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Teaching Foreign Languages: Understanding the World and Helping Our Students Compete - Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Time: 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM ET
“When it comes to foreign languages, our students get started too late—and too few study critical languages. We can and must turn this around."
-U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
The benefits of studying foreign languages are many and well known. It can broaden your experience and expand your view of the world; improve your knowledge of your own language; improve your skills in other subjects such as mathematics; expand your cultural awareness and sensitivity; and broaden your employment opportunities. In a world where our security and economic, diplomatic and political success depend on mutual respect and cultural understanding, it is vital that American students learn foreign languages—especially “critical need” languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, and Farsi. However, research shows that less than one percent of American high school students combined study any of the critical-need languages. In addition, while Chinese is the most widely spoken first language in the world, less than one-half of one percent of American students taking a foreign language in grades K-12 study Chinese.
The U.S. Department of Education, in partnership with other federal and state agencies, is working with schools and communities to boost foreign language acquisition through the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI). Earlier this month, the Department awarded $22 million in grants to school districts and states under the Foreign Language Assistance Program to help dramatically increase the number of Americans learning foreign languages deemed critical to national security and commerce.
The November 21st edition of Education News will feature a conversation with experts from school districts, associations and others about what is being done in our nation's schools and communities to ensure that students graduate with the ability to communicate in critical languages. The broadcast will explore ways to provide students with the language skills to engage foreign governments and peoples, especially in critical regions; to encourage reform and promote understanding; convey respect for other cultures; and provide an opportunity for others to learn more about America and its citizens. The show will help address questions such as:
- Why is foreign language instruction so important today, especially in “critical need” languages?
- What does brain research say about the importance of learning second languages?
- What are policymakers, together with schools, doing to increase the number of students learning critical foreign languages? How does the National Security Language Initiative fit into this effort?
- What can parents and communities do to promote foreign language proficiency in children, and to encourage children to learn about and respect other languages and cultures?
- What do effective school- and district-level foreign language instruction programs look like?
- What steps can parents take if their child’s school has no foreign language program?
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Programs produced by the U.S. Department of Education are in the public domain. Use, duplication, and distribution are free and unrestricted. Thank You!
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