[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 33 (Thursday, March 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        SUPPORTING THE DESIGNATION OF THE YEAR OF THE LANGUAGES

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                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 8, 2005

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Education 
and Workforce and the International Relations committees, I rise in 
strong support of H. Res. 122, Mr. Holt's resolution to support and 
encourage the study of languages in the United States.
  The promotion and expansion of language studies will ensure our 
nation's ability to compete in a global marketplace of the 21st 
Century. The United States needs a skilled workforce in government, 
national security, the scientific community and business who possess 
the language and cross-cultural skills to successfully engage our 
global community.
  While colleges and universities across the U.S. provide for the study 
of languages and employ teachers and scholars in specialized languages, 
they have not had the resources or the incentives to recruit, retain, 
and graduate students in specialized languages at a rate equal to the 
demand. We need more students to study languages for the strength of 
our economy and for the security of U.S. interests here at home and 
abroad.
  The federal government provides incentives for the study of math, 
science, and engineering because we have recognized the value of 
encouraging strong graduation rates in those areas. We should have the 
same recognition for the value that foreign language proficiency adds 
to other professional degrees.
  At the University of Minnesota, between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 
2004, while fourteen bachelor's degrees in East Asian languages were 
conferred, zero Masters and PhDs in East Asian languages were 
conferred. During the same time, zero degrees in Arabic languages were 
conferred at any level. And, zero degrees were conferred in South Asian 
languages at either the bachelor's or advanced degree levels.
  In contrast, Chinese students as well as men and women from countries 
in the Middle East, India, and across the globe come, to the United 
States to study math, engineering, biology, and medicine--in English--
their second or even third language. How many Americans have the 
ability or incentive to live in China and obtain an advanced 
understanding of the Chinese language? In Japan? In South Korea? The 
learning gap between the U.S. and countries in Europe and Asia is 
widening in math and science. Language acquisition is an essential 
component of our nation retaining our competitive edge.
  I commend Mr. Holt for his leadership on this important issue and, 
again, offer my strong support.




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