ERIC Number: ED599007
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Jun
Pages: 92
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Enrollments in Languages Other than English in United States Institutions of Higher Education, Summer 2016 and Fall 2016: Final Report
Looney, Dennis; Lusin, Natalia
Modern Language Association
Total enrollments (undergraduate and graduate) in languages other than English dropped by 9.2% between fall 2013 and fall 2016, as reported in the Modern Language Association's twenty-fifth language enrollment census. Despite the overall drop, there were gains in nearly half of all language programs (45.5%) that mitigate somewhat the downward trend. The total number of language programs offered in fall 2016 was down by 651, or 5.3%, since 2013, whereas between 2009 and 2013 the number of offered programs declined by one. This figure includes commonly taught languages such as French (which fell by 129 programs), Spanish (118), German (86), and Italian (56), as well as less commonly taught languages such as Hindi (which declined by 8), Yiddish (5), and Thai (3). Twenty-three Indigenous American languages that reported enrollments in 2009 or 2013 were not taught in fall 2016. Staffing for less commonly taught languages tends to depend on non-tenure-track hiring, which makes those languages especially vulnerable to budget changes. Despite challenges at the local and national levels, many language programs remain strong. This report highlights examples of programs whose robust enrollments demonstrate the value of innovative curricular thinking as well as dedicated faculty members who have the support of their administration. Clearly, investments are needed in language education, and this report includes case studies of successful programs on which change can be modeled. This report is the second of two that analyzes the findings of the Modern Language Association's 2016 language enrollment censuses. [For "Enrollments in Languages Other than English in United States Institutions of Higher Education, Summer 2016 and Fall 2016: Preliminary Report," see ED590075.]
Descriptors: Language Enrollment, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, Declining Enrollment, College Second Language Programs, American Indian Languages, Uncommonly Taught Languages, Modern Languages, Budgets, Language Teachers, Teacher Selection, College Faculty, College Administration, Case Studies, School Surveys, French, Teacher Education Programs, Instructional Innovation, Student Interests, Latin, Institutional Characteristics, Enrollment Trends, German, Cultural Awareness, Interdisciplinary Approach, Program Descriptions, American Sign Language, Advanced Courses, Introductory Courses, Italian, Russian, Slavic Languages, Spanish, Japanese, Semitic Languages, Chinese, Korean, Summer Programs, Indo European Languages, Tagalog, Online Courses, Shared Resources and Services, Academic Degrees, Languages for Special Purposes, Classical Languages
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Publication Type: Reports - Research; Numerical/Quantitative Data
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Modern Language Association of America
Identifiers - Location: Georgia; North Carolina; District of Columbia; New York (New York); Ohio; New York; Connecticut; Illinois; Rhode Island; South Dakota
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A