Things foreign language students are really tired of hearing

Regardless of your area of study, you’ll probably face some variation of this question during your college years: What are you going to do after graduation? Few questions, even innocently asked, strike as much fear and anxiety in the hearts of undergrads as this one. For some majors, the person asking the question has a better idea of what futures might await you; computer engineering majors are probably going to work in the tech sphere, and obviously education majors are hoping to become teachers, or educate in some capacity.

But when foreign language majors are asked the question, the asker genuinely has no idea what we are planning to do with our degrees. In fact, non-foreign language majors of all ages and backgrounds ask and say a lot of things to students studying non-English languages–so many things that it starts to feel like we’re listening to a horribly broken record.

So you’re going to be a teacher, right?

Surprisingly, not every person who studies a subject wants to then go on to teach that subject! Can you imagine if everyone who graduated from med school went on to teach in med schools? We’d have an abundance of professors and zero doctors. Teaching is a noble pursuit, but it’s not for everyone.

Can’t believe ghosting isn’t an option, tbh.

Are you [insert nationality of the language you’re studying here]?

It turns out that you are allowed to study a language even if you have no personal relation to that culture. I’m majoring in Italian, and I don’t have an Italian bone in my body. It’s okay (even great!) to study a culture other than your own; how else are we supposed to learn about the world we live in? And on that note…

Isn’t studying X language if you’re not a part of X culture cultural appropriation?

People actually believe this. How are we supposed to empathize with each other if we cannot understand each other? Language is the foundation upon which all communication is built, and communication is the only way we can work together to solve the world’s problems. It is not appropriative to study another culture’s language, to learn about its history and art and values, and to use those things to deepen your understanding of the world. That’s just called being a good global citizen.

Bonding over the #struggle of studying a foreign language

I bet studying a language is an easy major

Imagine this: you’re sitting in a class full of people you may or may not know. In this course you and your classmates will be investigating gender as expressed in Italian literature, a fascinating topic, and one about which you have many opinions. Class begins, and it’s in rapid-fire Italian. Every student–from third-semester undergrads to native Italian graduate students–is in a different stage of fluency. The conversation is progressing faster than you can follow it. You have thoughts you want to share, but you don’t know how to articulate those ideas quickly enough before the conversation moves onto something new. Your essays, little two-page things that you should be able to knock out in an hour or less, suddenly take all night. Your 60-page reading assignment takes you four days to finish, and you’re lucky if you comprehend 40% of it.

Yeah. Studying a foreign language is a breeze.

Here are just some of the textbooks required of my all-Italian courseload this semester. Only one of them is in English.

Why do you want to study [insert language here], anyway?

I don’t know, why did you study accounting? I like this language and I’m good at it. I’m sure some students have great, emotionally-deep reasons for studying their language of choice, but like a lot of college students, I study what I study because I like it. No need to look further than that.

Oh, will you say something in [insert language here] for me?

Do you go around asking med students to perform surgery for you? How about aerospace engineering majors, do you ask them to built you a rocket at the drop of a hat? No? Then maybe don’t ask us to just speak for you. We’re not dogs. When your area of study is naturally performative, like languages, music, or dance, it can be nerve-wracking to have to come up with something on the spot, especially if you’re still new, or aren’t super confident in your abilities. We understand that it’s cool to meet someone who’s learning to speak a new language, but please, refrain yourself, and just let us live.

What job is this going to offer you?

With the way this economy is looking, we would be lucky for any job out of college.

One thing they don’t warn you about: all. the. damn. flyers.

By no means do I think majoring in a foreign language is for everyone, just as majoring in mathematics is not for everyone (it’s certainly not for me). But these majors are no more strange or inconceivable than anything else one might study in college. Languages are a passion, a passion just as valid and useful as any of the majors others call legitimate. So raise a glass to your friends dedicating their time and energy to learning another language. They could probably use a drink.

@McKayla_Moors