When I was nine, my family moved to Belgium. My parents ensured that my brother, sister and I would learn French by registering my brother and I for a local soccer club and by placing my sister, three at the time, in a local Belgian school. There was no safety net: no one on my soccer team spoke English; it was only because I loved to play so much and because of strong family support that I endured the first few months of isolation and frustration. At my school I received one hour of French class per day. But with my soccer team, I received an additional 10 hours of French practice per week. As an unintended bonus we were also immersed in Belgian culture and traveled with the other parents to games in many small Belgian towns which most visitors never see. Most Americans I encountered there lived their entire stint in Belgium as tourists, staying within their comfort zone. Most had no desire to speak French, socialized only with other Americans at the American Club, sought out American food (as evidenced by their willingness to pay $8 for a box of Pop Tarts) and lived in a predominately American neighborhood. By isolating themselves so completely they never took advantage of an opportunity to expand their world beyond the U.S. border. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have been exposed to many different cultures at an early age nor have had the opportunity to learn another language before high school, but our world today is increasingly interconnected; Americans must realize that learning other languages and understanding other cultures improves not only their lives but also helps our country strengthen its standing internationally.
I would be asked by people when told we were moving: “Belgium is in what country?” By not being more internationally literate and focused, the United States misses many opportunities, both diplomatic and business. Americans historically have had a tendency towards isolationism, turning inward when the international scene becomes threatening, usually to our detriment (e. g., World Wars I and II). If we became more culturally literate, however, this tendency would be reduced. After all, we can navigate the world more easily when we know more than one language and understand the cultural nuances of another country, benefiting not only the individual but his or her country as well. Our reputation overseas has been tarnished both economically and politically as evidenced by the recent debt debate discussions. We could regain some of our standing internationally by having more culturally sophisticated representatives. This applies not only to our elected officials but to every U.S. citizen living or traveling abroad who also represents our country. Our diplomatic efforts to lead and/or influence other nations would be greatly enhanced if we showed an increased awareness and knowledge of the rest of the world.
Increased cultural awareness would also benefit U.S. multinationals doing business abroad since frequently, more of their profits come from overseas rather than domestically. Successful businesses are built upon relationships. U.S. companies can forge stronger relationships and obtain a competitive advantage when their employees know the language and exhibit an enhanced cultural awareness. The importance of understanding the local language to doing business and gaining market share overseas cannot be better illustrated than by the well known example of Chevrolet introducing the Nova into Latin American markets. The locals shunned the car because in Spanish “no va” means “it doesn’t go.” Obviously, in this time of economic uncertainty, we can no longer afford to make mistakes like these when we face such stiff global competition .
Our multinational companies need to be able to find skilled workers here and not have to look abroad. They need people who understand more than just one language and can navigate different cultures. Many changes can be made to our education system in order to give our students the chance to learn more about other societies around the globe. To achieve this, we need mandatory language education to be incorporated into our elementary school curriculum as languages are most easily learned at an early age. At the middle school level or earlier, world history, including conversations about current affairs and geography, should also be taught. Finally, in high school, more in-depth study of world history and culture should be mandatory. Languages should be continually taught throughout middle and high school. Student exchange programs should be encouraged and funded. Innovative initiatives such as teacher exchange programs, where teachers from around the world are exchanged in order to teach both language and culture, could be effective. Finally, the private sector should be encouraged to fund training programs for high school students so that specific skills are taught early. These initiatives will require increases in education spending; however, the long term benefits for both the individual and the nation far outweigh the cost.
