March, 2019
Berlin -- The primary language spoken here in the Kreuzberg borough is German but Turkish is a close second, as the area is the home to around 200,000 Turks. When Americans buy from German shops, they can often use English to get by if necessary, but when shopping at Turkish-owned businesses, they should be prepared to speak German, the second language of the Turks.
Many are the conversations in people's second languages, in Berlin and around the world. Some people – as many as possible – need to speak two or more languages or economies don't function, let alone governments.
Today I was at the West Aliierte Museum in Berlin, hidden in the woods by the Olympic Stadium, where many documents recounting the history of the western allies are in German, English, and French. France was one of the governing powers in Berlin and controlled the northwest sector of the city for nearly five decades. The French Army defended free Berlin from the Soviets just as did the Americans and the British during the Cold War.
France is actually our oldest ally, having played a strategic naval role in the American Revolution. Benjamin Franklin, a speaker of passable French, must be given a large measure of credit.
So it was with amazement when I watched, via live streaming last week, a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on how student loan servicers shamelessly exploit borrowers, during which Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma explained that the root of the problem is that too many students are studying French literature. Apparently the point he was trying to make is that students sometimes choose majors that don't pay well, like foreign languages, which can get them into loan repayment trouble and lead to servicer exploitation. But why pick on French (and not the servicers)? Those who major in French literature often go into teaching this essential language in our schools and colleges.
Teachers are not paid well. Nor are first responders and those in military and other public service. That is why we have the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, to help student loan borrowers in low paying but essential professions. That is why we have hearings, when programs like PSLF are abysmal failures. Yes, we understand that members of Congress receive political campaign contributions from industries that would like to shift blame to anyone but themselves, even to making ridiculous and, frankly, unpatriotic arguments. France and Germany are two of our best allies. We need to know their languages.
To those who think we need fewer students of foreign languages and literatures, as John F. Kennedy would say, "Let them come to Berlin." Congressman Cole, face up to facts and fix the student loan servicer problem. The problem is not French, or any other literature.
