honestly, we at The Pacer aren’t exactly divided on the subject of language. We’ve all had to take them, and for the most part we don’t plan on looking back.
However, that doesn’t mean we are against the teaching of foreign languages, nor does it mean that no one at The Pacer likes studying language. It simply takes a lot of time, especially now that we’re all adults and new information doesn’t exactly stick with us like it used to.
Furthermore, when would we be able to practice the language being studied? Do you know any French or German people you can talk to on a daily basis? Well, for the smarty-pants that said yes, we must remind him or her that the majority of Americans don’t.
On top of that, America is an enormous country in which the majority of people speak English. An American can travel thousands of miles from home and not even have to change languages. Why should an American be considered less intelligent for not knowing something that isn’t inherently practical in the U.S. anyway?
Boy, all this excitement and we haven’t even gotten to the submissions yet. Can you even imagine what they’ll have to say?
Foreign langauges? Pacer editors, please learn how to use a spell checker. You lose your credibility when you cannot correctly spell your own language. I understand how hard it must be for you to learn a second one when your first is a mystery to you. Plus, this whole article reads like a composition from a middle-school student. Embarrassing.
I find it interesting that no languages, even Spanish, are offered to online students. I am an online student, studying business, yet I will never have the opportunity to learn a foreign language. Yes, I understand that there are challenges to teaching a class such as this online, but Rosetta Stone has successfully taught people in this manner for years!