Did you see the news? Recently, several universities merged their Schools of Foreign Languages. Some even renamed them as Schools of Cultural Communication or Schools of Humanities. As an English teacher, it makes me a bit uneasy.

I saw it too. Actually, it's not that people are no longer learning foreign languages. It's that language majors can no longer focus only on listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translation. With AI translation advancing so quickly, relying on a single skill is indeed under great pressure.

Still, I find it a bit regrettable. In the past, when people heard 'School of Foreign Languages,' they immediately thought of something international. Now that the names have changed, it feels as if foreign languages are no longer that important.

A name change doesn't necessarily mean a decline in status. For example, some universities combine 'foreign languages + communication,' integrating local culture, international communication, and translation. Others offer 'foreign languages + education' or 'foreign languages + finance,' making the focus more specific.

That makes sense. Students at our university often ask while studying English whether they still need to memorize vocabulary and practice speaking now that translation software exists.

I tell them that machines can translate sentences, but they don't always understand tone, culture, or human emotions. What truly matters is using a foreign language to understand others and clearly express your own ideas.

It seems that English classes will need to change as well. We can't focus only on grammar and exams anymore. We should add projects, presentations, and intercultural content.

Exactly. The School of Foreign Languages may have changed its name, but good teachers and good courses shouldn't disappear. Let's start by improving next week's class.