For those of us who are not a foreign language or linguistics major, being forced to take language classes up to the 2030 — intermediate—level may be frustrating. Personally, I found it hard to stay motivated amidst scrambling to do work from five other classes. However, in retrospect, I realized that learning another language encourages us to be more well-rounded and better global citizens, which are beneficial characteristics in the contemporary world.  

In today’s heavily interconnected society, international events ripple outwards. It is impossible to be wholly unaffected by something, even if it happens across the globe. It is critical that students broaden their horizons and expand their understanding of different cultures and global affairs.  

Tulane’s School of Liberal Arts understands the importance of global citizenship and asserts that students should strive to “achieve real proficiency in a foreign language” through taking the equivalent of three years of language courses. This goal may be ambitious, especially when most students are not majoring in foreign languages.  

Nevertheless, these courses offer students exposure to other cultures and international issues, in addition to learning a second or third language. Students may not have the opportunity to learn about other parts of the world in depth and discuss international affairs without language courses.  

Additionally, learning languages is a massive lifelong asset. In today’s globalized world, international business is becoming more and more prevalent. The likelihood of doing work or transactions with people from another country is higher than ever. Thus, having the skill to converse in another language in your toolbelt is greatly beneficial in the professional world.    

Foreign language has more uses beyond work, and proficiency is not necessary to make use of it. Taking a year or two of French, for example, can make traveling or living in a French-speaking country a lot easier, as there would be a linguistic foundation established.  

Students are also given a different perspective on culture and the world, allowing them to consider more facets of an issue. Solely being immersed in American culture and principles is constraining in thought and prevents outside-the-box thinking.  

Gun policy, for example, is an issue where international perspectives can offer insight into solutions. Instead of being stuck arguing back and forth about constitutional rights versus saving lives, lawmakers can look towards how similar countries to the U.S. approach gun regulation and draw from what works. 

Breaking from a nationalist and isolationist view and adopting global perspectives is critical not only to improving professionalism and policy but building greater respect and tolerance for other cultures. One step towards combating prejudice and racism is to be more aware and more appreciative of other cultures’ contributions and traditions. As annoying as it might seem to spend nights doing VHL, the process of foreign languages inadvertently shapes us into better human beings and prepares us for problems in the contemporary world. We have language requirements to thank for that.