In line with the College of Arts & Sciences’ mission to prepare graduates for an increasingly globalized world, all students majoring in the College must now demonstrate proficiency in a second language.
“Language study is foundational,” says Dr. Matt Bahr, Associate Dean of the College, who worked on the committee to develop the requirement, which went into effect Fall 2016. “A robust language requirement positions the College to equip greater numbers of graduates to live and work abroad and to make meaningful contributions to the increasingly diverse communities in this country.”
Gonzaga’s departments of Modern Languages and Classic Civilizations offer an array of languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, Japanese and Spanish, and have expanded their course offerings to accommodate an influx in enrollment.
“Something like eighty percent of students admitted to Gonzaga studied Spanish in high school,” says Diane Birginal, Spanish instructor and Modern Language Testing Coordinator. Under the new requirement, students in the College who choose to continue the study of a language begun in high school must show competence at the 201-course level, while those pursuing a new language must progress through 102. Alternatively, students entering the College with more advanced language skills may test out of the requirement altogether through the College’s proficiency exam. This system ensures that while every student is competent in a particular language, it will not require any student to take more than two semesters of language, nor will it penalize students who wish to begin learning a new language at Gonzaga.
“When incoming freshmen take the interest survey, one question is ‘Do you want to take a language your first semester at Gonzaga?’” explains Birginal. “Almost half of incoming freshmen in Arts and Sciences answered yes. There is a strong interest, even if they’re not going to major in it.”
Command of a second language leads to opportunities both before and after graduation. Approximately half of all Gonzaga students study abroad during their four years, with programs available in locations spanning the globe. Whatever their language of study, the experience of immersion can only enhance their language skills and cultural competency.
Post-graduation, Gonzaga alumni have gone on to live, work and serve internationally, and that number continues to grow. They work with for-profit and not-for-profit enterprises around the world, in professions as diverse as the graduates themselves. As of February 2016, eighteen Gonzaga alumni were actively serving abroad in the Peace Corps, bringing the all-time total to 338.
Whether or not students eventually choose to live internationally, language study is vital. According to Birginal, the true value of learning another language is “being able to see the world through the eyes of the other,” an essential component of recognizing the dignity of the human person.
In keeping with the College’s commitment to educating men and women for others, language opens pathways of empathy. By coming to understand other cultures, we come to understand ourselves.