The foreign language requirement at UB is an unnecessary burden to those subjected to it. Instead of forcing students to suffer through up to four semesters of a foreign language, the university should foster the ability to take classes of interest and relevance outside of a student's major.
Currently, I am farther from fluent than I am from failing Italian, but I am trying to stifle my apathy for the subject until the end of the semester. Still, I see no reason I should have to spend my tuition money on classes that will have no effect on my life after I leave UB, involuntarily.
By the end of next semester, I could have theoretically completed my English major. But no, instead, I will have completed only my foreign language requirement, which, in my case, consists of four semesters of Italian.
Next semester, Italian 206 is being offered in only one time-slot; of course, it is during the time of the later literature course I was planning on taking. So, I begrudgingly registered to take the class and will finally - hopefully - be done with this burden that I have been carrying for the past two years.
After last year's restructuring of UB's general education requirements, I thought I was about to be freed of two semesters of foreign language. But no, English majors are still forced to take four semesters of a language; I seriously considered switching to be a communication major.
My reluctance to take Italian classes does not stem from laziness, as some might suspect, but instead a stubborn determination and the knowledge that I could be spending my time and money in a way that is productive and enjoyable.
After four semesters of taking Italian - 16 credits - I could have taken an entire other semester, $1,600 worth, of classes that are actually useful in the "real world." Hypothetically, I could have saved my parents over $6,000 by graduating a semester early.
But more important than wasted money is my time; why should I be forced to waste it learning a foreign language? Taking Italian is tedious and thankless. Instead, I should be taking classes that will be valuable in my future career or at least of some interest to me.
I understand the idea behind taking a foreign language - to be well rounded and knowledgeable about another culture's language - but those interested in pursuing this area could easily take language classes without the rest of us who resent being forced to sit through them.
Furthermore, classes would be more productive if everyone in them actually wanted to be there. At least half of every Italian class I've taken at UB has been filled with students who, like me, were completely uninterested in learning the language. Class easily becomes boring when only half the students participate in activities and homework assignments, and it is easy for other students and even the professor to become discouraged with the lethargic atmosphere.
This classroom apathy leads to decreased productivity, but still, it is highly unlikely that anyone studying a language for a semester or four will magically be fluent upon graduation.
The purpose of learning a foreign language is further made futile, however, upon examining the trends of other countries toward speaking English. Citizens in major cities in Italy, France and Spain, and other European countries speak English as a second language.
Now, some might say, "If they are forced to learn our language, we should learn theirs," but I ask, "Why?" The only tangible purpose of learning a foreign language is to promote universal communication, which cannot possibly be accomplished by learning one language. If the rest of the world decides to learn English, however, I will not try to stop them.
Moreover, the university should be less adamant about students learning foreign languages when many students cannot get through one semester of English 201 without grumbling about the workload and 25-page writing requirement. If students cannot speak and write in English, teaching efforts should be focused on teaching them the basics of the language they need to know rather than a language with no practical use.
If learning a second language is required to promote foreign culture, then classes should be taught focusing on cultural aspects of a specific country or area and should not be language-based. Foreign language classes should still be offered for majors and those interested in learning second languages, and these could fulfill a general education requirement that can be satisfied in one three-credit class.
