Opportunity

Ross Selvidge points me to this news item about the Politechnico di Milano going all English.  We criticise south Europeans for being stalwarts, but this move points in the other direction.

English rules the world and that makes life easy for Americans. But it makes us less cosmpolitan and deprives us of the many ways that multi-lingualism makes us brighter and better learners.

There was once the opportunity cost argument.  Why spend time learning another language when you do not have to and can learn something else isntead?  But look at all of the "something elses" so many students take up instead.  I am waiting for an innovative school to make the case that they push foreign language excellence.

ADDED

Here is Jonah Lehrer ln the benefits of bi-lingualism.