Studying history without the ability to speak multiple languages.

[Klonoa]

Is there anyone working towards their MA/MS or Ph.D in history only able to speak their native tongue? Will only speaking your native tongue negatively impact your graduate experience and studies, such as reading primary sources and historical texts? 

[ashiepoo72]

From what I know based on my experience, it's not as important at the MA level. My program allowed people on the U.S. track to take 2 additional grad courses in lieu of a language exam.

If you're studying anything involving nations that do not speak your native tongue, not having a language will be to your detriment. It's not that you can't get language training in a doctoral program--you totally can--but having even rudimentary language training looks better than none when you're applying, especially with how competitive it is. Have you considered taking a few community college language courses? It's not like these will get you up to snuff to dive in foreign language archives, but it'll show programs you're making an effort to acquire the necessary tools for a dissertation. If your project really requires no additional languages, I would think about other tools that can shore up your application--maybe some classes in statistics, or sociology, psychology, poli sci, anthropology etc that you can use as potential methodological training.

I tend to overthink things, as anyone who's seen my application prep can confirm, but I look for balance--if I'm weak in one area, I try to be especially strong in another. So, undergrad GPA low, GRE high. Or no languages, but tons of methodological and research training. Something along those lines.

Good luck!

[Klonoa]

Thanks ashiepoo72.

I really have no interest in studying any language, that is why I asked would it have a negative impact. I plan to study American History (MS), so I was curious to know if I had a chance of getting away with only speaking and researching in English.

[ashiepoo72]

You totally can at the MA level, but definitely look into your program's requirements to see if they allow it like mine did. I opted for the 2 additional courses even though I know 2 languages well enough to take the language exams (because I'm a nerd and wanted more classes). Maybe contact the grad adviser?

[Chiqui74]

At the MA level, as ashiepoo said, it's probably not absolutely necessary, but for a PhD it definitely is, even when studying US History.  Also, you don't have to speak it, you just have to be able to read it, even if you have to use a dictionary every now and then.  Thankfully, most programs require only one additional language for those whose primary field is the US/North America.

[ashiepoo72]

Good point, Chiqui. Reading with a dictionary is MUCH easier than speaking a language.

[TMP]

For American historians, no speaking is required.  Your choice of reading language will be dependent on your interests.  I know of a Cold War Americanist who took Russian as reading Russian might be useful for scanning newspaper headlines.

 

In the PhD program, you'll need to read requirements.  Often times, Americanists are asked to take a quantitative class in lieu of a second language or some other class to help you develop skills.

[thedig13]

Here's a question: why are you so disinterested in taking language courses? Anybody who's vaguely familiar with history programs knows that foreign language training is usually par for the course among History PhDs, so I'm curious to know why you're trying to get around this requirement.

[Klonoa]

Here's a question: why are you so disinterested in taking language courses? Anybody who's vaguely familiar with history programs knows that foreign language training is usually par for the course among History PhDs, so I'm curious to know why you're trying to get around this requirement.

 

I studied a foreign language for my undergrad since it was a requirement, and I did not like it. While I am very interested in different cultures and have traveled to a few countries, I have never been interested in languages and can not concentrate well studying other languages. I lived abroad for awhile and I did not pick up the language of that country as I was not interested. I know it's sad. I don't plan to obtain a PhD, so I'm happy to hear that I don't need to pick up a second language while studying American History.

[Riotbeard]

I never took a language exam, as there isn't a second language important to my work.  I probably could have passed the German exam, but my adviser advised that even working a little on this would be a waste of time, as it has no relation to my work.  That being said most Americanists in my department at least have spanish or french, which usually has some application to their work.  I am working on Spanish a little in my spare time for a side project.  Short answer is most americanist will have a second language, but a lot of programs do have alternatives if it is not particularly relevant to your work.

Edited August 14, 2015 by Riotbeard
Could I have said work more in one paragraph?

[lelick1234]

I guess I always considered a PhD an opportunity to learn as many as languages as possible.  I figure if I am going to suck at math, the only way I could justify my pursuit of humanities would be if I could market my language skills outside of academia if, indeed, I failed to establish a career in academia.  

[dr. t]

A disinterest in language acquisition is a bit of a (true) stereotype for Americanists. It can even cause some problems in Americanist-dominated departments, where many of the professors don't understand why their counterparts in other fields take so damn long to finish their degrees. 

I think it is always worth the time to acquire reading fluency in at least one other language. You gain access to theory and arguments you would otherwise miss.

[TMP]

Here's a question: why are you so disinterested in taking language courses? Anybody who's vaguely familiar with history programs knows that foreign language training is usually par for the course among History PhDs, so I'm curious to know why you're trying to get around this requirement.

I thought I would do American history for a quite some time because I basically sucked at foreign languages.  I could never make As, let alone any grade above a B-.  Confidence had a lot to do with my desire to avoid foreign languages even though I really did like learning about other cultures.

Then I had a supervisor who told me flat out that I would not get a job in my dream field of work without German.  Having already struggled through three languages by that point, I had to think pretty hard about how badly I wanted to do that kind of work.  Eventually, I buckled down and learned German (and even lived in Germany for a bit).  I do mostly international history now and German is required for my research.  I also did at summer at Middlebury for another language and it boosted my confidence big time.

I still work with American history; now i can't imagine my work without my foreign language skills.

Language teachers have told me that the biggest kick for any language learner is having the confidence to work at it.  It's an underrated humbling experience.

[Joan Callamezzo]

I honestly believe that people who are reluctant to take language classes should re-evaluate why they want to get into academia. If you are in the humanities you really should know French and German. Not for your day-to-day research necessarily, but you'll need these languages for historiography, attending conferences, and collaborating with other scholars. You (universal *you*) are pigeon-holing yourself by not wanting to take language classes. 

[mvlindsey]

^^ re: the last two posts especially, I love an excuse to talk about the importance of languages, but the OP's made it clear they're not interested in pursuing a Ph.D (which leads me to believe academia is a firm "no") so I don't really think it's a "requirement" per se.

That being said, OP languages are exceptionally difficult and while they may not be required for your line of work, any work or comfort you can show in them will do miles for your career. Especially in the digital age; while people are converging on the use of English, there are rich conversations that are being held in all sorts of spaces through pretty accessible languages: Spanish, French, Italian and so on. I'd really really think about trying it over a longer period of time. 

[knp]

I am very supportive for half of Joan Callamezzo's comment, that languages are almost always a crucial part of what we do as humanities scholars, and yet I do think the "both French and German" thing is limited to the more Euro-based fields. The list of languages I have to know for my period and region is four long, with a very high average rating on the State Department difficulty scale, followed by French as a nice fifth that I assume most scholars can read, since Portuguese is one of the four. (I love that my research will be language-heavy!) But although I love how German sounds, I am not in a field where it is required or (I think) a common skill.

Although yes, at the MA level, OP most certainly doesn't need anything beyond what they had in undergrad, and probably not even that. Although if you want to check out the next level of your language for one semester, OP, it could be worth the investigation! I love languages, and I've hated every first year and half of the second year language courses I've taken since I was fifteen, because really I am very tired of asking my classmates' names and what foods they ate this morning.

[thedig13]

I thought I would do American history for a quite some time because I basically sucked at foreign languages.  I could never make As, let alone any grade above a B-.  Confidence had a lot to do with my desire to avoid foreign languages even though I really did like learning about other cultures.

Then I had a supervisor who told me flat out that I would not get a job in my dream field of work without German.  Having already struggled through three languages by that point, I had to think pretty hard about how badly I wanted to do that kind of work.  Eventually, I buckled down and learned German (and even lived in Germany for a bit).  I do mostly international history now and German is required for my research.  I also did at summer at Middlebury for another language and it boosted my confidence big time.

I still work with American history; now i can't imagine my work without my foreign language skills.

Language teachers have told me that the biggest kick for any language learner is having the confidence to work at it.  It's an underrated humbling experience.

That's kind of what I was ultimately trying to get at.