The IAFS major couldn’t be complete without language study. Even with the extensive and challenging coursework required, the rewards of learning a language are well worth the effort--and without a doubt, these rewards extend far beyond just being able to order crepes in a French café. There is a powerful sense of accomplishment associated with communicating in another language. Veronica Baker (IAFS ’15) studies French and Arabic, and studied abroad in France and Tunisia with a Global Grant. She recalls the first time she looked at a page of Arabic text and read it from right to left automatically, without even thinking about it. Baker shares: “When those things start to come naturally, it makes all the frustration worth it.”
 |
| CU-Boulder Spanish Class (Photo by Glenn J. Asakawa/University of Colorado) |
All IAFS students are required to reach third-year college proficiency in a language related to their selected geographic concentration. Jason Hoffman (IAFS ’17) is taking Mandarin Chinese and says, “Studying a language in a college setting involves more than just class time to genuinely learn and progress.” Like many IAFS students, Hofmann plans to spend a semester abroad in order to apply and practice lessons from the classroom. Kieran Hubber (IAFS ’16) recently returned from studying abroad in Amman, Jordan, as a Global Grant study abroad scholarship recipient. Hubber found that it is “difficult to study Arabic without being exposed to Arab history in one way or another.” While abroad in Jordan, Hubber experienced first-hand the strong connection among politics, history, and language.
In addition, IAFS students find that knowledge of a foreign language is increasingly advantageous for staying up-to-date with current political events and the global economy. For Laura Blome (IAFS ’15), studying Russian “provides a comparative advantage in analyzing current events in Russia and Eastern Europe.” Specifically, Blome uses her knowledge to analyze how political figures use language style to establish power through their speech. Baker, with her growing understanding of Arabic, agrees. She states: “Solving our world’s problems will come from our generation gaining a true understanding of others in the world, and the best way to understand and show compassion for others is to speak their language.”