In both the breadth of content and the quality of education, University of Wisconsin is home to one of the best foreign language programs in the country.

I was introduced to the Spanish language in kindergarten, and have continued to use Spanish in and outside of the classroom ever since I first learned the words “rojo” and “gato.” I regularly speak Spanish while working at home and with my friends and family.

Spanish is my passion, as well as my major at UW, and it has allowed me to discover and immerse myself in cultural norms, practices and nuances that differ from my own.

According to the College of Letters and Science language website, UW graduates more students with non-English language majors than any other university in the country.

UW also represents every continent through language courses, majors and study abroad opportunities.

UW offers studies in more than 40 different languages, such as Yucatec Maya, Hausa, Persian and Zulu. In addition, there are numerous linguistics courses that seek to study language from a scientific perspective.

Possessing the ability to converse in a foreign language (to any extent) is, in and of itself, exploration and discovery.

Language is a gateway to other cultures, customs, cuisines and values; the foreign language programs offered at UW are fascinating, enriching and are taught by a brilliant, passionate faculty.

UW also offers vast study abroad opportunities.

According to UW’s International webpage, there are more than “200 programs in more than 80 countries.”

Our campus encompasses more than 5,900 international students representative of 123 countries, which adds to the diverse way we interact with each other at UW.

So, my message is this: If you are a student at UW seeking to broaden your horizon, enrich your worldview, gain a cultural understanding different from your own and engage with outstanding course content and faculty, please consider taking a foreign language. The resources to do so are at our disposal.

To learn a foreign language is to forge a link with other human beings. This link is an indispensable, cross-cultural tool that allows for the transmission of ideas. It is of particular professional importance today, given the rapid demographic changes that are currently taking place in America.

The foreign language program offered at UW is yet another defining characteristic of the phenomenal academic community that students are privileged to be a part of.

Danny Walzer ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in Spanish and communication.