The best cure for international conflict is the same remedy for interpersonal conflict: communication. Language reflects connections, but it also creates them. Talking openly and honestly with another person, or nation, can diffuse tensions by helping us recognize we are more similar than different.

Without communication, it's easy to demonize other people and ignore their fundamental humanity. Look at Iran. Look at illegal immigrants. These are people, just like us, simply trying to find a little happiness, just like us.

Americans need to wake up and realize it is imperative we learn other languages to diffuse both domestic and international conflict. The rest of the world is doing it — our demands for "English only" are simply rooted in xenophobia and reinforce the global perception of American exceptionalism.

A large portion of students never receive anything beyond a shallow education in foreign languages, leaving them completely incapable of non-English communication as adults.

Only one in four Americans can hold a conversation in another language, whereas one in two European citizens and eight out of 10 European students can. Regardless of the reason, that means Europeans can more effectively communicate with other cultures.

It's clear one is more apt to learn languages when young - if our public schools required a bilingual or multilingual education, the next generation could be proficient communicators with the rest of the world.

Non-romantic languages like Chinese, Hindi and Arabic are especially needed. These languages have the largest number of speakers in the world, but are also some of the least taught. Spanish ought to also be a high priority, given the influx of native speakers.

The root of English-only policies is fear of what we don't understand. It can be intimidating to be in a room full of people speaking in a language you don't know, but it's an experience recent immigrants and many new international students go through every day, and one we should use to everyone's advantage.

We ought to meet them halfway - we will try to speak your language, you should try to speak ours. Printing things in both English and Spanish, for example, can help immigrants and natives alike.

The onus should not fall solely on the rest of the world to conform to our language.

Learning new languages will facilitate the international business transactions necessary for adjusting our economy to an increasingly globalized world. It can help create connections among populations (marriages, friendships, etc.) that temper geopolitical conflict.

For example, our cultural and familial ties with Western Europe have genuinely contributed to our steady relations, despite disagreement. We desperately need those kinds of meaningful connections with both rising and waning superpowers, such as Russia, India and China. Learning how to communicate with their populations is one of the best ways to facilitate economic and social connections.

Don't be afraid to try — learning a new language is difficult, but with practice can be done in a few short years. At first I was afraid to speak Spanish, my second language, with native speakers. But after a few poorly pronounced tries, I realized many of them wanted to help me and had the patience to listen carefully and respond clearly and slowly.

Programs through the International Student Center, especially conversation partners, can be extremely rewarding.

Communication is the best cure for conflict — so let's stop demanding that the world talk to us, and start reaching out to them.


-Beth Mendenhall is a senior in political science and philosophy. She does not hate agriculture. Please send comments to opinion@spub.ksu.edu.