Foreign language education is the single catalyst that leads to facilitating a global understanding which leads to peace. The reasons vary widely across the board as to why people study a foreign language. Almost all high schools and some junior high schools require a foreign language requirement. Most colleges and universities also have a foreign language requirement as part of their general education. Some people study a foreign language because of heritage. Others study because of a job or a keen interest in a certain country or region. Whatever your particular reason is, studying any foreign language is the first step to open the doors of peaceful global relationships.

A 1989 study by Bamford and Mizokawa (as well as a similar 1964 study by Riestra and Johnson) concluded that native English-speaking students in Spanish-English bilingual classes (or who were studying Spanish) showed a higher positive attitude toward Hispanic-Americans, as compared to monolingual students of the same age. Another study from 1962 by Peal and Lambert showed bilingual French-English classrooms in Montreal (where French was the native language) had a higher positive rating towards English speakers than the students of French-only classrooms of the same age and socioeconomic status.

Concordia Language Villages, spread mostly throughout northern Minnesota, established its first language camp in 1961 with the introduction of the German camp, Waldsee. It was an experimental program through Concordia College of Moorhead, Minnesota. The purpose was to teach languages, cultures, and global awareness through total-immersion language study. The students, ages 8-18, choose a new name, eat cultural food and participate in cultural activities completely in the target language. Since the first camp, CLV now offers 15 different camps to attend: Al-Waha (Arabic), Sen Lin Hu (Chinese), Skovsoen (Danish), Hometown (English-ESL), Salolampi (Finnish), Lac du Bois (French), Waldsee (German), Lago del Bosco (Italian), Mori no Ike (Japanese), Sup Sogui Hosu (Korean), Skogfjorden (Norwegian), Mar e Floresta (Portuguese coming in 2008), Lesnoe Ozero (Russian), El Lago del Bosque (Spanish), Sjolunden (Swedish). With each passing summer, thousands of young people are learning languages and creating global connections that span the world. These people are laying the foundations to be the next ambassadors of global peace.

Learning foreign languages strengthens the mind and strengthens the bonds between people, reaching across cultures and creeds to create friendships. These are the most important standards that are learned when studying foreign languages, not verb conjugations and practicing the written characters. It gives you an insight into the philosophies of a culture which often drive the people to the actions they choose. By understanding the history of a people and its fundamental ideologies, you can better understand the reasoning behind its foreign policies and governmental decisions. It makes it easier to make workable compromises and vital business solutions.