In the Martin and Nakayama text there is a quote from modern French philosopher Dominique Noguez that explains the animosity created by the lingua franca status of the English language that I found compelling, interesting, and personally relevant as I begin my first semester of Arabic.
Interested in the political, economic, and ideological fissures that divide the Near East,I started my college career with the intention of studying International Relations and conflict resolution. However, learning the Arabic language seemed far too daunting and non-essential for a career hopefully spent in academia. As my education has progressed, and I have realized that in order to enhance my studies and make me a pragmatic diplomat and peace advocate learning Arabic is certainly essential.
Although the world may be filled with English speakers, learning the language of the people that I aim to help is the responsible, reciprocal choice. Learning Arabic will in the future help me diffuse many Western animosities, and eliminate the problems inherit with interpreters and translators. Starting as a complete novice in the language, I can only assume that interlanguge will become a problem when I begin to apply my Arabic language skills, but I am willing to work on them and correct them for the benefit of knowing the language.
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