One exception is young Israelis, who spend gruelling years in the military, and who also have an outstanding record as entrepreneurs.Missionary work provides young Mormons with a fluency in foreign languages that is rare in America.
With corporate travelers now doing business in all four points of the globe, developing some fluency in foreign languages is getting to be as important as taking along a laptop on an overseas trip.
As an undergraduate, Szilágyi made sure he obtained the university grades, research publications, student conference prizes, and fluency in foreign languages he knew he needed to enter grad school and win several prestigious scholarships and awards.
Only a handful of schools in the United States require fluency in a foreign language to enroll in an international MBA -- which in my view is a sign that those international business programs know little about the art of international business.
Patty achieved fluency in French while in college, enjoying not just the pleasures of real-world fluency in a foreign language but also appreciating the perspective that speaking French gave her upon her knowledge of English.
Gap year students fortunate enough to travel or pursue an opportunity in a different country have greater global awareness and often develop fluency in a foreign language.
Fluency in a foreign language could also lead to a job overseas.
Each country will thus benefit from the return home of its Erasmus Pro youths who bring back with them new professional qualifications, fluency in a foreign language and a European cultural outlook.
