While language professors agree foreign language is an essential component of a Harvard education, they disagree on how to make that subject more accessible in a format that is acceptable to both students and Faculty.

Professor of Greek and Latin Richard F. Thomas, who seconded Nagy's motion at the Faculty meeting, suggests increasing the minimum placement exam score for passing out of the language requirement.

"A number of us feel getting the present minimum score doesn't show excellence in that language," Thomas says.

Mary M. Farbood '97, who passed out of the language requirement as a first-year and took German A this year as an elective, says she would support this proposal.

"I am in favor of raising the minimum score," Farbood said. "I got a 560 on a language achievement as a high school senior and passed out of the Harvard requirement. That's ridiculous. Anyone can get a 560."

However, Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures Mary M. Gaylord, who also seconded Nagy's motion, said more substantive reform is needed.

"I'm not ready to conclude that simply raising the levels of scores will accomplish anything meaningful," she said. "We need creative discussion, not requirements. I'm not simply a proponent of just hiking the level of scores."

Nagy says he supports further cultural immersion, but cannot specifically endorse eliminating or toughening the exemption policy.

"It would be a shame to exempt a student out of a language requirement because of what one did in high school and not follow through with immersing yourself in that culture," Nagy says.

Jay M. Harris, Wolfson professor of Jewish studies, has another vision, which he describes as a personal, not departmental, stance.

"I certainly think we should have a minimum of four semesters of language, or the equivalent," Harris says. "Of course, that would only be possible by being looked at within larger curricular changes."

Nagy compares the effort to re-examine the language program with the recent movement to strengthen the Quantitative Reasoning Requirement, which was unanimously endorsed by the Faculty at the May 20 meeting.

"We understand the need for strengthening education in the realm of quantitative reasoning, but we also recognize the need for linguistic reasoning," he says.

Nagy says he believes that by enrolling students in a language course they would not otherwise take, the language departments will be able to inspire them to take further courses in that subject.

"My goal in elementary language courses is for students to gain an intellectual hunger for understanding the language better by taking advanced courses," he says.