What Motivates UW Students to Learn Foreign Languages?

What Motivates UW Students to Learn Foreign Languages? Globe image: IStock

Encompassing more than eighty modern and classical (ancient) languages, the UW offers students choices that span the globe. From Chinese to Quechua (a South American language originating in the Andean mountains) to Yoruba (spoken in Nigeria and other parts of western Africa), sixty modern language offerings help to prepare students to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world. To delve into ancient texts, students also get their fair share of language choices, with twenty-seven classical offerings, ranging from Old Norse to Biblical Hebrew. But why do students enroll in language courses? According to recent figures, many say simply for the fun of it.

Published in the Spring 2010 issue