Complaining About Language Requirement Es Ridiculoso

By Evan Rothera

Gettysburg College likes to talk about how everyone lives in a globalized world and that students receive the benefits of a liberal arts education to succeed in this globalized world. Yet, for all of this fine talk, it seems that there is a new push to alter the Foreign Language requirement of the Gettysburg Curriculum. Many people profess to be concerned over the fact that students are currently being asked to take up to four out of thirty-two courses in a foreign language.

In reality, taking courses up to the 202 level in a foreign language is neither rigorous nor demanding. When we consider that many students in Europe know multiple languages at our age, it could be viewed as embarrassing that this college only asks us to be proficient up to the 202 level in a certain foreign language. While I am not sure that a comparison between Europe and the United States is productive, considering that Europe is comprised of many smaller countries, thus making the ability to speak multiple languages more useful, it is interesting to note that many in the United States feel no need to learn a second language.

Perhaps it is due to simple complacency: as long as English is the dominant language, people see no reason to learn another one. While this may be acceptable for some people, I would caution living your life by this policy, as English may not be the dominant language forever. Therefore, study of a foreign language, in addition to broadening one’s horizons, may be conducted with an eye firmly fixed on the future.

At this point, most students are aware that the College has been considering changing/amending/altering the foreign language component of the Gettysburg Curriculum. The most interesting proposal was put forth at the most recent faculty meeting and stated that student would only be required to take three semesters of a foreign language, but no matter where they placed in, they would have to do three semesters. Therefore, a student who comes in with an AP credit and places into Spanish 301 would have to take three semesters of 300 level Spanish classes.

Interestingly enough, this proposal would seem to benefit the students, in that it would reduce the number of language courses, and might, in actuality, benefit the foreign language departments. Rather than allowing the student who place out of the 202 level to slide away, they would be required to do three courses at the 300 level, which is half of a minor and between 1/3rd and 1/4th of a major. So, perhaps this proposal is they best way to keep students in line with our globalized world. On the other hand, it may be rather presumptuous of the college to change the requirement without seeking the input of the students, as to whether they prefer the old system or the new system