Commonwealth of Massachusetts
A Proclamation
His Excellency Governor Deval L. Patrick
Whereas All individuals gain a broadened international perspective through the study of other cultures and their languages; and
Whereas Learning to communicate in another language is vital to participating in our global economy; and
Whereas Studying other languages has been shown to contribute to increased cognitive skills, better academic performance, while also providing life-long learning opportunities for people beyond school age; and
Whereas To mark the 55th anniversary of the first declaration of “Foreign Languages Week,” the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association is celebrating Foreign Language Week with the theme “You’re Connected… Now Communicate”,
Now, Therefore, I, Deval L. Patrick, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim March 5th – 11th, 2012, to be,
Foreign Languages Week
And urge all the citizens of the Commonwealth to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance.
Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston, this first day of January, in the year two thousand and twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
By His Excellency
Deval L. Patrick
Governor of the Commonwealth
William Francis Galvin
Secretary of the Commonwealth
God Save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts