World Languages at Calvin University should not be viewed as merely core requirements to fulfill, but foundational aspects of its mission to equip students for thoughtful service in a diverse global community; any decision to marginalize these programs would strike at the very heart of the institution’s identity. 

Calvin calls for the integration of faith, scholarship and service in ways that form students intellectually, spiritually and socially. Learning another language is indispensable to that process: it cultivates the analytical precision required to navigate complex texts, the cultural fluency needed to engage with those from Quebec to West Africa and the adaptive communication skills essential for careers in international business, healthcare, education, international relations, ministry and so much more. 

The World Languages Department faculty at Calvin embody this mission at an unparalleled level, whether this be winning rotary scholarships, Sorbonne University doctorates or knighthoods conferred by the French government. But their most significant contribution to Calvin lies in their commitments to student success by reshaping syllabi to accommodate minor and major requirements, extending office hours for one-on-one guidance on new content, and fostering classroom environments where rigorous language drills pair with real-world conversation and context. As someone who formerly despised language learning, I was inspired by the professors at Calvin — through kindness, mercy and great teaching — to take on a French minor. These amazing professors do not regard French, Spanish or Korean as academic fulfillments but rather treat their courses as bridges to human understanding and stories and instruments for building cross-cultural experiences (see IDIS 260: France: Power, Politics, and Castles). 

Last spring, hundreds of students and alumni petitioned to affirm the French program’s vitality to preserve the French language opportunities. I have personally benefitted from my French learning through my experiences at the United Nations, where I engaged with citizens from all over the world bridging tensions by our mutual understanding of language and culture. Though technology is advancing to translate real time language, it takes away understanding of culture, nuances and the ability to go beyond simple conversation, hindering possible interactions and potential friendships. 

Limiting Calvin’s world language offerings would slowly contribute to the process of transforming Calvin into a narrowly utilitarian institution undermining its liberal arts mandate and mission and abandoning its plea to develop persons as a whole. If Calvin were to diminish its world‑language offerings, it would sacrifice the very opportunity to cultivate the humility and insight born of the immigrant’s struggle to piece together an unfamiliar tongue — a form of empathy and resilience sorely lacking in the current political landscape. Campus discourse would lose the depth and diversity provided by multilingual dialogue, the vast amount of study abroad opportunities available for French students would collapse for a lack of linguistic and cultural preparation, and interdisciplinary opportunities like studying French texts written in the 1700s would dissipate. In a more competitive job market, there is an increased demand for graduates who can navigate cultural and linguistic complexities. 

As I am a citizen of Canada, a bilingual country, the ability to speak fluently in French without technological assistance is transformational and opens doors to so many more opportunities. Sidelining language instruction would leave Calvin alumni ill-prepared for the world ahead of them and contradict Calvin’s promise to equip its students for leadership in a globalized world. World languages constitute a moral and strategic imperative for Calvin as they significantly contribute to intellectual curiosity rather than parochialism, to service beyond local confines and to the rigorous pursuit of truth in every language. If Calvin University is to honor its mission rather than diminish it, world languages must remain central to its curriculum — supported and expanded, rather than set aside in the name of expediency.