For UC Berkeley Professor Anne Nesbet, teaching language is a vital part of understanding other cultures around the world. “When you’re learning a language, you’re not just becoming a human machine translator,” said Nesbet, chair and professor in Berkeley’s Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. “You’re learning about the culture. It offers a window into a different way of being in the world, a different way of thinking about the world.” Over 60 different languages are studied at Berkeley, including less-commonly taught languages like Ukrainian, Urdu, Swahili and Catalan. That makes the university a powerhouse when it comes to humanities research, but it also has far-reaching ramifications for international relations, economic development and the future of the United States. “It has huge implications for national security,” Nesbet said. “If we didn’t teach these languages and cultures, we’d be putting the country at risk.” For over 150 years, Berkeley’s language programs...