Why Study Other Languages?


What the Modern Language Association says.

"Ten Things You Can Do with a Foreign Language"


DID YOU KNOW? -- There is a SHORTAGE of Foreign Language Teachers in Indiana. Our department regularly places 100% of its foreign language teacher B.A.'s, and the outlook for teaching jobs is now better than ever. Spanish teachers are officially listed as one of the top ten areas of critical shortage, but the shortage of teachers applies to all language areas.

Knowing another language will also:

  1. Allow social sciences or humanities majors to graduate from ISU with a B.A. instead of a B.S.
  2. Increase your potential job opportunities and salary potential. The number of US consumers who speak languages other than English is growing rapidly, which means that companies are actively seeking employees whose language skills will help them meet the needs of these growing markets. Given the impact of international trade agreements (such as NAFTA, for example) individuals with knowledge of foreign languages will be increasingly valuable to multinational corporations.
  3. Prepare you for exciting educational opportunities and for graduate school. At the undergraduate level, you may spend a semester abroad through the ISEP program and live with a host family while studying at a foreign university. At the graduate level, knowledge of one or more foreign languages is often required for an advanced degree as it allows you to do much broader research into your area of study.
  4. Make travel abroad more exciting and rewarding. Knowing foreign languages will help you to get around and meet new friends in many fascinating tourist destinations.
  5. Broaden your horizons by letting you communicate with people from other cultures.
  6. Improve your command of English. Learning foreign languages will help build your English vocabulary because almost all of our words come from either French, Spanish, German, or Latin. You will also develop a greater understanding of English grammar by studying the grammar of another language.
  7. Develop your critical thinking skills. Learning a second language increases your problem-solving skills at the same time that it improves your memory and your self-discipline. Studies have shown that the ability to think in two languages also heightens your creativity.
  8. Let you participate more actively in the global community. As the world is brought closer together through technologies such as the Internet, knowledge of other languages will allow you to exchange ideas with people around the globe.
  9. Open doors to the arts and a wide array of cultural experiences. Knowledge of foreign languages can lead to greater enjoyment and appreciation of art, music, dance, fashion, cuisine, and cinema. Right here in the U.S. you can discover great ethnic restaurants, museum shows, foreign movies and music from around the world.
  10. Let you discover a world of literary treasures. Writers from non-English-speaking countries have created some of the worlds greatest literature. Imagine being able to read Don Quixote, Les Misérables, Faust, or The Divine Comedy in the original!