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Show Home & School By DR. DARYL J. McCARTY When the revolution in Iran broke out some months ago, not one of the American news correspondents there could speak Farsi, the national language. WHEN AN American auto manufacturing firm began a marketing campaign for one of its models in South America, the executives learned to their dismay that the name of the car means "it doesn't go" in Spanish. Those, according to Renee Moniot, are only a couple of reasons why we Americans should gain more knowledge of foreign languages-rather than the reverse. MISS MONIOT is a Bountiful High School Spanish and French teacher, and she headed the recent observance of Utah Foreign Language Week. She reports that back in 1969, 24,780 Utah high school and junior high school students were enrolled in foreign language classes. That was 19.5 percent of the students. BUT TEN years later, the number had nosedived to 20,502 students, only 14 percent of the total enrollment. The Bountiful teacher laments the trend of students gravitating to what they call "cake" classes-those that aren't highly academic in nature. STUDENTS in a pep club, for instance, may receive as much credit as is offered for a foreign language course. Most other nations require students to take foreign languages, and some demand two. TEACHERS STATE that study of a foreign language directs close attention to many aspects of that language-things such as vocabulary, parts of speech, . pronunciation and grammar. Paying close attention to another language usually causes the student to gain a greater understanding of English. RENEE MONIOT urged parents to encourage their students to study a foreign language. It may not be easy, but it will be worthwhile, she said. Jeanette Dubach, a student, summed up the need for foreign language study this way:' "Language is not a barrier.. .ignorance is." |