Arabic, Chinese, Russia, Hindi, Farsi Among Languages Targeted for Learning
FOR RELEASE: June 14, 2007 |
Contact: Jim Bradshaw or David Thomas (202) 401-1576 |
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today announced $8.7 million in grants to school districts in 20 states to help increase the number of Americans learning foreign languages critical to national security and commerce.
As part of President Bush's National Security Language Initiative, the grants are intended to address the shortage of critical foreign language speakers by supporting new and expanded programs in grades K-12.
"Too few speak languages like Arabic, Chinese and Farsi at a time when communication is vital to a peaceful world," said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. "We hope these funds will enable more students to become fluent in critical languages."
Less than one percent of American high school students study Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Japanese, Korean, Russian or Urdu, according to the State Department. Less than eight percent of U.S. undergraduates take foreign language courses, and fewer than two percent study abroad in any given year. Foreign language degrees account for only one percent of undergraduate degrees conferred in the United States.
The National Security Language Initiative aims to boost the number of Americans studying Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hindi, Farsi and others in programs from kindergarten through college. To do that, the initiative will help develop teachers in those languages and encourage students to study critical foreign languages.
Besides the Education Department, other federal agencies have roles in the initiative, including the State Department, Defense Department and Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
To help raise public awareness about the language shortage, Secretary Spellings has told audiences that, "This is not just an education issue; it's an economic issue, a civic issue, a social issue, a national security issue, and it's everybody's issue."
While only 44 percent of our American high school students are studying any foreign language, Spellings said learning a second or even a third foreign language is compulsory for students in the European Union, China, Thailand and other countries.
"Many begin learning before they're even 10 years old," she said. "And as fluent, accent-less adults, they will have a strong advantage over monolingual Americans in developing new relationships and businesses in countries other than their own."
For more information on the department's Foreign Language Assistance Program, see http://www.ed.gov/programs/flapsea/index.html. For details on the National Security Language Initiative, visit http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/competitiveness/nsli/index.html.
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116101101im_/http://www.ed.gov/images/ed_c_dline.gif)
Foreign Language Assistance Program
Office of English Language Acquisition
New Grants for FY 2007
AZ | | CAVE CREEK, Cave Creek Unified School District, $117,151. |
CA | | CERRITOS, ABC Unified School District, $299,786. |
CA | | CHULA VISTA, Chula Vista Ele. Sch. Dist.Salt Creek Ele. Sch., $149,487. |
CA | | CITY OF INDUSTRY, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, $272,241. |
CA | | DAVIS, Davis Joint Unified School District, $278,921. |
CA | | LOS ANGELES, Los Angeles Unified School District, $174,698. |
CA | | PALO ALTO, Palo Alto Unified School District, $201,418. |
CA | | POWAY, Poway Unified School District, $150,000. |
CA | | ROWLAND HEIGHTS, Rowland Unified School District, $134,500. |
CA | | SAN MARINO, San Marino Unified School District, $208,714. |
CA | | VENTURA, Ventura Unified School District, $181,858. |
CA | | VISTA, Eagles Peak Charter School, $40,920. |
CA | | WOODLAND, Woodland Joint Unified School District, $276,669. |
CT | | GLASTONBURY, Glastonbury Town School District, $156,910. |
CT | | HARTFORD, Hartford Public Schools, $200,000. |
DE | | LEWES, Cape Henlopen School District, $243,722. |
HI | | HONOLULU, Honolulu School District, $204,501. |
IN | | MUNICE, Indiana Academy for Science, $122,535. |
IA | | WELLMAN, Mid-Prairie Community Schools, $238,482. |
IA | | WEST DES MOINES, West Des Moines Community School District, $119,844. |
IA | | WEST DES MOINES, West Des Moines Community School District, $197,000. |
KS | | EMPORIA, Emporia Unified School District 243, $161,865. |
KS | | GALENA, Galena Unified School District 499, $171,684. |
MI | | DEARBORN, Dearborn Academy, $150,000. |
MI | | DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Star International Academy, $339,586. |
MI | | ROCKFORD, Rockford Public Schools, $100,658. |
MN | | FOREST LAKE, Lakes International Language Academy, $264,946. |
MN | | ST. PAUL, Twin Cities German Immersion School, $79,872. |
NC | | FAYETTEVILLE, Cumberland County Schools, $157,819. |
NC | | MONROE, Union County School District, $153,324. |
NC | | MORGANTOWN, Burke County Public Schools, $47,975. |
NC | | SANFORD, Provision State Charter Academy, $300,000. |
NJ | | EDISON, Edison Township Public Schools, $197,500. |
NJ | | MONTVALE, Pascack Valley Regional High School District, $64,500. |
NJ | | RED BANK, Red Bank Borough Public Schools, $80,100. |
NY | | ALBANY, City School District of Albany, $46,435. |
NY | | BRONX, John Philip Sousa Middle School 142, $110,163. |
NY | | MOUNT VERNON, Mount Vernon City School District, $236,911. |
NY | | NEW YORK, NYC Department of Education, Region 10, District 3, $149,856. |
NE | | OGALLALA, Educational Service Unit #16, $126,021. |
NE | | OMAHA, Douglas County Schools District No. 1, $178,797. |
OH | | CINCINNATI, Cincinnati Public Schools, $231,381. |
OH | | COLUMBUS, Horizon Educational Services of Columbus Inc., $63,950. |
OH | | LISBON, Columbiana County Educational Service Center, $156,380. |
OR | | EUGENE, Eugene School District 4J, $164,864. |
TN | | MEMPHIS, Memphis City Schools, $100,090. |
TX | | DALLAS, Dallas Independent School District, $256,014. |
TX | | EL PASO, Ysleta Independent School District, $299,995. |
TX | | HOUSTON, Houston Independent School District, $108,324. |
TX | | LEAGUE CITY, Clear Creek Independent School District, $141,640. |
UT | | OGDEN, Davinci Academy of Science and the Arts, $50,000. |
VA | | POQUOSON, Poquoson City Schools, $88,074. |
TOTAL $8.7 million
###
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090116101101im_/http://www.ed.gov/images/ed_c_dline.gif)
![]() |
Back to June 2007 |
![]() |
||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
![]() |