Foreign Language Instruction in the U.S. : Challenges and Strategies

Foreign Language Instruction in the U.S. : Challenges and Strategies

According to the latest Modern Language Association (MLA) survey, the number of students studying foreign languages in U.S. colleges and universities has increased 17% to a total of almost 1.4 million. This is the highest number recorded since the first MLA survey was carried out in 1958 and is greater than the 7.9% increase in undergraduate enrollment since 1998. According to the last survey of foreign language enrollments in grades 7 through 12 in American high schools completed in 2000, almost 7 million students studied foreign languages. Questions raised by Richard Brecht form the basis for a discussion of some of the important issues facing foreign language education in the U.S. today. As a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the global war on terrorism, there is a new awareness in the U.S. government of the vital importance of the study of foreign languages and the understanding of other cultures for national security. To focus attention on the academic, social, and economic benefits of learning a foreign language and learning about diverse cultures, 2005 will be celebrated as "The Year of Languages" in the United States.