This study examines the value undergraduate students (n = 4458) place on proficiency in languages other than English (LOTEs) in terms of their personal interests, major(s), and career plans. Combining quantitative and qualitative analyses of large-scale survey data, the study further explores the reasons students outline for (not) enrolling in…

The present study uses data from 1147 university language students from lower-division and upper-division courses from eight different languages. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of course placement, first course enrollment, and personal/professional relationships had on university learners' intentions to minor or major…

Louisiana is currently the only state in the United States that requires foreign language (FL) study for some, but not all of their high school students, and these requirements are undergoing seismic changes. Considering that "geographic," "economic," and "integration" factors contribute to whether a school can…

Most students take language courses at university, but only a fraction go beyond the introductory and intermediate levels despite the fact that continued study is likely necessary to achieve full communicative competence in the target language. By shedding light on the motivational pathways that predict language learning effort, persistence, and…

The present study examined the perspectives of language administrators and teachers regarding Seal of Biliteracy (SoBL) implementation. Utilizing three school districts in Illinois as case studies, this study investigated the ways in which the SoBL was implemented in each district, offering insight into what worked well in each unique school…

Efforts to fund the teaching of critical languages, along with increasing enrollments in less commonly taught language (LCTL) classes, have evidenced a renewed interest in LCTL pedagogy. While much is known about enrollment trends, materials development, and professional training, far less research has compared LCTL and commonly taught language…

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between foreign language learning and verbal ability in English as measured by the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) Reasoning Test. Comparing foreign language students to nonforeign language students in this study, the effect of taking a foreign language on SAT verbal…

Attempts to uncover some hidden gaps in design of enrollment surveys in general and foreign languages in particular. Discusses accuracy of reporting, education funding, and overall enrollment. Provides teachers with approach to determining relevance of enrollment studies to their school system. (Author/BK)

Presents a survey of foreign language enrollment in public secondary schools. Results were obtained from the responses of 33 states and estimates from the 18 missing respondents. Approximately 3.5 million students were enrolled in foreign language courses in grades 7-12. Spanish had 54 percent enrollment, French 30 percent, German 9 percent, and…

Summarizes the responses received from a questionnaire sent to officials in each state and the District of Columbia about foreign-language enrollments in secondary public schools. (Author/JL)

Examines the plight of the overloaded secondary school foreign language teacher, with examples taken from Indiana statistics, and suggests that the attention of textbook writers and professional organizations be directed toward helping these teachers. (AM)

To reverse trends toward reductions in the number of foreign language teaching positions, it is necessary to change the negative image associated with foreign languages and to try to attract more students. A four-point selling program is suggested. (Author/RM)