Foreign Languages for the Ph.D

A GENERAL requirement at all American universities is that the candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy' possess a reading of two foreign languages. The particular type of test varies considerably from institution to institution; and even within one institution the different faculties may use various methods. Some examinations are oral; others, written. Some demand translation; others employ a different device to test the student's command of the language. Some cover only specialized material in the candidate's field; others contain more general material. Despite this variation, the common denominator is that the student takes some sort of examination and, attaining a certain level of achievement, is certified as possessing a reading of the language involved. At casual inspection the logic of this procedure seems sound. If the student is to make an original contribution to human knowledge it seems reasonable to expect him to be acquainted with such as already exists in two other languages of scholarship in his field

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