|
Mr. Turner, '81, NBCT
Why Study French?
French Awards
2005 National Language Exams
Homework
Grade Distributions 1997-2005
ACTFL Proficiency
Wireless Computer Cart
Classroom Video Project
FL Study in US High Schools
Languages in US
Francophone Slideshows
Photo Galleries
AP French Literature Links
AP Literature E-Text Project
2002 Fulbright Photo Galleries
1993 Fulbright Photo Gallery
Les Téléjournaux
Les Causeries
Débats Littéraires
French Links
Histoire de France (RealVideo)
Histoire de France
French III S1 Oral Finals
French III S2 Oral Finals
Spanish I S1 Oral Finals
Spanish I S2 Oral Finals
Spanish II S1 Oral Finals
Spanish II S2 Oral Finals
Spanish Links
1996-2005 Student Tech Surveys
Most Widely Spoken Languages
Languages of the World (Charts)
Arabic Numbers
Arabic Influences in Languages
National AP Language Scores
www.maturner.com
MAT Articles
MAT Photo Gallery
Saint Ignatius: Administration
Modern Languages Department
| |
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 |
| |
