By the end of APMA 0350: “Applied Ordinary Differential Equations,” you will be able to solve many common types of differential equations. By the end of CHEM 0330: “Equilibrium, Rate and Structure,” you will have a working knowledge of thermodynamics, electron chemistry and chemical reactions. When registering for my French seminar FREN 0720I: “J’accuse! La littérature et le cinéma face au réel,” I wasn’t sure how to rationalize my choice. After all, when would being able to describe Maupassant’s literary techniques ever come in handy? But, over the past few weeks, I’ve learned that all Brown students should dip their toes into language learning because of its opportunities for social, professional and cultural understanding.
For those seeking a liberal arts education, as many Brown students are, taking a language class can help you defend your ideas with increased poise, patience and creativity. Most language classes follow a seminar format, where professors will encourage students to speak their minds during discussions. These classes offer a valuable space to practice articulating ideas with limited fluff; this challenging task will boost your confidence and even make speaking up in your English-based classes seem easier in comparison.
The Open Curriculum challenges us to define what we value in our education. Driven by pre-professional goals, many students often end up choosing classes that can be technically studied on their own. There are troves of online resources to help you efficiently master math, physics and chemistry. If true efficiency is your goal, artificial intelligence tools are becoming increasingly adept at solving complex problems. Producing sentences in French or Spanish may be easily accomplished with Google Translate or AI-powered AirPods, but knowing a language cannot be faked, and neither can connecting with people from different backgrounds than your own.
In STEM, large lecture classes are taught similarly between institutions. However, it is in humanities and particularly language classes, where being in a room of talented, persistent people from varied backgrounds makes a difference. Brown is full of such rooms. The vast majority of language classes are discussion-based and have fewer than 20 students. There is an advantage to small class sizes: You don’t have to be a social butterfly and can make friends in a more intimate setting. In addition, many language classes meet daily, creating a sense of consistency that is valuable for professor and peer relationships to thrive. When it comes time to ask for a letter of recommendation, who do you think will know you better: a seminar teacher who has heard you struggle to express your ideas clearly or a lecturer who knows you solely via your midterm scores on Gradescope? Of course, larger classes also have office hours for students to get to know their lecturers, but few students take advantage of them because of the extra time commitment.
Language classes are also interdisciplinary: You're learning not just the contours of the alphabet and language itself but the history and culture of the societies that speak it. In my French class, we're reading Edouard Louis, Maupassant, Fatou Diome and Laurent Gaudé and examining the literary devices these authors use to criticize human nature. This holistic approach has made me a better writer in English, challenging me to grapple with the roots of words, their histories and their implications.
Now more than ever, we need to commit to understanding people and cultures that differ from us. A setting where you can talk directly to your peers in a formal academic environment can help you form those habits of global awareness when you leave the classroom. For those dissuaded by the time commitment of a language class, there are weekly open tables for undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff in the Sciences Library. Student organizations like French House provide opportunities for deeper immersion, and, of course, study abroad remains a popular option. Brown offers many paths to cultural fluency, even if the culture in question is Ancient Greece or Old Babylon.
There is much to gain by staying curious. In a time where American identity is up for debate, remembering the history of our nation as a melting pot of cultures can ground us in our respect for and connection to those around us. Although politicians seek to divide voters, language provides a shared understanding that bridges divides.
Arya Vishwakarma ’29 can be reached at arya_vishwakarma@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com
