Obama Foreign Language Statement
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Posted by Diane Farrug Jul 10, 2008 |
Barack Obama made what I considered to be some obvious statements earlier this week to an audience of Georgia teens: "We should have every child speaking more than one language. It's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is merci beaucoup." Obama stressed the employment advantages of speaking more than one language and suggested that we begin foreign language study at an early age.
I'm not endorsing any particular presidential candidate--I'm still undecided. But I've got to say that I agree wholeheartedly with Barack Obama's statements on this issue. While foreign language learning is a common topic of discussion for me and colleagues in my field, it's been quite interesting to hear dialog on the subject by the public at large.
What has me scratching my head are the numerous forum posts I have been reading in response to Obama's statement. While many people agree with him, others are outraged. There exists a current of suspicion against immigrants, a desire for English-only laws, a sentiment that speaking other languages hints of elitism or snobbery, and even a fear that American children will be robbed of time better spent learning their native English. (Native language skills will improve with the study of other languages . . . but I'll save that for another post.) A few of the comments I have read are both frightening and embarrassing.
This need not be a politically divisive issue. C'mon John McCain---make a similar statement and stand together with Barack Obama on this one. Our youth need foreign language skills. It increases brain development, cultural sensitivity, and employability. Learning a foreign language enriches lives and opens doors. There's nothing to fear.