Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ulowell!m2c!wpi!lfoard
From: lfoard@wpi.wpi.edu (Lawrence C Foard)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: foreign language requirements for PhDs
Message-ID: <1304@wpi.wpi.edu>
Date: 13 Mar 89 22:41:00 GMT
References: <7287@spool.cs.wisc.edu> <2851@eos.UUCP> <401@rb-dc1.UUCP> <21572@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> <1280@wpi.wpi.edu> <134@cs.columbia.edu>
Reply-To: lfoard@wpi.wpi.edu (Lawrence C Foard)
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA. USA
Lines: 36

In article <134@cs.columbia.edu> kan@cs.columbia.edu (Victor Kan) writes:
>
>Literacy in a foreign language for PhDs is not just some
>arbitrary, nice idea for a magic solution to the world's problems
>as Lawrence Foard suggests.
>
>[reasons to learn a foreign langauge]
>
>I'm in favor of FLRs for PhD students.  I intend to be a PhD
>student someday and I know four languages, at varying levels of
>fluency.  Unfortunately, none of the FLRs I've seen would accept
>those four languages.  Looks like I'll have to learn French.
>Yuck!!!!!
>
>Victor

It would be nice to know a foreign langauge but it would also be nice to know
a computer langauge, relativity, electonics, geology, astronomy, cooking,
yoga, biology, advanced math, machining, carpentry, zoology, weather
forcasting, typing, navigation, parachuting, etc. 
 It is quite possible that all of these things would come in useful at some
time in ones life, but they should not be required to get a Degree. I am for
encouraging diversity in education but not for attempting to force it. The
problem with attempting to force people to learn X because it is good for them
is that not every one is able to learn X, or they would waste years learning
X. I know a number of computer langauges and could learn another in a week or
so but I do not expect that every one in the world will be able to do the same.

Oh by the way:
 Which one is faster 
 Vaxstation 3500
 25Mhz 386 with weitek (sp?) coprocessor
Is IMSL and Maxima available for zenix on an 80386?
-- 
Disclaimer: My school does not share my views about FORTRAN.
            FORTRAN does not share my views about my school.