# @ucberkeleyofficial on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DPE53JkEl7U
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/64635391-ucberkeleyofficial-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/db41b8d2ad.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-09-26T19:08:10.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** UC Berkeley (@ucberkeleyofficial) — https://gondola.cc/ucberkeleyofficial

## Caption

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 have provided students with skills they can use in careers from diplomacy and translation to international development and education. Faculty and researchers regularly provide insight to lawmakers, humanitarians and global leaders about communication customs in different global regions. And Berkeley experts remain committed to advancing cross-cultural understanding and preparing future leaders to navigate an interconnected world.

At the end of the day, every single language taught at Berkeley, Nesbet explained, has national security implications — if not right now, then in the future. 

“We can’t entirely predict the crisis point,” she said. “It’s always a surprise. That’s why we need to have people who are really well-trained in the language and culture, so that we can avoid whatever the crisis turns out to be.”

🔗 Learn more about how Berkeley research is changing the world at the link in our bio: berkeley.edu/research-impact

#ResearchWithResults #UCBerkeley #Humanities

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## Tags

researchwithresults, humanities, ucberkeley

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