One skill that is bound to give you an edge, no matter what path you pursue after Penn State, is the ability to speak a foreign language. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of foreign language skills in the 21st century, an era that has already been marked by increasing globalization, dramatic shifts in global power and demographic trends, and ever-evolving challenges in the political arena.
You may think to yourself that “so many people throughout the world speak English” so you don’t need to learn a second language. Well, the former may be true (although many Americans overestimate the proportion of the world’s population that speaks English); the latter likely is not. Whether you plan to pursue a career in business, government, non-profit, law, or academia, there is a good chance that your employer will work with clients, constituents, or partners from across the globe.
Try this exercise: think of an American blue-chip employer (such as Pfizer, Omnicon, Procter & Gamble, Google, Bank of New York/Mellon, or MasterCard) and then try to guess what proportion of its revenues comes from outside the US. For the companies listed above, the proportions approach 50% or more. In fact, recent data suggests that for US companies as a whole the proportion of revenues that are derived internationally is about 30%, while for companies in the S&P 500, the proportion is along the lines of 45-50% (MSN Market Watch, 2007).* These rates are expected to increase over the next several years. Certainly foreign language skills would be an asset for individuals seeking a position in the private sector after college, particularly as the global economy continues to evolve and other regions of the world assume greater economic and political influence.
Knowledge of a foreign language is also a great asset for those considering careers in government, the non-profit sector, law or law enforcement, and related fields. Currently, the fastest growing regions of the world are outside of North America, and are not predominantly English-speaking. Certainly some of the most pressing humanitarian and geopolitical challenges of our era are in non-English speaking areas of the world. In this regard, one might think particularly of the former Soviet republics (where Russian is widely spoken), the Middle East, Latin America, or Eastern Europe. Students interested in careers or research in these fields who possess a working knowledge of a foreign language will be able to take advantage of a wider range of opportunities to serve others, and will undoubtedly have access to a broader range of resources to draw upon in building their careers.
Even if your interests are more local, foreign language skills are still a plus given the increasingly multicultural nature of the modern workplace. Most young people in college today will one day work in an environment where they are required to interact with people from other cultural backgrounds or whose first language is not English. In the multicultural workplace employees who know another language and have developed an understanding and appreciation of foreign cultures that the study of a foreign language promotes are an asset.
Finally, if you plan further education after college, you may already know that many graduate programs require a certain level of fluency in one or two foreign languages. This is because important research is often published in professional journals and books in languages other than English. Language skills can also boost your application to law or business school, and make you more competitive for any grant or scholarship that you may wish to apply for. In addition to making you a better communicator, knowledge of a foreign language showcases your capacity to assimilate complex systems of information, as well as your flexibility and ability to “get outside your own head” and adapt to how other people think.
Penn State offers a variety of ways to integrate foreign languages into existing programs of study. How might you get started? Penn State University Park offers courses in many languages ranging from the more familiar, such as German, to the less commonly taught, such as Hindi. For many of these languages, University Park also offers a range of summer courses (see for example, the many offerings in French, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew, and new next summer, Turkish and Portuguese). Thus foreign language study can complement and fit readily into most educational plans. For many of the languages offered here you can earn a minor which will give you a formal credential to attest to your skills.
Descriptions of Penn State minors, including language minors, can be found on the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Studies website. Language minors typically require 18 – 19 credits in language courses, with 6 – 7 credits at the 400 level. However, introductory language courses (LANG 001, sometimes LANG 002 and 003) do not count towards all minors. It is always good to consult with the departmental adviser to make sure that you understand the requirements.
Good luck! Bonne chance! Viel Gl�ck!