Prioritization of K–12 World Language Education in the United States

Prioritization of K–12 World Language Education in the United States

This article examines high school graduation policies in all fifty states and the District of Columbia in order to assess the status of world language study in K–12 education. The article concludes that world language education is not prioritized in state-level policies, and it recommends initiatives at the federal level to improve the state of world language education in the United States.

The Demand for Multilingual Human Capital in the U.S. Labor Market

The Demand for Multilingual Human Capital in the U.S. Labor Market

This article presents the findings of a 2014 survey of US employers on their requirements for multilingual employees. It identifies the employment sectors that were most likely to value multilingual workers, and it describes which skill sets were most coveted in conjunction with foreign language ability. The study also explains that even though a vast majority of employers wanted employees who can communicate effectively with people of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, only 10 percent of responding employers reported requiring foreign-language skills in hiring.

Heritage and Second Language Learners

Heritage and Second Language Learners

This paper compares the attitudes of heritage language learners and second language learners regarding language learning. One finding discussed in the paper is that heritage learners were less motivated than second language learners to study languages, and they were less likely to think that learning a language would yield personal or professional benefits.