- We believe that more American students should prepare for a global workforce. In 2014, more than half-a-million US job postings sought foreign language proficiency from its candidates. That's no surprise, considering that one-in-three midsized to large companies are working with a global clientele. Despite this trend, only 10 percent of American students study abroad and even fewer (7 percent) enroll in a foreign language course.With International Education Week… Read More
- Editor's Note: Abigail is a senior Russian studies major and political science minor at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She spent the fall semester of 2014 studying Persian in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. She is currently writing an honors thesis about nationality and center-periphery relations in Russia. Nervousness and a sinking feeling in my chest marked the first days of my semester in Tajikistan. Jetlag fatigued my body and the unfamiliar Persian alphabet twisted my mind as I… Read More
- Victoria studied Kazakh in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Learning languages has been one of my favorite hobbies since elementary school: I dabbled in Latin in the 5th grade, taught myself German in 10th grade, and, most recently learned Russian using social media and movies in my junior year of college. But it was not until I lived and studied Kazakh in Almaty, Kazakhstan, last summer that I learned that language could be much more than just a way to satisfy my intellectual curiosity. While… Read More
- Keely Bakken is a Master's student in Central Eurasian Studies and Public Affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington. She studied Tatar in Kazan, Russia. There have always been a number of excellent reasons to learn another language. From the numerous cognitive benefits of bi- and multilingualism to the immense personal growth attributable to language's ability to open the door to increased understanding of other peoples, perspectives, and cultures, it's difficult to imagine why everyone isn't… Read More
- Top photo: YES Abroad students in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina (left to right) before a performance at the European Day of Languages: Matt, Georgie, and Alex with Julie Gallagher (wife of Edward Gallagher, Director of the US Embassy Branch Office in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina). "Dobrodo li na Evropski Dan Jezika!" Matt greeted his crowded high school auditorium in Banja Luka, a northern city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, translating to: "Welcome to the European Day of Languages"… Read More
- This article was originally published on The Atlantic.By Melinda D. AndersonIn 1998, Ron Unz, a Silicon Valley millionaire and former gubernatorial candidate, set out to abolish bilingual education in California. Fueled by an anti-immigrant climate, Unz spearheaded a statewide campaign for Proposition 227, a highly controversial state initiative that required schools to teach language-minority students almost entirely in English. The ballot measure passed with 61 percent of the vote and made… Read More
- This article originally appeared on District Administration By Jessica Terrell Preparing students for an increasingly global workforce means teaching them not only how to speak a second language, but how to think critically in that language and have a deep understanding of the culture and geography that are embedded in it. Increases in rigor and depth are a focus of this year's American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) conference, which will be held Nov. 20 to 22 in San… Read More
- This article was originally published at CEOWorld Magazine By Aurora Smith Getting ahead of your competitors in 2015 often means speaking more than one language. After all, thanks to the globalisation of business, our clients are often based far and wide. And if you can't communicate with them in their language, not only might you lose out on their business, but they may just take their business with them to one of your rivals. Being multilingual immediately says to clients that you are an… Read More
- This article originally appeared on The Hill.By Richard LeBaron and Jordan Lesser-RoyAs kids go back to school and Congress goes back to work, a very effective State Department program is influencing long-term positive change in the Middle East and wider Muslim world. Since 2002, over 8,000 Muslim teenagers have come to the United States through the State Department's YES program. While the flow of recruits to the Islamic State grabs the headlines, these young people are beginning to make a… Read More
- Learning a Foreign Language a 'Must' in Europe, Not so in AmericaPew Research Center Europeans learn multiple languages before they reach high school while many Americans don't even learn a second language in their lifetime. This Pew Research Center report explores the link between foreign language study requirements in schools and multilingualism of the population. The results probably won't surprise you. Integrating Study Abroad Into School Curriculum and CultureEducation Week Not all… Read More
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