By Adam Fivenson, MSFS ’14
When MSFS students arrive on Georgetown’s campus, many are already fluent in a foreign language. Some, like Isaac Chan (’14) are fluent in three and are working on their fourth. As a practical, skill-based Master’s program, MSFS requires that all students pass a foreign language proficiency test. Some students have no need to take extra language courses on top of their busy MSFS schedule, but many choose to brush up on their secondary language, or like Chan, take the opportunity to learn or improve their skills in a third or fourth.
“I speak English, Mandarin and French. I also studied in Beirut for a year, which is where I first learned Arabic,” says Chan. “I want to keep my ability in the language up to date and attain a higher level of proficiency.”
Classes are demanding, but for Chan it’s worth it. He hopes to use the language “in a professional setting, for more credibility in discussions with Arab-speaking people and to understand speeches and news reports in Arabic.”
Frank Hoder (’14) is also focusing on learning an additional language. He’s taking Portuguese in a special class for students already familiar with Spanish, a language in which Hoder has a deep background: “I started studying Spanish in middle school, and eventually it became part of my major at the University of Richmond. Still, I learned the most by traveling to Spanish-speaking countries. I did a summer program in Barcelona, studied abroad in Argentina in college, traveled toSpain, Bolivia and Peru and then spent three years living in Peru as a Peace Corps volunteer.”
As for his rationale in making the shift to Portuguese, Hoder says this change has to do with where he sees himself in the future: “I’m interested in working in economic development in Latin America, and Brazil’s importance as a major emerging market made Portuguese a practical choice to open up professional opportunities.”
Hoder is just one of many MSFS students taking Portuguese. Allison Maranuk (’14) is also taking the language, but unlike Hoder, she already has extensive background with it:: “I lived in Brazil for a year doing a Fulbright, and upon returning I’ve used Portuguese in a business setting.”
Maranuk is taking a high level Portuguese course in expository writing “to refine and polish my writing skills, because while I was living in Brazil it was very easy to practice speaking the language, but it’s another thing to have it at a level where you can send diplomatic and business emails and have them be well received by native speakers.”
Sean Walsh (’14) is part of a large contingent of MSFS students who are taking Chinese courses. “I’ve been studying Chinese on and off since I was an undergraduate, so continuing my Chinese education at Georgetown made perfect sense,” said Walsh. “My initial training was as an undergraduate at West Point. After graduation, I spent three months in China traveling and taking language classes at Jilin University in northeastern China.”
Spending time in the country was valuable for Walsh for a variety of reasons, both professional and personal. “I met my wife there,” says Walsh. In addition, he sees his China experience as the gateway to a new career. “I am working to build a career in the defense industry and Asia is seen as an increasingly important market by defense companies the world over. Clearly, having a strong Chinese capability will be very advantageous,” he said.
MSFS is the first step on a long journey that takes many students around the world during the course of their careers. Knowing one or even two or three foreign languages well is integral to a student’s ability to understand a situation, to integrate into the culture and to influence decision making. In order to do that in a variety of cross-cultural contexts, MSFS students take language courses on top of their already-hectic schedules because they understand it’s not important just to know a foreign language, but it’s important to know it well.