With the exception of engineers, almost every student at Tufts is all too familiar with Olin Hall, the tall brick building at the top of the Hill that houses the university's foreign language departments. In an effort to prepare students for an increasingly global and connected world, Tufts requires that every student in the School of Arts and Sciences become proficient in a language other than English by taking at least six classes in a foreign language or culture before graduation. But due to the structure of the requirement and the wiggle room it leaves to avoid actual language classes, the value of the requirement has been questioned, leaving many students to wonder — is the walk to Olin worth it?
For rising senior Eric Morrissey, the decision to enroll at Tufts three years ago did not factor in the emphasis on foreign languages. It instead- came down to his knowledge of the school's celebrated science program and its strong music department. Now, as a physics major and a member of the Beelzebubs, an all-male Tufts a cappella group, Morrissey splits the time in his busy schedule between the lab and the recording studio. Morrissey, who admits that foreign languages aren't his forte, found the extensive requirement to be a source of stress and anxiety.
"I was pretty worried about it, because I knew I didn't intend to major in anything relating to it," he said. "Engineers get let off the hook, but science majors still have to do it, so that was kind of frustrating."
Every student in the School of Arts and Sciences must take six semesters of foreign language courses. The requirement is further broken down into two parts. First, students must demonstrate knowledge of a foreign language either through three semesters' worth of courses at Tufts or by placing into higher levels through the language placement test offered during Freshman Orientation or Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or SAT Subject Tests in the foreign language of their choice. Once a student has completed this part of the requirement, he or she may choose to continue with his or her original language of study, complete another three semesters of study in a new language, or take three courses that examine a foreign culture.
Morrissey, like many students, was able to fulfill the requirement by taking only one actual language class and two culture classes. While Morrissey views himself as lucky for getting the requirement out of the way in a relatively quick and easy manner, he admitted that his Spanish skills are probably not up to par.
"I haven't taken a [Spanish] class since freshman year," Morrissey said. "I didn't go abroad, so I didn't really give myself a chance to be around the language. I just haven't used the skills at all since freshman year, so they're pretty much gone."
But according to Dean of Academic Affairs for the Arts and Sciences James Glaser, the foreign language requirement is anything but a waste of time and actually does provide incentive for students to learn and become proficient in a foreign language.
"It's true that the requirement at Tufts is heavier than at many other institutions, but we're proud of that," he said. "We have long viewed ourselves as an international organization, and our curriculum reflects that."
According to Glaser, many Tufts graduates come out with a facility for one or more languages, and that is often due to the foreign language requirement.
"Approaching fluency in another language has long been an important value for education at Tufts," he said.
For Glaser, the opportunity to learn other languages and gain knowledge of different cultures is invaluable, no matter what major students ultimately choose.
"I would be disappointed if people thought it was a waste of time," he said.
This sentiment certainly proved to be true for senior Sarah Tavares, a double major in math and Spanish. Like Morrissey, Tavares had always viewed herself as more of a math and science person and was not thrilled to learn about the foreign language requirement upon matriculation to Tufts.
"I had taken Spanish in high school and was never a huge fan of my language classes, but I figured I'd take it since it's such a widely spoken language," she said. "At that point, I saw it as something I just had to get out of the way. I placed out of three semesters of it, so I assumed I could just take three more and be done with it."
As she worked toward fulfilling the requirement, however, Tavares found her language classes to be extremely engaging.
"As I got to the more advanced classes that focused on literature rather than tedious grammar skills, my interest in continuing with the language grew," she said. "My professors were also amazing, and my classes were way more engaging than my high school classes."
After spending a semester abroad in Madrid, Tavares realized that she could easily fulfill the major requirements in addition to her math major. Nearing graduation, she has no regrets about her time in the classroom.
"The language requirement is definitely something I approve of," she said. "I probably would have avoided language classes altogether otherwise, and yet now I'm a Spanish major."
