University of Hawaii at Manoa
Foreign Language Requirement

In addition to improving written and oral communication and reasoning skills, the Hawaiian or Second Language Requirement is an integral part of the mission of the University of Hawaii to "prepare students to function effectively in a global society." Before graduation all students must show competence at the 202 (or equivalent) level in Hawaiian or a second language. You can study any of the following languages to fullfill Manoa's foreign language requirement.

European Languages: Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish.

Asian Languages: Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Hindi, Ilokano, Indonesian (= Malay), Japanese, Korean, Lao, Sanskrit, Thai, Vietnamese.

Pacific Languages: Chamorro, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian.

What language should I choose?

Most students learn a European language such as French, Spanish, or German. Many students are reluctant to study Asian languages such as Thai, Khmer (Cambodian), Korean, but especially Japanese and Chinese, because they are written in a foreign alphabet. Even Asian languages written in the Roman alphabet such as Vietnamese can be difficult to learn because they are tonal.

But not all Asian languages are difficult to learn. One of the easiest languages is Indonesian / Malay. In comparison to European languages, its grammar is fairly simple with no conjugations, no tenses, no declensions. It is very easy to spell and pronounce. Indonesian / Malay is taught at UH from beginners' level and there are no formal prerequisites.

Why Studying an Asian Language?

The most populous continent, the continent with the largest nations, the continent experiencing some of the most far-reaching developments of modern humanity, Asia cannot be ignored for it will have an enduring impact on our own society.
 
Asia is exciting. The pageant of humanity past and present is nowhere more complex and fascinating than in Asia. For both the humanist and the social scientist Asia is a rich field of study. By gaining proficiency in an Asian language one opens up a world of learning that otherwise remains nearly closed.

Indonesia is the world's forth most populous country. Indonesian/Malay is the national language of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore. Being an easy language – especillay at the beginners level – you can achieve at least an upper intermediate level in only two years of study. You will be well prepared to read any text in the language, or for an exciting visit to the beautiful templeas of Java and Bali, or some of the hottest surf spots in the world. Study Indonesian/ Malay at the University of Hawaii. Call (808) 956-8672 or 956-7574 or email hil@hawaii.edu or indonesian@hawaii.edu for further information about this exciting language.

Why am I required to study a foreign language?

Knowledge of a second language increases the student's ability to understand other people; it encourages deeper awareness of the structure of language and its relation to thought, develops sensitivity to other ways of ordering personal experience and social institutions, provides a direct way of comparing another culture to one's own, and provides greater insight into the workings of one's native language. Read the statement on "Why should you learn a foreign Language" issued by the Department of English as a Second Language.