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Foreign Language Study in US High Schools
The report “Foreign
Language Enrollments in Public Secondary Schools” by Jaime B. Draper and June H.
Hicks published by The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
in May 2002 shows that in 1900 Latin was the most widely studied foreign
language in US high schools (56% of all students and 70% of foreign language
students- see tables below). German was second (14% and 20%) followed French
(8% and 11%). As a result of the First World War, German studies plunged to
less than 1% of all students by 1922 making French the second most widely
studied foreign language (14% of all students and 28% of FL students) behind
Latin (28% and 50%). By 1960, Spanish had become the most widely studied
foreign language (11% of all students and 40% of FL students) followed by French
(9% and 32%) and Latin (8% and 28%). German had rebounded but remained a
distant fourth (2% and 6%).
During the 1970s and early
1980s, foreign language studies declined overall. In 1982, the number of
foreign language students fell below 3 million for the first time since 1962.
However, by the year 2000, the number of foreign language students had reached
almost 6 million students—nearly double the 1982 low. Spanish and French are
the only languages with over 1 million students. German is a distant third
(with 283,301 students) followed by Latin (177,477 students).
Foreign
Language Enrollments in U.S. Public High Schools, 1890-2000
|
|
|
Modern FL |
Spanish |
French |
German |
Italian |
Japanese |
Russian |
Latin |
Total
FL |
|
year |
HS
enroll |
Enr |
% |
Enr |
% |
Enr |
% |
Enr |
% |
Enr |
% |
Enr |
% |
Enr |
% |
Enr |
% |
Enr |
% |
|
1890 |
202,963 |
33,089 |
16.3% |
|
|
11,722 |
5.8% |
21,311 |
10.5% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
70,429 |
34.7% |
103,518 |
51.0% |
|
1895 |
350,099 |
62,685 |
17.9% |
|
|
22,757 |
6.5% |
39,911 |
11.4% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
153,693 |
43.9% |
216,378 |
61.8% |
|
1900 |
519,251 |
114,765 |
22.1% |
|
|
40,503 |
7.8% |
74,252 |
14.3% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
262,752 |
50.6% |
377,517 |
72.7% |
|
1905 |
609,702 |
199,153 |
32.7% |
|
|
61,852 |
10.1% |
137,299 |
22.5% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
341,215 |
56.0% |
540,368 |
88.6% |
|
1910 |
915,061 |
313,890 |
34.3% |
6,406 |
0.7% |
90,591 |
9.9% |
216,869 |
23.7% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
448,383 |
49.0% |
762,273 |
83.3% |
|
1915 |
1,328,984 |
477,110 |
35.9% |
35,882 |
2.7% |
116,957 |
8.8% |
324,272 |
24.4% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
495,711 |
37.3% |
972,821 |
73.2% |
|
1922 |
2,230,000 |
611,025 |
27.4% |
252,000 |
11.3% |
345,650 |
15.5% |
13,385 |
0.6% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
613,250 |
27.5% |
1,224,275 |
54.9% |
|
1928 |
3,354,473 |
845,338 |
25.2% |
315,329 |
9.4% |
469,626 |
14.0% |
60,381 |
1.8% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
737,984 |
22.0% |
1,583,322 |
47.2% |
|
1934 |
5,620,626 |
1,096,022 |
19.5% |
348,479 |
6.2% |
612,648 |
10.9% |
134,897 |
2.4% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
899,300 |
16.0% |
1,995,322 |
35.5% |
|
1948 |
5,399,452 |
740,800 |
13.7% |
442,755 |
8.2% |
253,781 |
4.7% |
43,195 |
0.8% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
|
0.0% |
429,174 |
7.9% |
1,169,974 |
21.7% |
|
1958 |
7,897,232 |
1,295,944 |
16.4% |
691,024 |
8.8% |
479,769 |
6.1% |
93,054 |
1.2% |
22,133 |
0.3% |
|
0.0% |
4,044 |
0.1% |
617,500 |
7.8% |
1,913,444 |
24.2% |
|
1959 |
8,155,573 |
1,564,883 |
19.2% |
802,266 |
9.8% |
603,733 |
7.4% |
123,581 |
1.5% |
21,118 |
0.3% |
|
0.0% |
7,055 |
0.1% |
639,776 |
7.8% |
2,204,659 |
27.0% |
|
1960 |
8,649,495 |
1,687,358 |
19.5% |
933,409 |
10.8% |
744,404 |
8.6% |
150,764 |
1.7% |
20,026 |
0.2% |
|
0.0% |
9,722 |
0.1% |
654,670 |
7.6% |
2,342,028 |
27.1% |
|
1961 |
9,246,925 |
2,192,207 |
23.7% |
1,054,730 |
11.4% |
908,802 |
9.8% |
184,820 |
2.0% |
22,277 |
0.2% |
|
0.0% |
13,224 |
0.1% |
695,297 |
7.5% |
2,887,504 |
31.2% |
|
1962 |
9,891,185 |
2,391,206 |
24.2% |
1,137,757 |
11.5% |
996,771 |
10.1% |
211,676 |
2.1% |
21,654 |
0.2% |
|
0.0% |
15,832 |
0.2% |
702,135 |
7.1% |
3,093,341 |
31.3% |
|
1963 |
10,750,081 |
2,781,737 |
25.9% |
1,336,105 |
12.4% |
1,130,987 |
10.5% |
260,488 |
2.4% |
23,250 |
0.2% |
|
0.0% |
21,552 |
0.2% |
680,234 |
6.3% |
3,461,971 |
32.2% |
|
1964 |
11,075,343 |
2,898,665 |
26.2% |
1,362,831 |
12.3% |
1,194,991 |
10.8% |
285,613 |
2.6% |
24,735 |
0.2% |
|
0.0% |
20,485 |
0.2% |
590,047 |
5.3% |
3,488,712 |
31.5% |
|
1965 |
11,611,197 |
3,067,613 |
26.4% |
1,426,822 |
12.3% |
1,251,373 |
10.8% |
328,028 |
2.8% |
25,233 |
0.2% |
|
0.0% |
26,716 |
0.2% |
591,445 |
5.1% |
3,659,058 |
31.5% |
|
1968 |
12,721,352 |
3,518,413 |
27.7% |
1,698,034 |
13.3% |
1,328,100 |
10.4% |
423,196 |
3.3% |
26,920 |
0.2% |
|
0.0% |
24,318 |
0.2% |
371,977 |
2.9% |
3,890,390 |
30.6% |
|
1970 |
13,301,883 |
3,514,053 |
26.4% |
1,810,775 |
13.6% |
1,230,686 |
9.3% |
410,535 |
3.1% |
27,321 |
0.2% |
|
0.0% |
20,162 |
0.2% |
265,293 |
2.0% |
3,779,346 |
28.4% |
|
1974 |
13,648,906 |
3,127,336 |
22.9% |
1,678,057 |
12.3% |
977,858 |
7.2% |
392,983 |
2.9% |
40,233 |
0.3% |
|
0.0% |
15,148 |
0.1% |
167,165 |
1.2% |
3,294,501 |
24.1% |
|
1976 |
13,952,058 |
3,023,498 |
21.7% |
1,717,023 |
12.3% |
888,351 |
6.4% |
352,690 |
2.5% |
45,587 |
0.3% |
|
0.0% |
11,252 |
0.1% |
150,470 |
1.1% |
3,173,968 |
22.7% |
|
1978 |
13,941,369 |
3,048,331 |
21.9% |
1,631,375 |
11.7% |
855,998 |
6.1% |
330,637 |
2.4% |
45,518 |
0.3% |
|
0.0% |
8,789 |
0.1% |
151,782 |
1.1% |
3,200,113 |
23.0% |
|
1982 |
12,879,254 |
2,740,198 |
21.3% |
1,562,789 |
12.1% |
857,984 |
6.7% |
266,901 |
2.1% |
44,114 |
0.3% |
|
0.0% |
5,702 |
0.0% |
169,580 |
1.3% |
2,909,778 |
22.6% |
|
1985 |
12,466,506 |
3,852,030 |
30.9% |
2,334,404 |
18.7% |
1,133,725 |
9.1% |
312,162 |
2.5% |
47,289 |
0.4% |
|
0.0% |
6,405 |
0.1% |
176,841 |
1.4% |
4,028,871 |
32.3% |
|
1990 |
11,099,648 |
4,093,002 |
36.9% |
2,611,367 |
23.5% |
1,089,355 |
9.8% |
295,398 |
2.7% |
40,402 |
0.4% |
24,123 |
0.2% |
16,491 |
0.1% |
163,923 |
1.5% |
4,256,925 |
38.4% |
|
1994 |
11,847,469 |
4,813,031 |
40.6% |
3,219,775 |
27.2% |
1,105,857 |
9.3% |
325,964 |
2.8% |
43,838 |
0.4% |
42,290 |
0.4% |
16,426 |
0.1% |
188,833 |
1.6% |
5,001,864 |
42.2% |
|
2000 |
13,457,780 |
5,720,661 |
42.5% |
4,057,608 |
30.2% |
1,075,421 |
8.0% |
283,301 |
2.1% |
64,098 |
0.5% |
50,884 |
0.4% |
10,612 |
0.1% |
177,477 |
1.3% |
5,898,138 |
43.8% |
Table 1
above from
“Foreign Language Enrollments in Public Secondary Schools” by Jaime B. Draper
and June H. Hicks published by The American Council on the Teaching of
Foreign Languages (ACTFL) in May 2002
Percentage
of total FL students 1900-2000 by language
 The vast majority of US
foreign language students are in First or Second Year courses. Less than half
of Second Year students continue on to Third Year classes and about one-third to
one-half of Third Year students continue on to Fourth Year classes (see chart
below). Fewer still continue on into Fifth Year or AP courses.
Foreign Language Enrollment Chart 1948-2000
(in thousands)- click to enlarge
Percentage Change in Foreign Language
Enrollment Chart 1976-1990 and 1990-2000- click to enlarge
CHART SOURCES: U.S. Department of Education,
National Center for Education Statistics, The NCES Common Core of Data (CCD),
1982 through 2000; and American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages,
Foreign Language Enrollments in U.S. Public High Schools, 1890-2000. (This table
was prepared April 2002.)
Foreign
Language Enrollments by Language and Level of Instruction (Fall 2000)
|
|
7 |
8 |
7 or 8 |
7-8 |
I |
II |
III |
IV |
V |
VI/AP |
Unkn |
9-12 |
7-12 |
% of FL |
|
French |
25,359 |
29,016 |
140,729 |
195,104 |
199,980 |
143,524 |
68,570 |
27,377 |
5,983 |
8,468 |
621,523 |
1,075,425 |
1,270,529 |
18.3% |
|
German |
7,410 |
13,657 |
28,627 |
49,694 |
61,113 |
44,014 |
22,836 |
10,448 |
1,693 |
2,237 |
140,960 |
283,301 |
332,995 |
4.8% |
|
Italian |
42 |
90 |
14,791 |
14,923 |
13,611 |
8,517 |
6,197 |
2,053 |
687 |
703 |
32,330 |
64,098 |
79,021 |
1.1% |
|
Japanese |
935 |
727 |
1,350 |
3,012 |
4,748 |
2,744 |
1,087 |
544 |
82 |
0 |
41,679 |
50,884 |
53,896 |
0.8% |
|
Latin |
1,436 |
2,033 |
8,596 |
12,065 |
43,463 |
25,395 |
9,732 |
3,099 |
695 |
1,479 |
93,584 |
177,447 |
189,512 |
2.7% |
|
Russian |
26 |
284 |
450 |
760 |
1,881 |
970 |
464 |
179 |
121 |
16 |
6,981 |
10,612 |
11,372 |
0.2% |
|
Spanish |
80,019 |
98,775 |
520,986 |
699,780 |
796,930 |
565,818 |
234,320 |
74,309 |
17,801 |
40,436 |
2,327,994 |
4,057,608 |
4,757,388 |
68.7% |
|
SNS |
3,209 |
2,946 |
7,206 |
10,152 |
7,610 |
5,247 |
2,421 |
2,054 |
985 |
71 |
109,163 |
127,551 |
137,703 |
2.0% |
|
Subtotal |
118,436 |
147,528 |
722,734 |
985,489 |
1,129,336 |
796,229 |
345,627 |
120,063 |
28,047 |
53,410 |
3,374,214 |
5,846,926 |
6,832,416 |
98.6% |
|
Afr Lgs |
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
33 |
33 |
33 |
0.0% |
|
ASL |
|
|
52 |
52 |
3,805 |
1,252 |
338 |
52 |
|
|
116 |
11,635 |
17,146 |
0.2% |
|
Arabic |
142 |
3 |
|
3 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
574 |
576 |
579 |
0.0% |
|
Czech |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
9 |
9 |
0.0% |
|
Chinese |
12 |
|
9 |
9 |
124 |
34 |
24 |
27 |
4 |
|
1,109 |
1,322 |
1,331 |
0.0% |
|
Cantonese |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
301 |
301 |
301 |
0.0% |
|
Greek |
|
|
5 |
5 |
94 |
58 |
3 |
|
|
|
675 |
830 |
835 |
0.0% |
|
Haitian |
|
|
|
0 |
62 |
53 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
118 |
118 |
0.0% |
|
Hebrew |
54 |
|
57 |
57 |
149 |
157 |
205 |
25 |
23 |
|
219 |
778 |
835 |
0.0% |
|
Korean |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
202 |
202 |
202 |
0.0% |
|
Nat Amer |
34 |
112 |
1,963 |
2,075 |
54 |
17 |
|
|
|
|
2,061 |
2,132 |
4,207 |
0.1% |
|
Polish |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
115 |
115 |
115 |
0.0% |
|
Portuguese |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
145 |
145 |
145 |
0.0% |
|
Vietnamese |
|
|
21 |
21 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
21 |
0.0% |
|
Other |
|
|
39,148 |
39,148 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
27,475 |
27,475 |
66,623 |
1.0% |
|
Subtotal |
242 |
181 |
41,189 |
41,370 |
4,290 |
1,571 |
573 |
168 |
27 |
0 |
44,553 |
51,182 |
92,552 |
1.3% |
|
TOTAL |
118,678 |
147,709 |
763,923 |
1,026,859 |
1,133,626 |
797,800 |
346,200 |
120,231 |
28,074 |
53,410 |
3,418,767 |
5,898,108 |
6,924,968 |
100.0% |
Table 7
above
from
“Foreign Language Enrollments in Public Secondary Schools” by Jaime B. Draper
and June H. Hicks published by The American Council on the Teaching of
Foreign Languages (ACTFL) in May 2002. SNS represents Spanish for
Native Speakers. Afr Lgs represents African Languages.
ASL represents American Sign Language.
Students Continuing on to Fourth Year
Classes by Language:
|
|
French |
German |
Latin |
Spanish |
All |
|
IV |
40% |
46% |
38% |
32% |
35% |
Below are the numbers of
grade 7-12 students taking the four most common foreign languages in the states
with the ten highest 7-12 enrollments. Spanish is first taken by 61% (PA) to
80% (TX) of FL students and 18% (FL) to 38% (NY) of all students. French is
second with 11% (TX) to 23% (OH) of FL students and 4.5% (FL) to 10.5% (NY) of
all students. German and Latin alternate between third and fourth depending on
the state.
2000 State Totals by Languages, Grades 7-12
Post-secondary Foreign Language Enrollments (Undergraduate
and Graduate)
|
Spanish |
French |
Latin |
German |
Others |
Total |
| 1998 |
477,086 |
169,257 |
25,305 |
77,375 |
187,284 |
936,307 |
|
51% |
18% |
3% |
8% |
20% |
|
| 1995 |
443,069 |
174,836 |
25,070 |
84,575 |
174,520 |
902,070 |
|
49% |
19% |
3% |
9% |
20% |
|
| 1990 |
400,121 |
228,106 |
27,269 |
114,266 |
185,958 |
955,720 |
|
42% |
24% |
3% |
12% |
17% |
|
from “Foreign Language Enrollments in United States Institutions
of Higher Education, Fall 1998,” by Richard Broad and Elizabeth B. Welles
(Modern Language Association (MLA), ADFL Bulletin, Vol. 31 No. 2, Winter 2000)
Trends in Foreign Language Enrollment
In “A National Survey of
K–12 Foreign Language Education” (The ERIC Review, Vol. 6 Issue 1, Fall 1998,
K-12 Foreign Language Education, pages 13-14) Lucinda Branaman, Nancy
Rhodes, and Jeanne Rennie highlighted the following results:
 |
Spanish instruction increased significantly—from being included in
68 percent of elementary school foreign language programs in 1987 to 79
percent in 1997 and from 86 percent of secondary school programs in 1987 to
93 percent in 1997. Spanish is currently the most commonly taught foreign
language in school. |
|
French was the second most commonly offered language at all school
levels, but the number of schools offering French decreased significantly at
the elementary level (from 41 percent in 1987 to 27 percent in 1997) and
slightly at the secondary level (from 66 percent to 64 percent). |
|
The percentage of secondary school foreign language programs
offering advanced placement classes increased significantly—from 12 percent
in 1987 to 16 percent in 1997. |
|
The primary goal of most elementary school foreign language programs
is to provide introductory exposure to the students. Only 21 percent of the
schools offer programs where language proficiency is a goal. |
Foreign Language Enrollment in Ohio
Draper and Hicks’ 2002 ACTFL report shows that Ohio's foreign language
enrollment mirrors the national enrollment trends (see tables below). These
data also confirm Branaman, Rhodes, and Rennie’s findings on elementary
programs. While 24% of Ohio Grade 7 and 8 FL students study French, this
represents only 4% of total students.
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