My Essay's Playlist

Instead of boring everyone this week with even more redundant repetitiveness concerning foreign language education, I've decided to create the playlist of music I've been listening to as I have been researching and writing. It's mostly from a German band called "SEEED" who I've fallen in love with lately. I'm a German Studies major, so it's been helpful in working on my American accent, but it's also very varying. (yes, the redundancies and alliterations are on purpose. Loosen up and try to smile;)  What's really cool about SEEED is that even if you can't understand the language, listening to the music or watching the video WILL entertain you at least somewhat, I guarantee it. One of my friends, not even an hour ago, was having great fun watching the music videos, even though he knows no German. (Another alliteration, I'll stop them here. I promise.) Granted, he had a bit too much SAUCE with his dinner, if you catch my meaning, but still, just watch one or two of them, and if you don't find any kind of enjoyment from them whatsoever, I might be willing to kneel before you, because obviously you have the lack of sense of humor and the heart of stone that will take you to the top of the world someday, so I might as well get my insincere butt-kissing out of the way early.

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYg9omPYx_M (SEEED - Dancehall Caballeros)
• For those of you who like rap, this might get your blood flowing a little bit. Or if you like cowboy-western parodies, this might put a smile on your face. (and make the world a better place.
• For those who don't understand the lame reference, click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnOn6pcyPoU) WARNING* [Don't watch the entire video or you might find yourself scrolling through the related videos for hours on end searching for other cool songs from this time period!]
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9-eMzm0bbg&NR=1 (SEEED - Music Monks)
• Karate Kid meets German hip-hop. This song is almost entirely in English (except the last breakdown), although you still might not understand all the words on the first run through. Dialects are fun if you spice them up a little. Ya hurr dat?
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYK-NfOo7b4&NR=1 (SEEED - Dickes B)
• This song is all about Berlin, "der dickes B". This video actually has a lot of the sites around Berlin, like the Reichstag (German Capitol building), U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations (subway and street train), and a few scenes of reconstruction in former East Berlin that was underway when the video was shot (all the way back in 2001!!!!). If you want to skip ahead to the English part, it starts at 2:18. (Good luck!)
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYK-NfOo7b4&NR=1 (SEEED - Aufstehn)
• This is SEEED at their finest, proving that some German reggae groups are better than the original Rastas. This song is pure reggae, and inspired me to take a stand about foreign languages education (the reason I'm writing my paper on FL programs in school is because I was thinking about that subject the first time I heard this song.) So light up a piece of mellow and listen to this jam. (English alert, 2:18)
5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX1ZePcUako&feature=relmfu (SEEED - What You Deserve is What You Get)
• This video is hilarious, as the band (of cavemen) discover the modern world for the first time. And even though they're thousands of years behind, they still run things, proving that even as cavemen, SEEED are bosses. (English, 3:25)
6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yWU0lFghxU (SEEED - Ding)
• Hip-hop meets Jungle Book, as the video captures  the scene of claymation jungle animals going crazy at the bar. An orangutan tries to allure weasels with top hats to his busty raccoonette prostitutes, but ends up getting totally hammered and passing out! As usual, the bartender is the only one who profits that night! haha  (English, 2:08)
7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6cosC_QHNo ( SEEED - Schwinger)
• This song is about the promiscuous office (expletive) who has a revelation after attending SEEED's concert. She punches her boss KO! then steals his keys to his car, his house, and begins travelling the world with his money! (English, 1:35, 2:51)
8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ1ORYDx1Uk ( SEEED - Riddim No. 1)
• This is another chill reggae riddim, the chorus of which is English. If you don't necessarily listen to reggae for thrills, then at least watch the video, which shows SEEED getting their butts whipped in a soccer game against some hefty opponents, who don't mind throwing their weight around! I don't know how you guys might like it, but I always get a few giggles.
9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs_Xt2EY940 (SEEED - Waterpumpee)
• This is another uber-chill reggae song, with plenty of English, but you still might have to try to pick up the words. This is personally my favorite song on the list, and it lowers my blood pressure every time. An' dat wut chillun mean to me.
10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9eCO4u123M ( K.I.Z. - Urlaub fürs Gehirn)
• This video is actually pretty interesting. The lyrics are all about poverty and how it affects kids in Germany. They describe the social settings of poverty-stricken families, and how these settings directly influence the outlook of those kids on life. The video is about a doctor who seeks to make these criminals into contributing members of society by giving them brain transplants. First the bank robbers, then a murderer, and finally a 'desecrator' (he illicits prostitution, then strangles her). Ultimately, this experiment fails to return them to normal functioning, but they can apprently stamp government documents with approval! (Who says all government employees have a brain? haha)
11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBRj7AF8YjQ ( Kansas - Icarus)
• This isn't necessarily related to my project, but Kansas really caught my attention again when this song came on my playlist. I've listened to this song eight times already today, but I can't get enough. It's beautiful music, and I just had to include it, although I'll be surprised if any readers actually make it through the entire playlist.

So in conclusion, here is the music I've been listening to while defending foreign language programs in public schools. Instead of asking you all to read another bit of un-scholarly scholarly writing (oxymoron/redundancy again! Call me butter, because I'm on a roll :) I thought I might add a few music videos which would maybe inspire you to defend foreign language education yourself! (I don't actually expect that to happen, but you might like the rythyms, and maybe even the videos.) So what do you have to lose? Spend a bit more time on Youtube and listen to productions of another culture for a change!

Research Proposal - Foreign Language Education

Research Proposal: Foreign Language Education

            Foreign languages have always been a part of education, even before the era of globalization. With globalization well established today, why is it that foreign languages are being reduced instead of encouraged in today’s education system? Upon searching the internet, it is a bit difficult to access many articles, essays, or other scholarly writings which denounce the instruction of foreign languages, but upon closer inspection of blog sites, social networking sites, and other less formal internet media, more xenophobic opinions can be found in multitude. According to a poll on helium.com, an online forum designed for these kind of debates, of 2037 respondents (current as of August 3, 2011) 65% (1327 votes) voted that foreign language should be required in public schools, while 35% (700 votes) disagreed. But the disagreement doesn’t end here. On Facebook.com, there are multiple fan-pages that are centered on this debate, such as “WE SPEAK ENGLISH IN AMERICA,”  “We Are In America, Speak English,” and countless other pages that have this mono-cultural sentiment, the latter with more than 18000 fans. What significance does this information have?

            With our nation’s debt topping $14 Trillion (current as of August 3^rd, 2011), and our national test scores dropping significantly in core subjects like Reading, Math, and Science, foreign language programs are becoming victims of budget cuts all across the country. As budgets are becoming tighter for public schools everywhere, foreign language programs are being significantly reduced, or even removed altogether. But is removing these programs helping the country as a whole, or is it actually keeping the United States further behind in international markets?  

            Some argue that cutting funding to foreign language programs may help us meet our current budgetary needs, and this is definitely true, but will it be a worthwhile budget cut in the long run? Even though some may argue that this money is best spent raising national test scores in core subjects like Math, Science, and Reading, others contend that foreign language skills are just as important, if not more so, to a student’s ability to find his way into the international marketplace. One supporter of this view, Emily Jiggins, who teaches French and Spanish in Wales, asserts that “without advanced linguistic capability, our children are shooting themselves out of the International business market. That is to say, our children painfully lag behind the rest of Europe in terms of linguistic competence and cultural understanding. How many globalised businesses are willing to accept students without the basic skills covered from learning a language?” (Jiggins). According to her statement, the emphasis of foreign language in other school systems across the globe leaves students in the United States relatively unqualified to tackle the needs of globalised companies; these needs include multi-cultural communication skills, presentation skills, the ability to overcome language barriers, and cultural awareness. (Jiggins) Without these skills, which are essential to any international trade, American students are becoming less and less appealing to international firms looking to increase cross-cultural efficiency. So why then, in the face of this brutally simple logic, do some people continue to argue against foreign language in public schools?

            When the question of foreign language programs arises, there are often mixed opinions, but why? Even when the importance of foreign language in international trade is explained, some truly do not see the value in funding these programs in public schools. This under-appreciation for foreign language courses ultimately stems from the fact that Americans believe that most of the world can speak English. With this in mind, they begin to wonder why they should bother spending time learning another language. Because of English’s use as a standard language in international organizations like the United Nations, the European Union, and international business organizations across the world, foreign languages are often introduced to American students either too late, or too little. Why not introduce foreign languages in schools effectively? Because it is believed that foreign languages are not absolutely essential to dealing internationally.

Since English is both the native language of most Americans and a standard language for most international organizations, Americans feel that learning another language is a waste of time and effort. It is a repetitious cycle in which one belief has consequences which cause the other, which in turn leads back to the other. The fact that foreign language programs are fighting to survive, especially in a time when we have to fight to stay a global competitor in the business sector, is a frightening thing to think about. At a time when America’s debts are rising, by cutting out foreign language programs, we are slowly shutting ourselves out of international competition. If Americans are so worried about international business opportunities, then all of America must be willing to put aside its ego, and learn foreign languages so as to ensure the ability to maintain its competitive edge.

            So, in my essay I will further explain the importance of foreign language education in preparing American students for global trade, or work in globalised companies. I will also explain the difficulties that foreign language programs are struggling to overcome in the American education system, as well as in society today. I will point out the main arguments against foreign language programs, and how they are not correct. I have found research articles from trade journals, case studies of foreign language programs in regard to funding and student engagement, as well as official studies by the Department of Education. I will use these sources to highlight foreign language’s relevance to today’s international economy, America’s place in the economy today, and how the popular opinions about foreign language education are keeping America from staying internationally competitive.

Works Cited

 Jiggins, Emily. Helium.com. 15 December 2010. 3 August 2011 <http://www.helium.com/items/2040415-should-the-learning-of-a-foreign-language-be-obligatory-in-secondary-school>.

McMurtrie, Beth. "Coalition Calls for Increased Federal Spending on Foreign-Language Instruction." The Chronicle of Higher Education 53.20 (2007): A.38-A38. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 4 Aug. 2011.

Pre-Proposal: My Initial Thoughts

   Hello everyone. Today I began writing my argument proposal, and I've actually had a bit more trouble organizing my thoughts than I had originally anticipated. My essay topic is centered around the teaching foreign language in schools. Since I'm double-majoring in International Business and German Studies, you can guess that I support foreign language requirements in schools. Since we have to defend our position from one specific aspect, I was originally planning to argue that funding foreign language programs is a sound investment, while de-funding these programs does long term damage to the United States, despite its short term benefits. However, after doing some research at home over the last few days, I have decided to change my argument. I have decided to argue my point based on a new method. I think I'll present opinions from both ends of the spectrum, but instead of inserting my own opinions, I will analyze the credibility of those who give their opinions.
   This new thought came into my head as I was trying to sum up the research I had found for my research proposal. As I looked at the sources I had found during my internet search, I had stuck to online newspaper articles, book summaries, and other sources that would be considered credible in the eyes of a scholar. But I realized that, despite having searched for about two days through all these diferent kinds of sources, I hadn't found very many arguments against foreign language programs. Changing my tactics, I began to search "Arguments against foreign language education" as opposed to simply "foreign language education." A simple switch, and it helped me find a helium.com debate (here is the link: http://www.helium.com/debates/124525-should-all-school-pupils-be-made-to-learn-at-least-one-foreign-language) which led me to the first arguments against them that I could find. It was after a while that I thought to myself, If an online blog like Helium.com is the first place I find arguments against foreign language, then perhaps I should search more informal websites to find similar perspectives. When searching Facebook, I found a lot of fan-pages and groups with titles similar to WE SPEAK ENGLISH IN AMERICA!, or We Are In America, Speak English, the latter of which has over 18000 fans. Since these pages have many copycats, it's safe to assume that a lot of people share this opinion. I then began to wonder to myself, If so many people have this opinion, why was it so difficult to find it on the internet? After a few moments, it came to me. Why would scholarly sources like reputable newspapers (Washingtom Times, New York Post, etc.), national/international foundations (ACTFL, VOA, etc.), large companies (GE, among many others), and even our own federal government discourage learning foreign languages? Since these groups all deal largely on international levels, they promote foreign language in the classroom.
   But why then do some people feel that learning foreign languages should be de-emphasized in American schools?  Upon analyzing the origins of the opposing viewpoints, (keep in mind that pro-foreign language arguments came from newspapers, scholarly journals, and other reputable sources of knowledge, while Anti-foreign language opinions came largely from social media sites like Facebook and Helium) I realized that support for either side seems to originate from whether there is an understanding of the value of foreign language on a global scale. People opposed to foreign language in public schools do not seem to understand that America is falling behind as a worldly influence. They believe that Americans can continue to do well in international markets knowing only English, whereas scholars, journalists, and politicians understand the importance of bi/multi-lingualism. This is why the argument of whether or not public schools should promote foreign language is not a question of relevance or ethics, but basically a shouting-match between two sides of America. On one side are educated scholars, business-people, politicians, and immigrants, all people with wider perspective. On the opposite side are English-speaking Americans who fail to understand the importance of foreign languages, whether through general misunderstanding, blind faith in America's superiority, or stubbornness at working to understand other people and cultures.

I realize that this theory is highly watered-down, and very general in terms, but keep in mind it's only a short blog. My essay, once completed, will hopefully explore all of these thoughts much more in-depth. But until then, I leave you with this thought; Will America continue to be a dominant force in the world economy, or is possible that we can fall out of favor with other countries, international businesses, and people elsewhere in the world, leading to further economic problems?

Keep in mind, I do not mean to insult anyone at all. I'm only trying to spur thought about this subject. Feel free to leave your comments, questions, or information, but please remember to keep it civil. =)

-W