[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 26265]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK

  (Mr. HOLT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about International Education 
Week this week sponsored by the Departments of State and Education.
  International Education Week marks the importance of teaching our 
children and the people of our country foreign languages, traditions, 
cultures. This is not simply a feel-good effort of cultural enrichment. 
Whether it is a matter of competitiveness, economics, national 
security, in this era we must understand other cultures, their 
languages, their traditions, as quite literally now anyone on this 
planet could be our collaborators, our colleagues, our competitors, our 
customers.
  Certainly this event should reaffirm our value of a strong foreign 
language education in which culture and traditions are taught alongside 
the structure and vocabulary. The acquisition of foreign languages 
beginning in the elementary years is found to create neuroconnections 
and boost various thinking processes. Those who study foreign language 
can pursue careers that benefit all of us here in America.
  These students are gaining experiences which will serve them well in 
a variety of careers and serve the Nation through a better 
understanding of the world in which we live and compete.

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