Colleges are starting to embrace the changing face of university populations as seen by the latest change in departmental name at West Virginia University. The university stopped using the term “foreign language” to describe a particular department and instead is using the name “department of world languages, literatures and linguistics” or other forms of this title.
Other colleges in the United States have started to embrace the name change as well. Programs are rethinking the way they represent other languages and cultures on campus. A strong argument is the use of Spanish in the US and in colleges. Spanish is commonly used and no longer considered “foreign” or out of the ordinary.
Some argue that the use of the word foreign implies a division between the United States and the rest of the world. It entails a sense of elitism and resistance to those who are not English speaking. Normally I get frustrated by the constant changes in what words are politically correct and are accepted in the university culture, but I believe this is an interesting viewpoint. Americans are already assumed to exist in our own world with very little consideration to other countries, cultures, and influences.
Universities are currently deeply immersed in the concept of globalization and international education. Higher education is expected to expand beyond the campus and reach out to other universities and cultures in order to gain the full college experience to develop the holistic students. Changing the way universities represent world languages and international students is a good step towards developing a well-rounded and culturally accepting environment.
The hope is that professors also understand that when they are teaching other languages (Spanish, French, German) in class, they are not just teaching vocabulary. World language classes are intended to teach culture, not just language. It encourages faculty and staff to teach beyond the book. How do we see ourselves beyond the classroom or the community in which we live and how do we teach students to do the same? Creating exposure to other cultures and languages broadens students’ perspective and hopefully encourages them to think about differing viewpoints and backgrounds.
Additionally, I believe this is a great way to welcome international students to our campuses and make them feel like a part of our community. By using the word foreign when referring to students’ place of origin, it creates an impression that they are not a part of our community-that they’re strangers and unfamiliar. UNC houses The Center for International Education where international students can find resources and receive additional support during their schooling. As our campuses change to encourage and welcome international relations, so should our language usage.
Kelsi, this was a timely post for me. I attended a faculty meeting today where the first agenda item was a discussion on globalzing our curriculum and our campus. It was a very rich conversation. Faculty were asked to consider the ways they were contributing to a global curriculum or ways they could contribute to a global curriculum - ideas from reconsidering the kinds of textbooks we use to more inclusive course content to explicitly addressing issues of cross cultural learning came up. And these ideas came from our faculty outside of our ESL program or our "foreign" language department! This seems key to me - while I appreciate the name change I also think that this cannot be a conversation only taken on by our language departments and international students offices.
ReplyDeleteOur institution is considered a majority-minority institution with 60% of our population made up of non-anglo students. From that a large number of our students are international students. The number one language spoken - second to English - is Amharic the official language of Ethiopia. As our president reminded us the conversation, at least on our campus, is not about globalizing or not - it is a global campus. The question becomes how we will support all students in their cultural learning and sensitivity and that is a job for all of us on campus.
Nice post Kelsi! This post highlights the power of words. I know that I have the urge to crwal under a rock when I hear terms like foreign and illegal alien. Personally, I would have a strong reaction if my culture was known as "foreign" to the university and the United States.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see more opportunities for ALL students to learn other languages and cultures. At UNC I appreciate the efforts on behalf of the cultural centers and I trust that the university can take another leap if the entire campus embraced and supported our centers. I have learned a great from the students who are part of the Center for Human Enrchment (CHE). I often wonder how much the entire student body coud benefit from learning about each student's unique experiences?
It is funny how sometimes we take the misuse of language for granted or don’t realize the negative connotations associated with the words we use frequently. The move to a more appropriate department title by West Virginia University creates a more welcoming environment for all types of cultural education. It also plants the seed in the minds of the students that other nations are to be appreciated and understood. Seeing other countries and people as more approachable will help lead all of us in the future because attitude humanizes other cultures instead of distancing them from our own.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate this post, Kelsi. In a world where what is or is not politically correct changes almost daily, I think this post brings up a valid point. When the change is for inclusion and not just change for the sake of change, it can have a dramatic impact. This example makes a college or university more mindful of language and the impact it can have on a student of that particular segment. I think this is an example of changing language that will make an institution more welcoming and understanding of all types of people, races, cultures, etc.
ReplyDeleteAs Aaron noted, words can be powerful. One thing I find educational on UNC's campus is the Power of Words series that is intended to show the audience how hurtful words can be to specific populations. I agree with Aaron as well that if we could be part of a community where EVERYONE was learning from other's experiences, what a rich culture that would form!
Kelsi, I really appreciated your post as well. What impressed me the most was your discussion of how when a language is taught, a culture is really taught as well. Being bi-cultural (American Caucasian/Native Japanese) myself, I learned at a very early age that it was impossible to really know another way of life through vocabulary and grammar alone. One has to experience and live the language through introduction to and immersion in food, music, celebratory events, games/sports, film, art, conversation and dialogue, historical tours, and so forth.
ReplyDeleteFor example, even though Japanese may understand the literal meaning of a simple word like "yes" in English, Japanese don't use "yes" in the way many Americans commonly do. To clarify, when many Americans typically say "yes", they are saying "yes" to the object of the conversation -agreeing with a point made, agreeing to attend an activity, agreeing that a statement was made, etc. But when Japanese typically say "yes" in English or Japanese, they are saying "yes" to the person making the point or asking the question. Establishing harmony with the other person is paramount to most Japanese, even if it privately means "lying" about their actual agreement with the topic or issue at hand. And if one doesn't understand this fundamental point about Japanese culture, than the words used become meaningless at times, or even contradictory.
One website I have come across in particular that provides interesting ways of teaching language through is culture is at:
http://yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1984/3/84.03.06.x.html