Liberal arts students are expected to undertake a broad range of study outside of their major area of interest. It is important for a reasonably educated person to be familiar with a variety of academic disciplines.
The distribution requirements emphasize this need for breadth. Liberal arts students must take two courses in the humanities, arts, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics during their stay at Tufts. Some students may complain they have little interest in a particular subject, but generally speaking, two courses are not very much. This is not an undue demand of a student's time. In addition, one can hardly expect to become an expert after completing two courses in math, or two courses in music, for example. The point is not to delve deeply into any one area, but to simply become acquainted with different areas of knowledge.
However, the foreign language requirement (with culture option) is inconsistent with this need for breadth. Instead of two courses, this requirement demands six.
Requiring six courses in a field of study, rather than two courses, does more than simply familiarize students with a subject. For example, only five courses are needed to earn a minor in astronomy, child development, comparative religion, history, or physics, to name a few. Completing six courses in foreign language and/or culture is a substantial commitment of time, effort, and tuition, and should not be mistaken for a mere introduction to the subject.
In principle, studying foreign languages and cultures is a good idea. We live in a world that is becoming more and more globalized, and it makes good sense to learn about different societies. However, the current foreign language requirement (with culture option) is impractical. It is an academic no-man's land that requires more courses than are necessary for breadth, but falls short of requiring foreign language proficiency.
For example, the international relations department defines proficiency in the Tufts Bulletin as "successful completion of eight semesters (or equivalent) of university-level language instruction." Completing six foreign language courses doesn't quite achieve this standard. In addition, the impact of the foreign language requirement can be diluted. Instead of taking six courses in a single language, it is possible to divide the requirement over two different languages, or to sidestep it by enrolling in culture courses.
If proficiency in a foreign language is not required, then why bother studying it at all? Of what value is it to be less than proficient in reading, writing, speaking, and listening? The answer, as before, is to acquire breadth. The entire point is to advance one's knowledge of the world at the most general level. And if two courses are adequate to become acquainted with the humanities, arts, social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, and English, I say foreign language should be no different.
As far as culture is concerned, every liberal arts student must complete the world civilizations requirement, which, according to the Tufts Bulletin, "...focuses on an in-depth study of a non-Western civilization or civilizations, or the interaction of non-Western and Western civilizations with equal attention given to both." Since only one course is necessary to fulfill this requirement, students are exposed to only the rudimentaries of another culture. But acquiring some introductory knowledge, instead of expertise, is the entire point of having the world civilizations requirement in the first place. The same idea should be true for foreign languages.
In order to restore balance to the liberal arts curriculum, the faculty should make foreign language a distribution requirement. Instead of six courses, make it two. Foreign language should be given the same weight as any other academic discipline.
Doing so would open up four courses in the liberal arts curriculum. This would be no small gain. It would be the same as getting an extra semester of college.
That extra semester would be a wonderful opportunity for students to further explore their academic interests. Students who want to study more foreign language and culture would be free to do so. But students who feel otherwise could make better use of their time, effort, and tuition by enrolling in courses they are actually interested in. Instead of continuing to put up with an excessive foreign language requirement (with culture option), a more balanced approach would better suit the needs of students who seek a broad liberal arts education.
Joseph Butterfield is a senior majoring in Astrophysics and Chemical Physics.
