Having taken French classes since high school, I am always impressed with someone who has actually learned to be fluent in a foreign language.
After encountering one such "fluent" speaker, I was captivated, envious and in total awe - until this person proceeded to demonstrate his self-proclaimed mastery of French. What spewed forth was an incoherent mess of verb disagreements, rolling R's and mispronounced words, all disguised under an exaggerated French accent.
Perhaps this was just an example of idle bragging. What is more horrifying, however, is the possibility that this person actually thought he was fluent.
America in general does not value foreign languages as highly as it does other academic subjects. Many Americans whine that they will never use a second language, and to be honest, this is probably true. They'll probably end up using foreign language as much as they use the geometry or U.S. history they were forced to learn as early as primary school.
Yet foreign language education is largely absent from elementary school curriculum. No need to torture a young child's soft, malleable brain. It's best that we teach foreign language in high school and college, when the brain's capacity for language learning has significantly decreased. It is so much easier that way!
And voilà! With a few semesters' worth of classes and maybe a Rosetta Stone CD, students are touted by the education system to be competent in a foreign language. These pupils venture into the world proclaiming that they too can speak with the ease of a native, even if this ease is limited to the ability to order a pizza.
Of course, saying that you are fluent sounds better than expressing minimum proficiency in a language. And what prospective employer wouldn't value the illusion of fluency over honesty?
The fact that so many Americans claim to be fluent in a second language demonstrates how low foreign language standards are in this country. Fluency is not about speaking flawlessly or knowing every word, but it does imply the ability to express complex thoughts and emotions. This ability is not garnered over a few weeks of reciting vocabulary lists.
Yet we may never be confronted with our inadequacy in foreign language. The United States is a relatively isolated country; unlike European countries, the U.S. is not encircled by vastly different cultures with vastly different languages. Our borders are not so fluid as the EU's, and when a different ethnic group does enter in large number, we view it as a cultural threat. Heaven forbid a Hispanic speaks too much Spanish.
Given all these barriers, even the slightest knowledge of another tongue is a victory; it suggests the willingness to learn. However, keeping standards for foreign language so low only breeds an overestimation of one's ability. Being able to pass an AP class shows significant potential but not fluency. The fact that so many students today profess to be "fluent" in an acquired language makes me wonder if, in fact, we are speaking the same language.
Allison Griner is an English and anthropology junior.
