It’s 11o outside with a wind chill affect of -2o and it’s Minneapolis. I’m speaking at the Minnesota ASCD conference today about the millennial generation, and also video games and Web 2.0. This will be largely curriculum people and I’m very excited about that. I wish that we had more opportunities to work outside of the technology community and mix ideas with experts in other areas of education.
One of my blog readers has asked me to do just that, regarding foreign languages. Marcy wrote a few days ago:
David, where does learning a second language fit into your equation of what students today need to know? Is it not a critical component of a “flat world?” I would like to read your thoughts on this.
First of all, this is most assuredly outside my area of expertise. Of the three second languages I have taken, I failed two of them. I know now that it was probably because of some rather severe hearing problems I’ve had since I was nine. I did well in Latin, but only because I didn’t have to hear it and speak it.
That said, and speaking entirely from the perspective of globalization, millennial learners, and a new information landscape, the question that begs asking in my mind is, “What good is a second language?” What I mean to say is, don’t we really need fifth or sixth languages? If it is our goal to be able to interact in a global community in the community’s tongue, then one more language (among the hundreds or thousands of human languages) really isn’t that much.
Certainly conversing in Chinese would be immensely helpful from a business point of view, and Canadians who can speak French and people in the U.S. who can speak Spanish are going to be able to understand more of what’s happening in their countries. But it seems to me, that what’s most important, is to learn more about the cultures and economies of other countries. Digital translators will certainly continue to improve, and human translators will continue to be important. But prospering in an increasingly global world requires us to understand the people of that world, their customs, their heritage, their myths, and their economic place in a cooperating world — and I suspect that clues to these understandings may come from elements in their languages. So I wonder if rather than requiring college-bound students to learn a second language, that they be expected to study four or five languages, as part of cultural studies — a new style of geography.
All that said, I’m happy that it appears that the social studies may be starting to earn some respect again, after years of second-class status — what has almost appeared to be a fear of it.
I have been wondering when language and culture would become a part of the flat world discussions that seem to be so pervasive in the edublogosphere.
As a geek who speaks Spanish, I can tell you that the edublogosphere is not just written in English. I could point you to some amazing blogs written in Spanish with educators doing lots of things along the lines of what we celebrate on these pages.
I teach Spanish and Latin, and spend a good deal of my time figuring out how to weave culture into the conversation as much as language. If my kids are going to collaborate (not compete, right?) with students from all over the world (beginning with our Comparing our world project at http://www.class326.com click on comparing our world) then we need to be aware of some of the more powerful nuances of the culture to avoid a deal-breaking faux paus.
If I can teach my kids to be respectful of each other, no matter the culture, then they will be more successful in dealings with other countries in their future.
As one of my 11 year-old students brilliantly articulated in the aftermath of a Skype video conference with Peru, “Wait, they’re just like us?”
The flattening power of the web leveraged to knock down cultural stereotypes. How great is that?
There is much to be said about language and culture, such as what languages should be taught, is there a universal language, cultural nuances, etc. But that’s a longer post….
Chris
I would submit that you have mastered a second language, and maybe more. Programming is a language, and so is mathematics (each having numerous dialects). Learning those two languages opens your minds to other perspectives, meanings, and worldviews just as learning Spanish or Russian might.
By the way, I attended UCET last weekend. Thanks for the presentations. You are a master at your craft.
Hi, David.
Thank you for taking this on, and responding to my comments.
I agree with your point re: learning multiple languages, and yes, today’s students should be encouraged to move beyond just one additional language in addition to their native English. However, ours is not a bilingual culture, and so even a second language is a mighty struggle to attain. It’s where we are at the present time. We as Americans don’t value second language learning to the degree that it is valued in other parts of the world.
Anyway, learning languages opens up one’s mind to mutliple perspectives. My own college studies in Spanish were greatly enriched by the historical and political events of the Spanish-speaking world.
Miss Profe,
You make an interesting point, that perhaps it is difficult for us (US) to learn second languages because we are not a bilingual culture. By comparison, consider Catalonia, the state in Spain, which has it’s own language, Catalan. Spanish is a second language to them, and many of them also speak French since France is only kilometers away.
At the same time, I suspect that we are becoming multilingual. Rarely does the day go by, in Raleigh, that I do not hear Spanish spoke, and often other languages as well.
I also like your reference to multiple perspectives. It’s been a long time since I took a foreign languages and I wonder if that sense of perspective is a explicit part of their curriculum today.
Thanks for the conversation.
Thanks everyone, this is a stimulating thread!
I also agree that learning about culture, people and technology are essential to understanding the world and doing business.
I would also like to emphasize the importance of the spoken language in business and social relationships. Despite the ever-increasing popularity and usefulness of the internet and technology, and being able to accomplish more and more with “just one click of the mouse”, all without real-time human assistance, the impact of the human touch can NOT be ignored.
It’s how we’re wired. We’re social animals. For example, which life-insurance salesman are you more likely to do business with: the one who put spam in your e-mail inbox, or the one who delivered a live presentation to you, looking you in the eye, speaking the language you understand?
It seems sucessful rapport building begins and ends with live social interaction.
The popularity of second-language-learning seems to be congruent to the size of economy and market where that language is spoken. English and Chineese-very popular; Kongo-not so popular.
I would love to get your opinion on a question I’ve often pondered: How would this planet be different if everyone spoke the same language? Would it be better or worse? Are we headed towards this end, or away from it?
-Beleza
The word we’re reaching out for here is ‘plurilingualism’. It’s recognised by the Council of Europe, the overarching governmental organisation, as the aim of our languages education across the 48 European countries it represents. We even have a day to celebrate the notion each year: http://www.ecml.at/edl/ and we really do celebrate it 😉
David, you say you failed in two of those languages. If push came to shove I imagine you could learn enough to make the human connection with someone and get started on a relationship.
I am bilingual in French and English, but am plurilingual in French, English, Spanish, German, Polish, Italian, Serbo-Croat, Flemmish, Czech, Breton… These are all languages in which I can communicate to some degree, enough to make my presence known and to make a connection. I’m plurilingual and I’m happy. And when you know you’re plurilingual the world is truly your oyster.