Inclusivity of language learning – The Daily Texan

Report on the Role of Language Proficiency in Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Language Skill Attrition in Higher Education

An analysis of university language requirements reveals a significant challenge: while many degree plans mandate foreign language proficiency, students often experience a rapid decline in these skills after completing their coursework. This loss of fluency presents a barrier to achieving a comprehensive global perspective and intercultural understanding, which are critical components of sustainable development.

Enhancing Quality Education (SDG 4)

The maintenance of language skills is directly linked to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education. Specifically, it aligns with Target 4.7, which calls for learners to acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including an appreciation of cultural diversity and global citizenship.

• Cognitive Development: As noted by linguistic anthropologist Sergio Romero, multilingualism stimulates cognitive abilities in unique ways, contributing to a higher quality of intellectual development.
• Cultural Immersion: Language provides a crucial gateway to understanding diverse cultural patterns, traditions, and belief systems, enriching the educational experience beyond the classroom.
• Diverse Learning: A commitment to language learning fosters a more diverse and comprehensive educational environment, broadening student perspectives on global issues.

Reducing Inequalities and Fostering Inclusion (SDG 10)

Promoting multilingualism is a key strategy for advancing Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities. By equipping individuals with the ability to communicate across cultures, language education actively works to dismantle barriers and foster inclusive environments.

• Combating Exclusion: In political climates where foreign cultures and languages may be viewed with suspicion, language proficiency serves as a tool to create welcoming communities and a sense of belonging for marginalized groups.
• Challenging Linguistic Norms: The report notes the exclusionary nature of “standardized” language, which can marginalize diverse accents and dialects. Encouraging multilingualism challenges these norms and promotes linguistic equality.
• Fighting Discrimination: Maintaining language fluency is identified as a tangible step toward fighting the racial profiling and exclusion of immigrant and foreign populations, directly supporting the goal of reducing inequality.

Promoting Peaceful and Just Societies (SDG 16)

The cultivation of empathy and intercultural understanding through language learning is fundamental to building peaceful and inclusive societies, as outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

• Fostering Empathy: Learning a new language offers insight into different worldviews and experiences, fostering a greater capacity for empathy and tolerance.
• Encouraging Self-Reflection: Professor Vivian Flanzer observes that engaging with another culture prompts individuals to reflect on their own, leading to more profound understanding and tolerance.
• Building Bridges: Language is the primary vehicle for dialogue and mutual understanding, which are prerequisites for peaceful and just societies.

Recommendations for Sustaining Language Proficiency

To ensure that the benefits of language education contribute effectively to the SDGs, the following actions are recommended for students and institutions:

1. Continuous Engagement: Students should actively maintain and improve their language skills through consistent exposure to media, such as books and films, in the target language.
2. Community and Institutional Resources: Utilization of resources like university language centers and cultural organizations is critical for providing opportunities for practice and community integration.
3. Lifelong Learning Perspective: Educational frameworks should encourage a shift from viewing language as a temporary requirement to a lifelong skill that contributes to personal growth and global citizenship.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article is centered on education, specifically language learning within a university setting (UT). It discusses degree requirements, the cognitive benefits of multilingualism, and the role of educational institutions like the “Texas Language Center” in providing resources for skill development.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The text directly addresses inequality by linking language learning to fighting “racial profiling and exclusion.” It discusses how understanding other cultures can create a “welcoming environment” for those who “feel targeted as an ‘other’,” and critiques “Standardized English” as a concept that has been “defined to exclude others.”

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article connects language and cultural understanding to the promotion of a peaceful and inclusive society. It argues that learning languages fosters “empathy and understanding,” making people “more tolerant.” This is presented as a counter to a political climate where “anything foreign is seen as dangerous” and a “devolution of democracy” is occurring.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 4.7: Education for sustainable development and global citizenship

   This target aims to ensure learners acquire knowledge and skills for promoting “a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity.” The article directly supports this by stating that language “offers a window into another culture’s traditions, beliefs and ways of communicating” and that learning languages helps students become “more tolerant and more understanding,” thereby fostering global citizenship and an appreciation for cultural diversity.

2. Target 10.2: Promote universal social, economic and political inclusion

   This target focuses on empowering and promoting the social inclusion of all, irrespective of origin or ethnicity. The article aligns with this by arguing that learning another language is “pertinent to creating a welcoming environment and a sense of belonging in the community” and serves as a way to “accommodate those who may feel targeted as an ‘other’ within the US.”

3. Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome

   This target seeks to eliminate discriminatory practices. The article connects to this by advocating for language learning as a “stepping stone to fighting the racial profiling and exclusion of those impacted by recent legislation.” It also critiques the concept of “Standardized English” as a practice that has been “defined to exclude others,” which is a form of inequality of outcome in education and society.

4. Target 16.b: Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies

   This target is about promoting policies for sustainable development that are non-discriminatory. The article’s call to fight “racial profiling and exclusion of those impacted by recent legislation” is a direct reference to the need to challenge and change discriminatory policies and their enforcement.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator related to Target 4.7:

   The article implies the use of Indicator 4.7.1, which measures the extent to which global citizenship education and education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in curricula. The article explicitly mentions that “Many UT students are required to complete a level of proficiency in a language of their choice for their degree plan.” This mandatory language requirement is a direct example of mainstreaming education for cultural diversity and global citizenship into a university’s curriculum.

2. Indicator related to Targets 10.2, 10.3, and 16.b:

   The article implies the relevance of an indicator like 10.3.1 / 16.b.1, which measures the “proportion of the population reporting having personally felt discriminated against or harassed.” While the article does not provide data, it highlights the problem this indicator measures by describing how certain groups “feel targeted as an ‘other’” and are subject to “racial profiling and exclusion.” Progress would be measured by a reduction in these feelings and incidents of discrimination within the community.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: thedailytexan.com