According to a 2019 industry report conducted by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), demand for multilingual employees in the U.S. is rapidly increasing, yet these skills are in short supply. SmartBrief interviewed the organization’s Executive Director, Howie Berman, to shed some light on the numbers and discuss the crucial role that language instruction will play in workforce development for the next generation. Citing the 2019 study, he says, “nine out of 10 US-based employers report a reliance on language skills other than English among their employee base. Nearly one-third report a high dependency. And while STEM subjects are still the most popular among US K-12 curricula, language should be recognized as interdependent and critical to producing a globally competent workforce.”
Berman acknowledges that while language learning has not been a priority in the US over the past several decades, particularly compared to Europe, where 91% of students learn English as a second language, there are a multitude of ways to address this issue: “We start by advocating for funding of early language programs through high school and beyond. We focus on equity, advocating for programs that bridge the language access gap and ensure ALL students can learn another language, not just the privileged. We invest in a pipeline of well-prepared, diverse educators so that our learners have access to high-quality teaching, focusing on college affordability, debt forgiveness and teacher preparation. And we make sure high-quality professional development is widely available to teachers, regardless of where or who they teach.”
Read the full interview here: https://www.smartbrief.com/original/2021/01/why-foreign-language-skills-matter-next-generation-workforce
Learn a language with CALA! Whether for career advancement, travel, or personal enrichment, sign up for one of our fully online courses this fall and join the global conversation from the comfort of your own home. Our offerings include:
ARABIC
Modern Standard Arabic for Professionals I (MIDE1-CE9009)
CHINESE (MANDARIN)
Mandarin for Professionals I (CHIN1-CE9074)
FRENCH
French I (FRCH1-CE9001)
French: Spoken Contemporary (FRCH1-CE9401)
Finessing Your French Grammar (FRCH1-CE9435)
Fine-Tune Your French Through Film (FRCH1-CE9078)
Inspired by Real Life: Reading and Writing Exofiction in French (FRCH1-CE9425)
MODERN GREEK
Modern Greek for Professionals I (GREK1-CE9004)
Modern Greek for Professionals III (GREK1-CE9003)
ITALIAN
Italian for Professionals I (ITAL1-CE9063)
JAPANESE
Japanese for Professionals I (JAPN1-CE9265)
NORWEGIAN
Norwegian I (SCAN1-CE9301)
Norwegian III (SCAN1-CE9303)
Norwegian: Language and Culture (SCAN1-CE9350)
PERSIAN (FARSI)
Persian (Farsi) I (MIDE1-CE9201)
Persian (Farsi) II (MIDE1-CE9202)
Persian (Farsi) VI (MIDE1-CE9206)
SPANISH
Spanish I (SPAN1-CE9001)
Introduction to Spanish Journalism (SPAN1-CE9098)
Spanish: Advanced Conversation and Composition (SPAN1-CE9055)
SWEDISH
Swedish I (SCAN1-CE9401)
Swedish III (SCAN1-CE9403)
Swedish: Language and Culture (SCAN1-CE9453)
Intermediate Swedish: Integrated Skills (SCAN1-CE9412)
Ever wondered what it’s like to learn a language through Zoom? Find out at our upcoming introductory Italian lesson on Wednesday, September 8th at 6:30pm EDT!
RSVP for free here: https://bit.ly/CALA-ITALIAN
