A recent report from the Modern Languages Association or MLA announced that student enrollments in foreign language courses have reached its lowest point ever..
That's right. Unless it's English, students in American universities are taking fewer foreign language courses than before. One may wonder, why is this news? Why does it matter? Doesn't everyone already speak English?
Actually, we all should be concerned about this news. When universities emphasize the value of science and technology at the expense of the humanities, they undermine themselves. They claim to offer "an education," but without the humanities all they do is training. Education (that is, knowledge of the arts, philosophy, science and society) helps people make decisions and think through the consequences of their choices. If we do away with education and choose training, not only will we face assessments hastily made, but this country will lose its intellectual power and relevance. Remember, the United States didn't just invent things like automobiles and computers, but also jazz and musical theater.
What can we do to counter this trend? Support local cultural efforts; talk to teachers, representatives; encourage studying to learn, not to work. We still have time to prevent a loss of culture for which nothing can prepare us.
I am Francisco Solares-Larrave, and this is my concerned perspective.
