The Importance of Learning a Foreign Language in a Changing Society

"Today large and small nations of the world need to live in dialogue with each other to establish good relations for collective survival, and to avoid wars." A presidential commission's 1979 report concluded that a monolingual society that neglects the teaching of foreign languages is greatly disadvantaged in dealing with foreign powers, particularly developing nations. In The Importance of Learning a Foreign Language in a Changing Society, author Dr. EManuel Alvarez-Sandoval shows the problems of a monolingual society and prescribes remedies for their solution, particularly in a post-9/11 world. Intelligence gathering in another country is greatly hindered if the cultural and philosophical content of the country's language is not understood properly. The problem is so grave that the presidential commission termed it a national emergency. In a post-9/11 world, however, understanding foreign languages is no longer just a priority, but an absolute necessity in developing a global network against terrorism.