Language, the avenue of communication, is one of the greatest gifts of God's common grace to man.  Without it, the highest accomplishments of the human spirit would remain locked within the individual, and the sciences and the literary arts could not exist.  The Christian scholar who would study God's revelation in the history and culture of the human race must gain as wide a knowledge as possible of the languages of mankind if he is to know the great works of literature and philosophy, he must not be content with the second-hand knowledge of translations.  If he is to enter into a sympathetic understanding of the life of a people so that he may be of service to the people, he must do so through the medium of their language.  If he is to truly know a people of another linguistic background, he must learn the language that shapes their thought patterns and attitudes.

Students who will not eventually use a world language either as a scholarly tool or for actual communication still benefit from exposure to a language other than their own.  Becoming aware of the existence of other systems of communication is broadening.  It leads to an interest in and tolerance for others and their ways which is essential in a world community that is becoming increasingly more interdependent thanks to modern technology and economics.