Leaders Speak Out on Foreign Language Education

Languages continue to be on the radar for the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of State. How well this will translate into federal policies supporting current and future international and foreign language education programs remains to be seen as during the next few months policy makers go from addressing mega-financial concerns to dealing with specifics.

Thanks to Todd Bowen of ICTFL for the following from the President:

At a Town Hall in Atkinson, Illinois, President Obama referred to the importance of learning a language. Here it is:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/08/17/remarks-president-town-hall-meeting-atkinson-illinois

“Q I’m a supply chain management major and a French major. And I’m wondering what you think is one of the best majors to major in, in order to get a job. Our professor seems to think that supply chain you get -- there’s a lot of job opportunities out there, but I wonder what other majors you think that are good for students to study.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, I can tell you’re going to be good, whatever you do. (Laughter and applause.) So when you finish, you let me know. We’ll talk to LaHood or Vilsack and we may hire you -- because you seem very impressive.

Look, the -- you’re already ahead of the curve because what you understand is that the economy is changing, and the days when just because you’re willing to work hard, you could automatically find a job -- those days are over. The truth of the matter is, is that everything requires an education. I don’t have to tell the farmers here. You guys are looking at GPS and have all kinds of equipment; you’re studying markets around the world. And it is a complicated piece of business that you’re engaged in. It’s not just a matter of going out with a plow in a field.

And that’s happened to every industry. When I go into factories these days, what’s amazing is how clean and how quiet they are, because what used to take 1,000 folks to do now only takes 100 folks to do. And one of the challenges in terms of rebuilding our economy is businesses have gotten so efficient that -- when was the last time somebody went to a bank teller instead of using the ATM, or used a travel agent instead of just going online? A lot of jobs that used to be out there requiring people now have become automated. And that means us investing in our kids’ education -- nothing’s more important. Nothing is more important. (Applause.)

Now -- but you’re also asking a good question, which is, don’t just go to college without having some idea about what interests you. Now, this supply chain management I think is a great field, because the world is shrinking and products from Atkinson end up on a dinner table in China somewhere, and that means that people who understand how to move products and services and people in efficient ways, there’s going to be high demand for them. So I don’t think your professor is just trying to keep you in class; I think he actually is onto something here.

One of the things I’m worried about and we’re trying to put a lot of emphasis on in the Department of Education is, can we do more to encourage math, science, engineering, technology learning -- (applause) -- because I can guarantee you, if you are a skilled engineer, if you are a skilled computer scientist, if you’ve got strong math skills and technical skills, you are going to be very employable in today’s economy. And that has to start even before young people get to college. So we’re trying to institute a whole -- what’s called a STEM program -- science, technology, engineering and math -- in the lower schools so that kids start getting oriented towards those fields. That’s where we traditionally have had a comparative advantage, but we’re losing ground to China and India and places like that where those kids are just focused on those subjects. And we need more of those, so you keep on studying the supply chain management.
I will tell you, though, just in case there are any French teachers here or foreign language teachers, having a foreign language, that’s important, too. That makes you so much more employable -- (applause) -- because if you go to a company and they’re doing business in France or Belgium or Switzerland or Europe somewhere, and they find out you’ve got that language skill, that’s going to be important as well. And we don’t do that as much as we should; we don’t emphasize that as much as we should here in the United States. So congratulations -- proud of you. (Applause.)”

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Transcript on the State Department's website of a colloquy between the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State

Foreign language and culture training is essential to our ability not only to protect our security, but frankly to be a nation that is well educated, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said yesterday during a wide-ranging conversation with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the National Defense University. (See http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/08/170611.htm)

Panetta s remark came in response to the first audience question of the event, from a foreign area officer (Army Colonel) about the dearth of foreign language and culture training for military and intelligence services. Both Secretary Panetta and Secretary Clinton noted their views that such language and culture training is essential to U.S. security. Said Secretary Panetta:

Secretary Clinton followed up with her agreement:

I certainly think we ve got to look at creative ways to be able to deal with it. I m a believer in foreign language training. I think, unfortunately, this country hasn t devoted enough resources really to foreign language training. We ve looked at the three Rs reading, writing, and arithmetic but we haven t looked at reality of the world that we deal with. And in order for I mean, when I was CIA director, I did not think you could be a good intelligence analyst or operations guy without knowing languages. And I believe that for the Defense Department and I think for the State Department, there s a recognition that you need to have language in order to be able to relate to the world that we live in. So my goal would be, as we go through the budget, as we develop the restraints that we have to develop, that we are creative and not undermine the kind of teaching and language training that I think is essential to our ability not only to protect our security, but frankly to be a nation that is well educated.

Well, I certainly say amen to that, and I think your suggestion that we look for ways that we can better coordinate our language and culture education programs is a very good one.

Panetta also stated early on in his remarks:

"But more importantly, when we think about national security, I think we also have to think about the domestic discretionary budget as well, because education plays a role, other elements of the discretionary budget in terms of the quality of life in this country play a role in terms of our national security. More importantly, and I ve made the point based on my own budget experience, that if you re serious about dealing with budget deficits, you can t just keep going back to the discretionary part of the budget."