​Below are World Languages student perceptions on the importance of studying one or more foreign languages and how their language studies have helped propel them during and after their undergraduate education in their own lives, careers, and goals.

• Languages are keys that unlock the world.

• My decision to specialize in foreign languages has multiplied my opportunities for employment. After years of commitment, I now can travel to every continent seeking work, secure in my ability to express myself in one of the official languages.

• I believe that language learning is incredibly important because it increases one's ability to communicate and increases one's understanding of their own native language.

• There's something about language learning that makes it both the hardest and most fulfilling thing that I have ever done.

• Taking a world language class was required for my major, but I minored in it because being bilingual has opened up so many possibilities for my research.

• Taking a world language class changed the trajectory of my major and my life.

• Going into college, I was not able to introduce myself in Italian and now, I am fluent and am conducting business with colleagues in Italy completely in Italian. This is an amazing program that provides students with opportunities that not many schools can offer, and the passion of everyone involved in the Italian program is rivaled by none!

• Speaking another language invites you into a new world and strengthens any career choice you may choose.

• Now more than ever, it is crucial that we approach issues from a place of understanding. World language study facilitates such an approach, allowing us to view the world from a different vantage point.

• A love of languages is so deeply rooted in me that I forsook my first career to return to school.

• I have been in the workforce and witnessed firsthand the competitive edge held by those who have studied world languages and traveled abroad.

• World languages matter because they give you a backbone of understanding into the world around you.

• I am a living example of the importance and benefits of language learning. I live and work abroad, representing America in a positive and influential sense, because of my skills in languages.

• In my current profession as a German teacher, I have a job that would have been unthinkable only three years ago, when I graduated from the same high school where I am currently teaching. Taking German classes at UNT will always be one of the smartest decisions I ever made.

• Many "suffer," through their foreign language requirement, and I can't say I was different. It was tough! But, it was an experience that shaped my college career, and more importantly, me as a person. Removing this small requirement would endanger the many students eager to enrich their lives with language.

• Taking courses in world languages can open doors for individuals, especially those seeking to work on a global scale.

• World Languages open up new possibilities for young (and old) minds. It allows people to see the world in new ways and to be able to travel without feeling out of place or alone. When one is able to speak more than one language, one is able to make a friend anywhere they choose to go and no area of study is closed to them.

• I was unaware of the impact that learning a foreign language would have on my studies, but this course became a great benefit for courses in my major.