Foreign Languages and the Ph.D. Degree

The need for a knowledge of foreign languages by the leaders in scientific research is discussed. It is argued that if one language is started in school and a second one in college, fluency in both may be achieved before entering graduate school. This avoids the waste of valuable time by Ph.D. candidates who are far beyond the age when languages are easily learned. Engineering colleges are urged to adjust their requirements and curricula to implement this proposal.