Foreign languages
I recently came to know that some European B-schools require students to be proficient in at least one foreign language. That's an awesome idea! I would like to see US B-schools introduce such a concept. In today's interconnected global economy, it is very important to be able to work with people from other parts of the world and learning a foreign language (any language) is a step in the right direction. Obviously, mastering French will not be of much use when dealing with Japanese suppliers but the experience of learning a completely foreign language will certainly help managers step up their learning curve while dealing with a foreign client or vendor. English is the current lingua franca of international business but it always helps to be proficient in more than one language.
I tried to learn French many years ago but gave it up after getting bored. However a couple of years ago, I enrolled myself in a German language class and was absolutely fascinated by the language. I cannot explain why I liked German (but not French) so much. Maybe because it's more regular? I also had absolutely no trouble pronouncing the harsh German sounds (most beginners give up at this stage :-)). I am by no means fluent in German but I can hold a regular conservation. I am sure that a native German would appreciate my efforts to speak his language and would forgive whatever grammatical errors I may make while speaking to him. It's my dream to be able to read Schopenhauer's "Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung" in its original German version. It will probably be many more years before my German is good enough to read nineteenth century German philosophy (how's that for setting high targets? :-)). But I am sure that it will be completely worth it.
I tried to learn French many years ago but gave it up after getting bored. However a couple of years ago, I enrolled myself in a German language class and was absolutely fascinated by the language. I cannot explain why I liked German (but not French) so much. Maybe because it's more regular? I also had absolutely no trouble pronouncing the harsh German sounds (most beginners give up at this stage :-)). I am by no means fluent in German but I can hold a regular conservation. I am sure that a native German would appreciate my efforts to speak his language and would forgive whatever grammatical errors I may make while speaking to him. It's my dream to be able to read Schopenhauer's "Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung" in its original German version. It will probably be many more years before my German is good enough to read nineteenth century German philosophy (how's that for setting high targets? :-)). But I am sure that it will be completely worth it.
posted by FSM | 12:37 AM
5 Comments:
I´ve studied german also and a teacher told me that english and german has the same roots.
So, maybe it is easier for you to understand its structure and you are finding it more interesting than french.
Try learning Greek =-)
It is so sad when you go to so many other countries (particularly in Europe) and most people there speak 2 if not 3 languages but here it's only english? I definitley think b-school, not even that, I think grammar school should have a second langauge requirement! I actually am considering access to language classes in my decision on which schools to apply to! Good luck with the German!
While I think the language requirement is an interesting one, in my own experience, it's been of little use. I have near fluency in French, but may still use a translator for the minutiae. On the other hand, there is a reason that most MBA programs are conducted in 100% English. It's the first language of many people in the "business world," and the fluent second language of pretty much everyone else.
Sure, there are plenty of people in Europe who are bilingual (or trilingual, etc.) But if their first language isn't English, their second language often is, and that's pretty much all that you need to communicate.
Great site lots of usefull infomation here.
»
Post a Comment
<< Home