Language and learning: commitments to Asian Studies and the future

Abstract

Language learning is a commitment to the state of the arts of Asian Studies, but also one of the tools needed to practice in the field. As scholars in Asian Studies, we have an obligation to ensure that these tools are passed on to future scholars, for use in ways we have not yet managed and in situations we have not yet experienced. Transferring language skills requires good teaching, and good teachingarguably rests on a passion for learning, in practice as well as in principle. We can facilitate this transferral through our own practice: keeping abreast of literaturein our field language; developing (second) language skills with which to publish outside the Anglophone centre and creating opportunities for dialogue in our field language(s). Notwithstanding the pressure for academics to publish fast and publish well, we need to remain attendant to intellectual rigor, and to the theoretical debates that occur in the communities we study. Ultimately, if we look to sustain a vibrant intellectual community engaged in studies of Asia, we need to engage in the difficult but rewarding task of learning to speak (and write) in Other language(s), and to navigate a path towards a more truly inclusive scholarly community. Show more