During a campaign stop in Colorado, Obama indicated that in order to compete in our global economy everyone should be bilingual or even trilingual. Read more at Obama Urges Education Reform.

What I find interesting about this comment is here we have a presidential candidate who himself has second language experience (Indonesian) and third language experience (Spanish, which I understand is at a novice level). Here we have a candidate who appreciates and understands diversity and cultural differences. I’m wondering if this is signaling a shift in America politics. For so many decades our county has had the attitude of “if you want to do business with us, learn our language.” Perhaps this call is a recognition that if the United States wants to do business with the rest of the world, and understand the rest of the world, and develop tolerance for the rest of the world, perhaps we can start by speaking the languages of the rest of the world.

We’ve seen a shift in attitude due to national security. After 9/11, when the government discovered a backlog of untranslated documents, a lack of second language speakers in our citizenry, suddenly in the name of national security there is interest again in world languages.

In business, the saying was “speak the language of your customer.” Well here in the US, we have many products we are trying to sell abroad as our dollar weakens – our products are now bargains. Who are our customers? Who is interested in buying our goods? Now, perhaps, we can have a shift in part due to economics and in the name of understanding our fellow human beings.

I’m thinking this election is going to set the stage for many years to come. What kind of world are we going to have for our children and how are we going to prepare them for it?

I know my thinking is richer because I also speak Spanish, and I have had the opportunity to live in Mexico and Peru. I hope we can create a world where other languages and cultures are treasured, honored, and respected – languages and cultures within the United States as well as throughout the world.

Photo credit: Automania