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**Why would you ever want to major in language?**

**What recent graduates are saying about the value of their German (read: language) major:**

"I was much happier studying German and History. I don't understand why people don't realize what another language will do for them." - Class of 1999. Now law student at Tulane University.

"As the global economy continues to broaden and become more interconnected, global corporations, consultancies, banks, etc., will increasingly require flexible managers who can adapt to the competitive environment on many different levels--and language is certainly one of those levels." - W&L - Class of 1995. Now MBA student at Kelley School of Business, Indiana University.

"Our largest production plant is in Pforzheim, Germany. I make four to six trips to Germany a year and talk German most of the time. I also use my Spanish when I visit our plants in Spain, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. So for me, language has played a vital role in getting this job and being able to communicate with our employees around the world." - Class of 1993. Internal auditor for Technitrol, Inc.

"After a couple of years I move back to D.C., where I have actually used my German and French. I traveled to several different countries installing (systems) and training users on computer systems for the State Department. In fact, because I knew two other languages, I was able to pick the team I was on and which countries I got to go to. A definite perk."- Class of 1994.

"My only major at W&L was German Literature. I knew I was going to go on and do graduate school after W&L, but even if I had not, it would not have hurt my chances of getting a good job. While I was over in Austria, I looked into going to work for several Wall Street banks before heading back to graduate school.... Rarely was not having an econ or business degree an issue." - Class of 1998. After studying in Russia and Austria, currently pursuing graduate work in Russian Studies at Harvard.

"I'm very glad that I majored in German literature and would encourage students to balance C-School or science with a heavy dose of liberal arts. It does pay off. In addition to the benefit of being well-read and able to hold a conversation on a variety of topics, studying liberal arts helps develop analytic abilities." - Class of 1997. Management consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

"Mostly, being a German major contributed to being a well-rounded student; it proved that I could work hard and learn quickly--trust me, that's what goes far in my business." - Class of 1992 (Double major German-Psychology). Information technology consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

"After graduating from W&L in 1993, I went to Saarbrücken for a year to study Economics--funded by a Fulbright scholarship. . . . After Germany I returned home and went to Law School. Upon graduation I worked for one summer in the Office of the Prosecutor of the Permanent International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. . . . When I got back to the US, I joined the Air Force as a JAG officer. It's all very exciting. I also get paid extra money simply because I am able to speak German." - Class of 1993.

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There is a bad joke about German departments, the punch line being that the most important phrase we will teach you is: "Möchten Sie auch Pommes dazu?" (Would you like fries with that?) The irony behind this cynicism is the fact that while more and more students succumb to Angst over the job market and look to "trade school" majors as the only sure path to a lucrative career, the "real world" of business and industry is crying out for liberal arts educated graduates. Foreign language study, whether done as a concentration or a major, expands not only your outlook on the world but your opportunities in a larger part of the world. Whether or not you work in that language directly after graduation, the discipline of language study teaches and sharpens skills highly sought by employers: reasoning, analyzing, writing, public speaking. A language major is an excellent springboard to graduate and professional schools and to careers in education, public relations, governmental or military service, law, business, and industry. And as the comments above verify, it can lead to work experience abroad. Doing well in the major you choose is more important than which major you choose, so if you enjoy language and want to internationalize your chosen career--whatever you may later decide on--go for it! And hold the fries.

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