“Food for Thought-Why Learning a Foreign Language is an Essential College Experience” (July 15, 2016)
Learning a language is all about discovering new perspectives, forming new connections, expanding world views and becoming a more culturally diverse individual. After all, only 25% of the world speaks English, and only about 18% of Americans speak a language other than English. That means if you want to communicate with even a small part of the world, you have to speak another language. “Being able to talk to people in their own language has many benefits,” said University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Gudrun Buhnemann, a specialist in Sanskrit Language and Literature. “It allows for a more personal connection, shows a genuine interest in their culture and so on. It requires some extra effort, but it usually pays off. Learning a little is better [than not] learning at all.” Read full article.