Struggling through "Intermediate Arabic" may do much more than fulfill graduation requirements.
The Committee for Economic Development, an independent reorganization that studies ways of promoting economic development in America, released a report Feb. 9 with recommendations on how to enhance diplomacy, national security and economic growth.
The report calls for increased foreign-language and culture study at all levels of education and for more study-abroad opportunities at colleges and universities.
"Among the reasons that the U.S. has gotten into so much trouble in our activities abroad is lack of knowledge -- our ignorance of the cultures, the histories, the languages," said Committee Trustee John Brademas, president emeritus of New York University and a former Indiana congressman, who co-chaired the effort.
Finance professor Jamshed Ghandhi said that while foreign-language and culture education do not directly affect the economy, Americans must understand the thoughts and behaviors of others to succeed in global relations.
Ghandhi added that studying abroad, which the report encouraged, is central to this.
"You cannot hope to understand a culture ... effectively unless you have lived in it on a day-to-day basis, not as a tourist who wanders in and out of international hotels," he said.
Eastern Languages and Civilizations professor Joseph Lowry said that foreign language proficiency is not necessary for the U.S. economy because English is so widely studied in other nations. However, he noted its importance for those involved in international business dealings.
At Penn, Lowry said, there is a rising number of students studying Arabic, and these students are more likely to be interested in the language for potential careers in government, intelligence and foreign policy.
College sophomore Suleyman Saleem said that he is learning Arabic because it is applicable to current and future politics and economics.
"In a post-9/11 world, it's very important that the West and the Middle East get along and everyone focuses on how to keep peace," he said.
The report cited Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Farsi, Russian and Turkish as critical languages for national security.
"Certainly, the ability to utilize foreign languages and understand foreign cultures enhances the capability of anyone doing foreign-intelligence gathering," East Asian Languages and Civilizations Chairman Cameron Hurst said.
Hurst agreed with the committee that foreign-language and culture education can boost the economy.
"We've outsourced our entire economy, practically, to China, and clearly it's much better if people who go to China have some understanding of the history of the culture and the area ... the business practices and certainly the language," Hurst said.
Brademas said he hopes colleges and universities will respond enthusiastically to the report, but noted that he will also be observing the reactions of Congress and the Bush administration.
"You have an administration in Washington that is not very sympathetic to education, so one has to push," Brademas said.
The effects of the report on higher education will largely depend on the reactions of school officials in foreign languages, world history and foreign policy, he said.
He added that these groups, as well as international business leaders and students, should urge their congressional representatives to vote to allocate more money for foreign study.
Speaking in tongues - The Committee for Economic Development report calls for more foreign language study at all levels of education - Professors say language is critical for international business dealings - Study of Arabic on the rise among students wanting careers in government, foreign policy
