- This article was originally published in Quartz. By Evan Fleischer More Americans should learn to speak languages native to the African continent. There is a small, statistical base of speakers in the country according to the 2011 US census, 884,660 individuals aged five years or older already speak a language originating in Africa. But we could have so much more. Arguably, the most useful, indigenous African languages for Americans to learn are Yoruba (primarily spoken in Nigeria), Xhosa (… Read More
- 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
- 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
- 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
Sign up for our newsletter.