Interview with a Sociologist

Our group topic focuses on the lack of foreign language education in our elementary schools despite the growing emphasis on globalization. As a group we determined several reasons as to why these programs aren't implemented and it seemed that Dr. Marie Jipguep and we had the same principle reason: Money.
Foreign language education programs in elementary schools do not make fiscal sense according to Dr. Marie Jipguep, Urban Sociology professor at Howard University. Dr. Jipguep admitted to not being an expert on the American primary school system as she attended primary school in her native country Cameroon, so she asked of my experience. After detailing to her my short stint with foreign language, she was shocked. After making comparisons between my experience and her experience, it is easy to see why. I began foreign language education in the 6th grade and was allowed to stop in the 10th grade. Dr. Jipguep began learning English in the 5th grade and by high school she began learning Italian, a language of one of Cameroon's many colonizers, and she had to have fluency in both in order to graduate.
When asked why Americans don't stress the learning of foreign languages as Cameroon does, Dr. Jipguep responded with her original answer: it doesn't make fiscal sense. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the biggest stock exchange in the world and it is located in New York where everyone speaks English. Therefore, other countries that wish to do business in New York will learn the language. In Cameroon, it was necessary to learn the languages of the colonizers if you wanted to make money. Americans don't have that need yet. Everyone speaks English so there isn't a rush to learn another language. However, in light of China possible new world standing, some colleges have begun to introduce Chinese culture and language courses because it is important to not only speak their language, but understand their way of life.
Dr. Jipguep also noted that America is a big country. She compared it to a continent where each state is analogous to a country. Each state has it's own culture, so within these continental confines there is already so much to learn.
I agree with Dr. Jipguep that if change in the foreign language curriculum will come, it will be at the community level not the national level. Each community will serve according to its needs. In the South where there is a large hispanic population, Spanish is a must. Some places have a large Indian population and Odu is the language of choice, but if this was a national requirement people in Wyoming will most likely question the purpose since they don't have a large Indian population.

Alexandria Igwe