The University of Arkansas offers a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish as well as a Spanish Master of Arts. According to the University of Arkansas Foreign Language Department, "Spanish is a language spoken by 406 million speakers in 31 countries, and it is the fourth most commonly spoken native language in the world. Spanish is also, of course, a rapidly growing second language in the U.S., and in many new destination areas such as Arkansas and the so-called "new south": Latinos are now the largest minority group in the United States, at some 17% of the population, and in some cities in our corner of Northwest Arkansas, such as Rogers and Springdale, Latinos now constitute more than 30% of the population. U of A students increasingly recognize that cultural competency and linguistic fluency in Spanish will significantly enhance their communication skills, their professional preparation and competitiveness, no matter what their future field of endeavor. As a result, 3000- and 4000-level Spanish enrollments continue to grow dramatically."
Studying a foreign language can improve your cognitive and critical thinking abilities. Recent surveys indicate that more than 80 agencies of the federal government rely on professionals with intermediate to high-level competence in foreign languages. Foreign language study provides the ability to gain an understanding of the cultures of US trading partners. American multinational corporations and nongovernmental organizations need people with foreign language abilities. U.S. ability to compete effectively in global markets means that more and more businesses deal with companies in other countries. They need employees who can communicate in foreign languages and understand other cultures. An employer will see you as a bridge to new clients if you know their language.
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| Acknowledging value systems | Adapting to other cultures |
| Assessing needs | Clarifying ideas |
| Collaborating as part of a team | Communicating between cultures |
| Comparing translations interpretations | Compiling/recording data |
| Designing instruments | Determining the needs of others |
| Establishing hypotheses | Evaluating evidence |
| Evaluating information | Evaluating results |
| Explaining complex concepts | Gathering information |
| Interviewing non-judgmentally | Listening carefully |
| Organizing materials/information | Reading critically |
| Reading/writing another language | Reading for content and structure |
| Reporting and editing | Speaking to groups |
| Summarizing ideas | Understanding cultural diversity |
| Understanding historical language change | Weighing values |
| Working with original sources in many fields | Working with research subjects |
| Writing clearly |
