Press Room
Letter to the Miami Herald
This letter was published in the July 22 edition of the Miami Herald.
July 21, 2008
The Readers' Forum
The Miami Herald
One Herald Plaza
Miami, Florida 33132-1693
To the Editor:
Andres Oppenheimer is absolutely correct that "it's time for Americans to master a second language (July 17)," and Senator Obama should be congratulated for having the courage to say so. It should be obvious that we live in a dangerous world, one that we fail to understand at our peril, and that international competence helps our economic competitiveness. But there are limits to our ability to understand other peoples and cultures if we cannot speak their languages. It is a misguided patriotism that would celebrate ignorant monolingualism in the global age. The next president should set a national objective that every student will graduate from college with proficiency in a foreign language and a basic understanding of at least one world region.
Victor C. Johnson
Senior Advisor, Public Policy
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
1307 New York Avenue, N.W., Eighth Floor
Washington, D.C. 20515-4701
July 21, 2008
The Readers' Forum
The Miami Herald
One Herald Plaza
Miami, Florida 33132-1693
To the Editor:
Andres Oppenheimer is absolutely correct that "it's time for Americans to master a second language (July 17)," and Senator Obama should be congratulated for having the courage to say so. It should be obvious that we live in a dangerous world, one that we fail to understand at our peril, and that international competence helps our economic competitiveness. But there are limits to our ability to understand other peoples and cultures if we cannot speak their languages. It is a misguided patriotism that would celebrate ignorant monolingualism in the global age. The next president should set a national objective that every student will graduate from college with proficiency in a foreign language and a basic understanding of at least one world region.
Victor C. Johnson
Senior Advisor, Public Policy
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
1307 New York Avenue, N.W., Eighth Floor
Washington, D.C. 20515-4701
