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It's a small world, or so the saying goes. The boundaries and limitations that once existed between countries are rapidly disappearing, creating a world where borders no longer matter—and with that, the importance of understanding other languages increases. The ability to communicate with one another is helped by the Internet, but the question of language is still a factor, which makes the current state of foreign languages in higher education troubling.

Last year, for example, the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY) announced it was ending all new admissions into its French, Italian, Russian and classic languages programs (the theater department was also cut). Students in these programs will be allowed to complete their degrees, but after that, Spanish will be the only language offered at the school. Budget cuts were to blame for the changes in foreign language degree offerings.

Is there a future for language learning?

Interpreters and translators are the most common jobs sought by those with foreign language degrees. The BLS reports the employment outlook for these jobs is growing much faster than the average industry; over the 2008-2018 decade, these jobs should increase 22 percent. These jobs are spread across all industries, as the global economy continues to grow more interdependent.

The 2009 mean annual wage for interpreters and translators, according to the BLS, was $45,700. Government translators and interpreters earned more than $70,000, while those working in technical and scientific fields earned almost $100,000 a year.

Last year, the Modern Language Association released the results of a survey of foreign language studies in the USA. The number of students taking foreign language classes was up 6.2 percent since the last study in 2006. The most popular languages are, in order, Spanish, French, German and American Sign Language. The study noted that American Sign Language is close to surpassing German on the list.

According to Yale University, business majors can also benefit from understanding the nuances and cultural differences of foreign-based work partners; both are taught during the study of the language. Also, employers are sometimes willing to pay more for employees who have foreign language proficiency, particularly if the company regularly does business abroad.

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