Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uflorida!gatech!hubcap!steve
From: steve@hubcap.UUCP ("Steve" Stevenson)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: foreign language requirements for PhDs
Message-ID: <4786@hubcap.UUCP>
Date: 15 Mar 89 13:35:13 GMT
References: <1542@zen.UUCP>
Organization: Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Lines: 17

The best argument that I can think of for requiring the study of language
is the importance language has in our business.  I've been in industry and
academia and what I find most often is that those who know only their
native language are inable to deal with structure and critical analysis
of what is said.  Teaching compilers to those who know nothing about
language is a real downer.  Even worse is listening to arguments by MS's
who can't even form a proper sentence and whose vocabulary would make
Ernest Hemingway's day.

I'm sure that curricula need to be updated in many areas, but there are
somethings which are needed to hone the mind for its job --- the fact that
it is inconvenient is too bad.  It's like teaching first aid: ya never know
when it will come in handy.
  -- 
Steve (really "D. E.") Stevenson           steve@hubcap.clemson.edu
Department of Computer Science,            (803)656-5880.mabell
Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-1906