Given our governmental structure, one of the most effective ways to create policy is for the national government to introduce an idea, back it with funding, and allow states to implement and expand on its initiative. It's always exciting when this kind of coordinated effort targets education, where change can be slow and funding scarce.
That's why there was a lot to be thankful for when the U.S. Department of Education awarded the University of Wisconsin-Madison Language Institute and the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages $345,000 to launch a teacher training initiative.
The grant, which will be paid over the course of the next three years, will fund an effort to improve teaching instruction in less commonly taught languages — meaning pretty much everything other than English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Veteran professors in UW's foreign language departments have been selected to oversee the initiative, which has the potential to expand the language department's breadth of expertise to new levels and new continents.
Professors are especially excited about the possibility of improving instruction in languages like Arabic, Chinese and Hindu. Economically, there is limitless benefit to fluency in languages such as Mandarin and Hindu, as the Chinese and Indian markets thrive on their own and in conjunction with America's. Politically, Arabic is an obvious asset to the State Department or any organization concerned with domestic security, international relations and global dispute resolution. And this is really just the beginning.
The process of globalization does not appear to be slowing down. As we watch national borders grow increasingly porous, we should expect to hear world languages trickling through, shaping the nature of our daily communication.
Obviously, in this kind of world society, accuracy in communication is vital. And because time is money, speedy comprehension is of paramount importance. A student who is confident in his or her foreign language skills will have doors open to them, or at least find it easier to squeeze through. It is logical then, that UW would want to provide its students with valuable language knowledge while they search for jobs and opportunities beyond campus.
But is it reasonable to expect that this grant, however well-intentioned and thoughtful, will independently bring about that kind of language proficiency? I doubt it.
Most students need longer than four years to become proficient in any language no matter how complete the program or how skilled the teacher. Foreign language constitutes just one portion of a student's full academic plate, and students rarely have the time to give it the concentrated attention necessary to achieve fluency during a college career.
Moreover, neurological studies have given way to the universal opinion that language learning happens easiest during the early years of brain development. If Wisconsin could boost its early childhood education funding and provide even the most basic language education to young kids, the payoff would be enormous. Why not target language receptors at their most absorbent time, when acquisition is subconscious and effortless? Language instruction should be incorporated into standard K-12 curriculum and be taught to students each year just like math, English or science.
Because the initiative at UW utilizes online resources to improve professors' teaching styles, it is easy to see how it could be expanded to help teachers in primary and secondary schools as well. All that a language teacher would need is a computer, a connection and well-founded belief in the necessity and importance of language training.
Whether the classroom is in an elementary or high school, or even in Van Hise Hall, Internet language training should not become a substitute for traditional educational methods like mentoring, student teaching or immersion programs. After all, language is best learned when students of any age are forced to use it in unpredictable conversational settings — something teachers may have trouble envisioning while they sit through a computer training monologue.
Yet the initiative still provides UW with a great opportunity to help its teachers become more effective instructors and students the chance to be more diverse speakers. If the state of Wisconsin can follow the Department of Education's lead and expand the teacher training to all levels of education, it will enrich and broaden language learning for both students and teachers. This can lead to a future workforce where, no matter what each individual studied during his or her education, he or she will enter the global economy ready to speak the language of success.
Sarah Howard ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in journalism and political science.
