A few weeks ago, I proudly announced to my roommate, "Guess what? I'm going to major in Romance studies!" He just started laughing. Apparently he thought I said I was majoring in romance, which admittedly is an amusing interpretation of the concentration that I could easily turn into a bad pick-up line. But the exchange really made me consider what a "Romance language" major or any other language major from a liberal arts college must sound like to an outsider. Are language majors worth the time and effort in the big picture of life and career?
As a foreign language aficionado, I always intended to make language courses an integral part of my Dartmouth experience. I planned to dabble in linguistics and check out the international studies department, but most importantly I wanted to continue to improve my grasp of the foreign languages I already speak. Unable to choose between Italian and Spanish, I stumbled on an easy, ambitious answer: don't choose, just study both. As I surfed through department websites and number crunched different course combinations, I unearthed the Romance studies major, my ideal chance to continue studying two foreign languages in tandem. I was excited, but then I took a step back and took a superficial look at my major.
What good is a language major really? In moments of self-doubt, I envision myself in the interview hot seat in a high-rise glass office building. I hand in my rsum with my precious Romance studies major listed at the top, only to see it get tossed aside. Then comes the question: "So you speak Spanish? Prove it." Suddenly, Dartmouth's prestigious certification of my proficiency is beside the point. At that moment, my skill whether it comes from the Ivy League or a community college or that summer trip across Latin America is all that matters. The source is irrelevant in the real world, the ability is all that counts.
I wondered then, shouldn't I major in some other subject, in which the fact that my degree is from Dartmouth carries some weight? I didn't choose to come to Dartmouth for the name, yet I wished that Dartmouth's reputation would give me an edge in the competition. In the most self-serving and cynical of mindsets, I felt that a language major was an unproductive use of Dartmouth's resources. Why not focus all my energy on an economics or government major, and rely on Rosetta Stone if my future career ever sends me to business meetings in Milan or Madrid?
And then I realized how drastically I was underestimating Dartmouth language programs. The reality is that no software can replace drill at sunrise. And drill itself can't replace an LSA. Moreover, pursuing a concentration in, for instance, Spanish alone, is not simply completing a Spanish language major. It is a major in Hispanic studies, lest we (or our future employers) forget that a whole culture exists behind the foreign dialogue that we spout. If I land this hypothetical job with a language degree, I will thank Dartmouth not for its prestigious name but rather for what it has taught me.
Even this realization that Dartmouth has great programs for learning languages was still too future-oriented. Somehow, my diploma was supposed to unconditionally affirm my language ability. Therefore, my days leading toward proficiency could be counted down as I check off major requirements. In retrospect, it seems ridiculous that I would put a completion date on language proficiency. It boils down to a simple question: Am I here to learn Spanish or complete a major in Spanish? In practical terms, there is no difference. Dartmouth's foreign language departments deliver results, and that's why a language major is worth every penny. But focusing on the worth of the language major for big-picture career success is counterintuitively a very narrow outlook. Achieving language fluency is a lifelong journey that extends beyond graduation day, and that's the big picture success I was forgetting.
My snappy imaginary interviewer was thus doing me a favor. He altered my focus from getting the major and getting the job to what is hopefully a more righteous aim of truly learning the language and being prepared for said job. Language majors may appear less beneficial than others because the diploma, the degree and the transcript are less important than the actual skill that a language student develops. But maybe that's all for the better.
