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Posted-Date: Fri, 22 Jan 93 8:17:32 EST
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Date:         Fri, 22 Jan 1993 08:17:32 EST
From:         Margaret VanNaerssen <mvnaerss@SAS.UPENN.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Foreign Language Requirements (fwd)

Margaret VanNaerssen wrote:
From mvnaerss Thu Jan 21 21:24:12 1993
From: mvnaerss (Margaret VanNaerssen)
Posted-Date: Thu, 21 Jan 93 21:24:10 EST
Received-Date: Thu, 21 Jan 93 21:24:11 EST
Subject: Re: Foreign Language Requirements
To: 6160lacya@vms.csd.mu.edu
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 93 21:24:10 EST
Cc: mvnaerss@mail.sas.upenn.edu
 93 8:32 pm
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11-upenn1.8]

Alan Lacy wrote:
>
> The College of Arts and Sciences at Marquette U. is considering eliminating
> the present four semester foreign language requirement for students
> pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree.
>
> The purported rationale for doing this includes:
>    1) Students presently do not learn enough FL in four semesters to
>       "enable them to do anything".

PERHAPS THIS KIND OF STATEMENT IS TELLING THOSE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
THAT WE NEED TO RE-EXAMINE WHAT AND HOW WE ARE TEACHING FL. THIS IS ONLY A
GENERALIZATION AND NOT INTENDED TO REFLECT SPECIFICALLY ON THE MARQUETTE
PROGRAM AS I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT. AND THERE ARE SOME VERY EFFECTIVE FL
PROGRAMS AROUND THE COUNTRY. BUT PERHAPS THE KIND OF FL ISN'T ALL
THAT RELEVANT.  SIMILAR MOTIVATION, RELEVANCE, BROUGHT ABOUT THE ENGLISH
FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES MOVEMENT, INLCUDING ENGLISH FOR SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY.

IT IS DOCUMENTED THAT ENGLISH IS CURRENTLY THE INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE
OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY .

 2) Graduate programs in natural sciences do not require FL study.
>    3) Requirements for the major in natural sciences have grown to the point
>       that the students feel they cannot fulfill both these and the FL
>       requirement, and graduate in four years.
FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD IN THE SCIENCES, THIS IS PROBABLY TRUE. IT IS EVEN
HARD IN MANY PLACES TO ADD EVEN HEALTH AND SAFETY INSTRUCTION - RELATED TO THE
SCIENCE LABS AND RESEARCH, BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ROOM IN THE
CURRICULUM.

I'M NOT SPEAKING FROM SPECIFIC SURVEY INFORMATION FROM SCIENCE
DEPARTMENTS BUT RATHER FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE IN ENGLISH FOR SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY AND WORKING WITH SCIENCE/ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS IN THE US AND
OVERSEAS.
 Does anyone have information on how natural science
departments and professional organizations see the importance of foreign
 language study at
> the college level?
>I CAN SEE SEVERAL ARGUMENTS FOR RATHER SPECIALIZED FOREIGN LANGUAGE
INSTRUCTION, FOR SPECIFIC NEEDS:
    -FOR STUDENTS GOING INTO THE MEDICAL /HEALTH SCIENCES, A FOREIGN
     LANGUAGE FOR PATIENT COMMUNICATION WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE
     EITHER FOR THOSE GOING ABROAD FOR FIELD RESEARCH, MEDICAL SERVICE,
     OR FOR SERVICE IN MULTILINGUAL COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S.

     -A SECOND AREA IN WHICH FL STUDY MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE
      WOULD BE FOR THOSE GOING ABROAD TO DO FIELD WORK IN, FOR EXAMPLE,
      THE AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, OR FOR SOME FORM OF TECHNOLOGY
      TRANSFER OR APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (EVEN IN BOTANY)
      AT A LOCAL LEVEL. BUT, AGAIN, THE TYPE OF FL TAUGHT WOULD HAVE TO
      HAVE  WOULD HAVE TO HAVE OBVIOUS RELEVANCE.

     -CERTAINLY IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE FOR SCIENTISTS FROM ENGLISH-
      SPEAKING COUNTRIES TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE COLLEAGUES
      IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGES RATHER THAN, UNFORTUNATELY, ALWAYS ASSUMING THAT
      THE SCIENTISTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES MUST, OF COURSE, SPEAK ENGLISH,
      AFTER ALL, ISN'T ENGLISH THE LANGUAGE OF SCIENCE THESE DAYS?

     -THE ABILITY TO READ IN ONE OF THE MORE COMMON FOREIGN LANGUAGES
      WOULD ENABLE SCIENTISTS TO ACCESS A BROADER BASE OF SCIENCE
      RESEARCH (THOUGH MUCH IS AVAILABLE AT THE ABSTRACT/SUMMARY
      LEVEL IN ENGLISH). SO READING TECHNICAL MATERIALS IN A FOREIGN
      LANGUAGE MIGHT BE A VALID ARGUMENT. WHILE MOST OF THE 'FRONTLINE
      HIGH-TECH' RESEARCH EVENTUALLY GETS REPORTED IN ENGLISH, THERE
      IS A LOT OF INTERESTING RESEARCH ON LOCAL CONCERNS BEING REPORTED
      IN NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE JOURNALS...THAT ARE NOT ACCORDED THE SAME
      THE SAME STATUS AS THOSE PRINTED IN ENGLISH. SOME OF THIS RESEARCH
      IS RELEVANT TO APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY FOR LOCAL CONDITIONS.

     -IN SPAIN THERE IS CURRENTLY AN EFFORT TO UPGRADE THE QUALITY OF
      REPORTING OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TO MEET 'INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS.'

     -THERE IS ALSO A MOVEMENT AMONG 'DEVELOPING COUNTRIES' TO DEVELOP
      DATABASES IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH AND ON TOPICS OF
      CONCERNS TO THEIR LOCAL NEEDS.

     -I'M NOT SURE IF MY FIRST POINT IS WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR. I HOPE
      YOU WILL FIND SOME OF MY SUBSEQUENT POINTS USEFUL. LET ME KNOW
      IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON ANY OF THESE. I DO CARE ABOUT
      ENCOURAGING AMERICANS TO LEARN OTHER LANGUAGES, AND ABOUT
      AMERICAN SCIENTISTS BEING SENSITIVE TO OTHER CULTURES AND
      ABLE TO COMMUNICATE SENSITIVELY WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES IN OTHER
      COUNTRIES AND WITH NON-SCIENTISTS THEY MIGHT BE WORKING WITH
      AS WELL AS THOSE LIMITED ENGLISH SPEAKERS THAT THEY MIGHT BE
      SERVING IN THE U.S.

> REGARDS, MARGARET VAN NAERSSEN
           UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
           mvnaerss@mail.sas.upenn.edu
>
>
>
>
> Alan F. Lacy
> Marquette University
> 6160lacya@vms.csd.mu.edu
>
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