Opening doors through language

The March 1 article "With Russia rising, students show interest" noted the recent expansion of Russian language programs across the United States at the pre-college level. The study of Russian in Washington area high schools is also on the rise.

Both trends bode well for U.S. engagement in the world because foreign language skills and the inter-cultural awareness they bring pave the way for mutual understanding and better relations.

The National Security Language Initiative for Youth facilitates foreign language learning for American high school students, providing merit-based scholarships for overseas language study in Russian, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Farsi and Turkish. Funded by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by American Councils for International Education, the program in 2010-11 will award 140 scholarships to American high school students to study Russian in Russia, with 450 scholarships allocated among the other languages.

The overseas intensive language experience is life-changing for students; one alum noted, "Not only did I learn a lot of Russian, but now I feel I have a reason to continue studying Russian, something that I never truly felt with other languages I have studied."

Maura Pally, Washington

The writer is acting assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs.