Recently, I attended two different language classes for the first time; if this works out, soon I’ll be able to say that in French and Arabic as well as in English. I’m worried about mixing the two languages up, but this is the only way to become proficient at both.
Over the past four years, I’ve taken 10 classes in three different languages. I learned eight distinct terms for “cousin” (Arabic), four intonations for each sound (Mandarin), a polite and an informal word for “you” (French) and numerous expressions referring to God (Arabic again). More importantly, I learned that not everyone communicates in English, and that’s not a bad thing.
American institutions, the University included, often talk about promoting “diversity” and “multiculturalism” while maintaining a tone of English centrism. All students must pass two English writing classes (or the Clark Honors College equivalent) in order to graduate, but foreign language is interchangeable with math. The study abroad Web site boasts students can take all their classes in English while abroad; it doesn’t mention that by doing so, they’re selling themselves short.
Many Oregon students take a class about the culture of another country to fulfill the multicultural graduation requirement. Such a class supposedly helps students engage with another culture and develop into open-minded world citizens. But learning about a non-English speaking culture in English is a bit like watching a 3-D movie without the glasses. You can get the general idea, but you won’t be able to appreciate the subtleties.
In order for the University to give students a truly multicultural education, administrators and faculty must understand that language and culture are Siamese twins. The sounds of a language, which words do and don’t exist in the language, the common expressions, the words used to describe family members — all of this is a reflection of how people think and what is important to them.
Every language has a unique history and contains a wealth of information about a people’s values, history and beliefs. A great way for students to become fully immersed in a culture, to engage with other ideas and critically examine their own culture, is for them to study the language.
Beginning a new foreign language is rather humbling. You have to acknowledge that another language is worthy of your time and effort, and then you start the language as an absolute novice with far less knowledge than a native-speaking toddler.
As you gain proficiency, you have to force yourself to shut out your native language and to speak, read, write — and eventually think — in the second language. Suddenly your culture, the way of life that you understand and feel comfortable with, isn’t the only one in the world. It’s a challenging, sometimes frightening experience that leaves the student with a new understanding of humanity, society and, yes, cultural diversity.
With this in mind, maybe Americans aren’t lucky English is so widely spoken. It is too easy for us to get by with only our native language, and we attempt to compensate for our  monolingualism by convincing ourselves English is a superior tongue. We stress the importance of immigrants learning English. When we travel overseas, we pay twice as much to stay in hotels where the staff speak English.
Worst of all, we often use English-language proficiency as a measure of how educated a non-native English speaker is. Native English speakers on campus are quick to judge a foreign student or professor on minor flaws in their English. We forget this person has spent many years, most likely from a young age, studying English in order to speak the language fluently. There are few English speakers who have made the same amount of effort in a second language.
American students can graduate from college without ever having set foot in a language classroom, and this needs to change. Foreign language education is the surest path to cultural awareness, and fluency in a second language is a valuable skill in many industries.
The U.S. government, in particular, desperately needs fluent speakers in a variety of languages to work as translators and interpreters.
According to the Media Relations office, undergraduate enrollment in foreign languages increased 14 percent from 1997 to 2007. Students are catching on to the benefits of foreign language study, and it’s time for the University administration to take a more active role in promoting foreign language classes.
If you’re taking Cultural Legacies of Italy to fulfill your multicultural requirement, try taking
Italian 101 as well. You’d gain a solid understanding of Italian life, art and music from taking the culture class alone, but studying the language will give you an Italian perspective that you can’t get from any amount of instruction in English.
Even if I’m nowhere near multilingual by the time I graduate, I’ve had the opportunity to learn about three other cultures by studying the languages. This has helped me understand my own culture, taught me to be more open minded and, above all, reminded me that all people are essentially the same.
I can’t translate this column into two languages, but I can end it in Arabic — ma’asselama (may you be safe) and in French —  à la prochaine (until next time).
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