Why Study a Foreign Language?
Studying a foreign language will enhance a
KU major or minor in:
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European Studies
Global and International Studies
Philosophy
Linguistics
Film & Media Studies
History
History of Art
Business
Humanities and Western Civilization
Political Science
Journalism
Knowledge of a foreign language can be helpful
in many career fields:
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finance
journalism/broadcasting
diplomacy
civil or foreign service
immigration or customs
teaching
advertising
publishing
marketing
translation
interpreting
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sales (food, clothing, art)
operations management
library science
health services
applied linguistics
non-profits
research
import/export
social work
law
medicine
Knowledge of a foreign language can also be
useful in a technology career:
“It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not
enough… It’s technology married with liberal arts,
married with the humanities, that yields us the result that
makes our heart sing.”
Steve Jobs, introducing iPad 2
February 2, 2011
A foreign language can help you stand out in
today’s competitive job market:
A major or minor in a foreign language, combined with
study abroad experience, will help attract the interest of
prospective employers, especially if you also:
• earn good grades
• conduct an independent research project
• complete GAP (Global Awareness Program) and/or
REP (Research Experience Program) certification
• acquire unique experiences and perspectives through
internships and service projects
Additional reasons to study a foreign language*
1. Increase global understanding
“[E]ffective communication and successful negotiations with a
foreign partner—(e.g., business, politics and peacekeeping, law
enforcement, etc.) —requires strong comprehension of the
underlying cultural values and belief structures that are part of
the life experience of the foreign partner.”
Dr. Dan Davidson, President, American Councils on International Education
• Intercultural understanding begins with individuals who
have language abilities and who can provide one’s own
community or nation with an informed perspective on foreign
cultures.
*This section adapted from http://www.vistawide.com/languages/why_languages.htm
2. Improve employment potential
“[T]he English language alone is probably sufficient if all we need to do
is buy our products abroad, if we need to purchase foreign goods and
services. But when it comes to selling a product abroad, you have to
understand the psychology and the belief structure of your client.”
Dr. Dan Davidson, President, American Councils on International Education
• Chances are that knowing languages will open employment
opportunities that you otherwise would not have had, and you may
also earn a greater salary.
• All else being equal, knowing foreign languages can give you an
edge over monolingual applicants competing for the same jobs.
3. Improve native language skills
“Those who know nothing of foreign languages, know nothing of
their own.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• Research shows that knowledge of other languages boosts
students’ understanding of languages in general and enables
them to use their native language more effectively.
• More specifically, foreign language learners have:
• stronger vocabulary skills and higher reading achievement in the native
language
• a better understanding of the native language structure, and improved literacy
in general
• enhanced listening skills and memory
• higher test scores on college and graduate school entrance exams (the more
language study, the better)
4. Sharpen cognitive and life skills
“We have strong evidence today that studying a foreign language
has a ripple effect, helping to improve student performance in
other subjects.” Richard Riley, U.S. Secretary of Education under President Bill Clinton
• People who have learned foreign languages show greater
cognitive development in areas such as mental flexibility and
creativity and higher order thinking skills such as problemsolving, conceptualizing, and reasoning.
• In addition to cognitive benefits, the study of foreign languages
leads to the acquisition of important life skills. Because language
learners learn to deal with unfamiliar cultural ideas, they are
much better equipped to adapt, cope, and effectively handle
new situations.
5. Improve chances of admission into college or
graduate school
• For admission, many colleges and universities require a
minimum of two years of high school foreign language study.
• Once enrolled, further foreign language study is often a
requirement. A majority of colleges and universities rightly
consider knowledge of a foreign language and culture part of what
every educated person should know.
• For graduate study in many fields, knowledge of a second and
sometimes even a third language can be a prerequisite for
admission or a degree requirement.
6. Expand study abroad options
• Because relatively few Americans are competent in foreign
languages, competition for study abroad programs in Englishspeaking countries is sometimes intense.
• Your willingness to learn a language can make you a strong
candidate for many study abroad programs in non-English
speaking countries. For advanced language students, the
opportunities are even greater.
7. Better appreciate international literature,
music, and film
“A different language is a different vision of life.”
Federico Fellini, Italian film director
• Most of the world’s literary and artistic works have been
written in languages other than English. A translation of a text
can never be fully true to the intent, beauty, style, and uniqueness
of its original, not least because some elements of languages
simply do not have translations in other languages. To appreciate
fully literature, theater, music, and film in other languages, one
must be able to access them in their original form.
8. Make travel more feasible and enjoyable
“Here speeching American.” (sign in a Majorcan shop entrance)
“Cold shredded children and sea blubber in spicy sauce.” (from a
menu in China)
“Refund!”
(on a “Caution!” wet floor sign in a McDonald’s restaurant in Italy)
• When traveling in foreign countries, your experience will be
largely shaped by your ability or inability to communicate
in the native language and to see beyond the surface of the
culture.
English is not spoken everywhere! Your language ability will
allow you to see and do things that many visitors cannot.
9. Increase understanding of yourself and your
own culture
• Knowing a language and culture other than your own affords
you the unique opportunity to see yourself and your own
culture from an outside perspective.
• There are aspects of your language, yourself, your life, and your
own culture that you accept as universal or that you have never
even considered until you have encountered a culture and people
who do things differently than you do. The ability to
differentiate is highly valued by many employers!
10. Make lifelong friends
• The interactive, communicative, and student-centered
nature of most foreign language classrooms helps
ensure that you will get to know your fellow students!
Why study the German language and culture?
German is a critical language
• “Germany’s central location in Europe and strong
economy make it vital in today’s world. The rich
history of the German language and culture make it
central to understanding the past and shaping the
future.”
http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/lp/prj/tlk/gcl/enindex.htm
German is a critical language
• “Languages play a role in our national security and
economic strength, and in our ability to build mutually
beneficial relationships with other cultures. We need
multilingual representatives who can interact and
negotiate with other countries and cultures, and doing so
in other languages often can assure that meaning and
intent are not lost in translation.”
http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/lp/prj/tlk/gcl/enindex.htm
German can be key to your career
• Knowledge of German gives you an average salary
boost: 4% average income boost over a 2% income
boost for knowledge of Spanish.
http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/lp/prj/tlk/gcl/car/enindex.htm
German is critical to Kultur
• With knowledge of German, you can access a world of sources
for studies in art history, photography, graphic arts, design,
theater, film, dance, music or architecture.
• Germany is home to more than 3,000 museums. More than 100
million people visit Germany’s museums each year.
• About 300 international and German-language theatre
premieres are staged each year, and some 300 classical music
festivals take place in Germany each year.
Adapted from http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/lp/prj/tlk/gcl/kul/enindex.htm
German is critical to Kultur
• Germany boasts 141 professional orchestras. The country’s
leading ensembles are the Berlin and Munich Philharmonic
orchestras, the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, and the
Dresden Staatskapelle.
• Numerous film festivals are important for the cultural image of
cinema in Germany and abroad. The most important forum is
the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), but film
festivals in Mannheim, Oberhausen, Leipzig, Hof, Munich,
Lübeck and Hamburg also enjoy international status.
Adapted from http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/lp/prj/tlk/gcl/kul/enindex.htm
German is critical to Kultur
• The Bauhaus is probably the most influential school of design
and architecture of the 20th century. Founded in 1919, it
revolutionized the world of architecture and design with its
basic principle: form follows function.
• Bauhaus teachers Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius,
Le Corbusier, Bruno Taut and Erich Mendelsohn had a major
influence on international modern architecture.
Adapted from http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/lp/prj/tlk/gcl/kul/enindex.htm
The German language
• 24% of the residents of the European Union speak German as their
native language and 31% of all Europeans speak German as a second
language.
• 2,000 grants are awarded to U.S. students and professors to study and
conduct research in Germany, which is also the 3rd most popular
country in the world for studying abroad.
• 200,000 foreign students are currently enrolled in German universities,
or 10% of the student population in Germany.
• German is the second most frequently used language on the Internet
after English, and Germany has the world’s most websites per capita.
http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/ney/pro/werbung/brochure/counselorsguidetogerman.pdf
The German language, economics & Germany
• Over 2,000 American companies conduct business in German-speaking
countries, and more than 1,000 companies based in German-speaking
countries have subsidiaries in the US, according to the AmericanGerman Business Club.
• More than 45,000 international companies conduct business in
Germany.
• Germany is the most attractive place in Europe and third after the US
and China in the world for US companies to invest, according to a 2008
survey conducted by the Boston Consulting Group.
• Germany was recently named Europe’s most favorable manufacturing
location for the foreseeable future by the firm of Healy & Baker; in a
recent issue of Newsweek it was named the second most powerful
country in the world after the United States, based on many criteria,
especially economic reasons.
http://old.aatg.org/resources/tool-kit-for-german-advocacy/1022-why-study-german.html
The German language, economics & Germany
• German investment in the U.S. exceeds $210 billion.
• More than 3,000 German companies have investments in the
American market.
• Germany was the world's second biggest exporter in 2009, just behind
China, largely due to technological innovation and high-quality
German goods. The most popular German export goods are vehicles
and vehicle parts, machines, chemical products, and metals.
• Germany is Europe’s largest economy, the world’s fifth largest, and
the world’s third most technologically powerful economy after the US
and Japan.
• Germany is one of the top three nations in research and development
of high tech products, the second among world leaders in both wind
and solar power production, and the world leader in installed solar
photovoltaic panels.
http://old.aatg.org/resources/tool-kit-for-german-advocacy/1022-why-study-german.html
Why study the language and culture of Germanspeaking Europe at KU?
German at the University of Kansas
• We offer our students a diverse and challenging program in the
language and culture of German-speaking Europe, including
literature, the arts, history, business, and politics.
• We are introducing an updated curriculum in fall 2013.
• Our program is characterized by personalized advising,
interdisciplinary flexibility, co-curricular activities, and
opportunities to conduct independent research and to study and
undertake internships abroad.
• The relatively small size of our classes ensures that students
participate actively in classroom learning and receive ample
attention from their instructors.
New Undergraduate Curriculum, Fall 2013
MAJOR
Hours required: 30
Required courses. After completion of German 202: Intermediate German II, students will
need to complete 16 credits:
GERM 301 High Intermediate German I (3)
GERM 302 High Intermediate German II (3)
GERM 315 German Literature and the Modern Era (3)
GERM 316 Discussion Section: German Literature &the Modern Era (1)
GERM 401 Advanced German I (3)
GERM 580 Senior Capstone Course: German-Speaking Europe Today (3)
GERM 315 and GERM 316 must be completed before students can take a course beyond
GERM 402 (except GERM 444 and GERM 462).
Admission to 400- and 500-level courses after GERM 402 (except GERM 444 and GERM
462) without completion of GERM 315 and GERM 316 is with permission of the
Undergraduate Advisor only.
New Undergraduate Curriculum, Fall 2013
MAJOR
Elective courses. A minimum of 14 credit hours at the 300, 400, and 500 levels must be
completed beyond the required courses. 12 of these credit hours must be at the 400 or 500
level. In exceptional cases, undergraduates may take courses at the 600 level with
permission of the Undergraduate Advisor and the instructor.
With permission of the Undergraduate Advisor, 6 credit hours at the 300, 400, or 500 levels
may be counted toward the major by completing two approved courses offered by other
departments with significant content related to German-speaking Europe. A 600-level
course may be counted with approval of the Undergraduate Advisor.
Residency Requirement. At least 15 hours of coursework at the 300, 400, and 500 levels,
including the senior capstone course, GERM 580, must be completed in residence at KU.
New Undergraduate Curriculum, Fall 2013
MINOR
Hours required: 18
Required courses. After completion of German 202: Intermediate German II, students will
need to complete the following two courses:
GERM 301 High Intermediate German I (3)
GERM 302 High Intermediate German II (3)
Elective courses
12 additional hours at the 300, 400, and 500 levels. GERM 315 and GERM 316 are strongly
encouraged because they are prerequisites for courses above GERM 402 (except GERM 444
and GERM 462).
One approved 3-credit course offered by another department or program and with significant
content related to German-speaking Europe (300-500 level) may be counted toward the
German minor.
A 600-level course may be counted only with approval of the Undergraduate Advisor. At
least 9 credits at the 300 level and above must be acquired in residence at KU.
With special thanks to Dr. Kimberly Swanson, Associate Professor,
Department of French & Italian, University of Kansas, for allowing
us to adapt her PowerPoint, “Why Learn Foreign Languages?”