In the U.S., studying a language at the college level is rare. The enrollment by college students in foreign language courses dropped a record 16.6% between fall 2016 and fall 2021, according to Forbes. According to a Pew Research study, only 36% of Americans noted that learning a language was “an extremely important or very important trait for workers to be successful in today’s economy.”
As language classes continue to leave Ohio University and other universities, there are still numerous students majoring and minoring in languages, proving there is still an interest in learning different languages. With many students crediting their experience of learning a language in high school as the catalyst to pursuing one in college, their desire to learn from a new cultural perspective is still going strong.
“I studied Spanish all throughout high school and I really enjoyed that experience,” Dasia Dewberry, a senior studying political science and Spanish, said. “I originally came in as just political science, and then I was like, ‘Okay, I want to pick Spanish back up.’ I was still taking Spanish classes, so let me just add the major. I really fell in love with the faculty and the Spanish department, so that made it I guess even easier.”
Similarly, other students said elements like translating, speaking and an interactive classroom setting are also what have made their major an interesting learning experience. Maya Watson, a junior studying Spanish, said she enjoys having smaller class sizes in particular.
“I think a big thing with just any language program in general is the class size is super small,” Watson said. “My class this semester only has four people including me, and I actually really like that teaching style because you get a lot more one-on-one, you get a lot more opportunity to talk and discuss and actually engage with the material and the teacher.”
Dewberry said she likes how her classes and language program give her more stability in what she can take compared to her political science requirements and curriculum.
“I really like how the program is structured,” Dewberry said. “I have less freedom in terms of the courses that I take when I compare it to my political science coursework in that way, but I think that the way that it's structured, it's super straightforward and the content is always really interesting.”
Another pull factor in studying a language is the study abroad opportunities available. With options at OU to study abroad in five continents, learning a language can aid students in fully immersing themselves in a new culture as well.
Two summers ago, Watson was able to study abroad in Toledo, Spain, where she lived with a host family. She said the experience helped her grow closer to her classmates, host family and Spanish professor, as well as meet her major requirements.
“There are some things that once said in another language just mean something totally different to you, and I think that aspect’s really cool,” Watson said. “I think it just helps you be able to talk to more people. I was in Spain and one of my professors – I didn't realize until like a month in – he didn't speak any English. It was just such a cool thing to realize that I had a relationship with someone who didn't even speak my native language.”
Abby Joyner, a sophomore studying English, is a French minor who also hopes to study abroad again. Last summer, she visited Paris, France, falling in love with the culture and inspiring her to keep learning the language.
“You can't expect everybody to speak English, so I think it's just helpful and fun honestly to learn more about other cultures, other languages, especially if you're traveling there,” Joyner said. “It just makes the experience better when you put in an effort to immerse yourself with those people.”
The language department at OU has also deeply impacted each of these students, who all said they have found their teaching styles uplifting. However, with the university gradually dropping some of its language classes within the last few years, it has become a concern for the future of promoting language studies.
Watson said she feels the university is regressing because of this recent change in course offerings on campus. She said students should start learning a language sooner in school to avoid losing an interest in other cultures.
“It's really sad to me to see the language program at OU going,” Watson said. “It feels like a regression when you should be trying to implement more language into our curriculum. Even making your requirement in school sooner so that people can pick it up because a lot of the barriers with people in college learning a language is they just never had to before, and so that that part of their mind has never really been developed.”
Joyner also said becoming aware of other cultures is important to learn, especially as English is not the only language spoken in the U.S.
“Especially with the coming times, I think the buzzword that everybody's been talking about in language communities recently is becoming a global citizen,” Joyner said. “I definitely think that's something that's super important. Just becoming aware of cultures that aren't your own, languages that aren't your own because obviously, not everybody speaks English.”
Even though learning a language can be challenging, it benefits students in the way they communicate with others. With time and practice, it eventually has helped these students see things from a new perspective.
“Not everyone is naturally gifted in a language, I'm certainly not,” Watson said. “I know a lot of people who pick things up quicker. The grammar can be hard when there are some things that just don't translate, but there's something to be said for seeing things from a different perspective because the language you use on a day-to-day basis really formulates your perspective on things.”
