Talk the talk

IU is one of the world's best foreign language universities. This fact could change your life. I've had funded research in Estonia, Romania and Italy; a friend studied French, Uzbek and Arabic in France, Senegal, Tunisia, Lebanon, Syria and Uzbekistan just since 2001.\nWhy pursue one of the 81 languages taught here? Are Syria and Uzbekistan a little intimidating? Most of us couldn't place Hausa, Twi and Zulu on the map, never mind Uyghur, Quechua and Nahuatl. Speaking Hausa in Niger is hard to even imagine! But that's what a great University offers -- the chance to expand your horizons and seize opportunities unavailable elsewhere.\nIf Africa or Southeast Asia seem too radical, great opportunities await you in Poland, Macedonia, Brazil, Hungary, etc. Our government pours millions into exchanges to promote international diplomacy. If you learn Finnish, Catalan, Dutch or Turkish, you have an excellent chance to compete for a Fulbright fellowship -- all of your expenses to spend a year in these countries, and just by enrolling in languages less studied than Spanish, German and French. \nThese are certainly important languages, but being in classes with five people rather than 35 has its rewards, especially when no classmate is just fulfilling requirements. For study abroad or fellowships, the competition is stiffer in languages taught everywhere; Estonian is taught only at IU and in Seattle. \nIt's possible to spend a year or semester studying abroad and still compete for a Fulbright. Visit the Office of Overseas Studies at 303 Franklin Hall or www.indiana.edu/~overseas. IU has unparalleled support in this regard; one alumnus just donated $18 million to help you gain this experience, no matter how tight your finances. \nYou need not go abroad -- study Navajo or Lakota! Teachers can do their student teaching in Native American communities. Chicago has more Poles than Warsaw! And because IU is renowned worldwide, you'll find coffee hours in scores of languages here.\nLesser-studied languages boost your job prospects and make you smarter. Amidst hundreds of applicants, your fluency in Hindi, Tibetan or Tajik leaps off the page, even if there is no language requirement. If you capitalize on your ability, in the Peace Corps, for example, hundreds of competitors with two semesters of introductory Spanish fall to the side.\nSpanish also provides job opportunities. Why not do both? After Spanish or French, Italian, Romanian and Latin come quickly. In Helsinki, Finland, city bus tours are offered in classical Latin. Also useful are Chinese and Japanese, not to mention the Central Asian languages on the next oil frontier. Pashto, Kazakh, Turkmen and Arabic can contribute to international understanding and national security. Yes, military, spy and oil organizations recruit here. And while many foreigners speak Spanish in Madrid, there is nothing like visiting small villages in other countries and speaking their own non-colonial language. \nDifferent languages express different values, different ways of thinking and understanding the world. After words like water and father, new vocabulary requires explanation because it represents new ideas, new concepts without perfect parallels in other languages. Each new idea we acquire makes us smarter. When we learn how other people think, our ability to understand improves. We are more effective with our friends and enemies.\nThese opportunities are Herman B Wells' legacy -- his gift to you. Learn more about him! I research education at an Estonian high school; graduates must speak four languages! But that's a minimum -- most study five. This isn't ordering tacos -- they debate politics in Russian, German, English and Finnish by 12th grade. \nFinally, don't hold back, people who are committed to serving America in the world by studying its languages. Go for it, or don't go. But I hope you do. I'd love to meet you at coffee hour. For more information, visit .