Languages in the National Interest

The National Council for Languages and International Studies (NCLIS), composed of fifty-five associations representing over 200,000 language professionals, endorses the study of world languages in addition to English to assist in meeting national interests related to:

• Increased diversity in communities and schools nationwide;
• The need for an internationally competent workforce;
• New national and human security challenges, and
• The need to develop a well-educated, culturally literate, and globally responsible citizenry

Among groups from the government, academic and private sector, there is consensus for the creation of a systematic and systemic approach to language education in the United States. NCLIS endorses:

1. Language and culture instruction that begins in the early grades, continues with well articulated sequences of instruction throughout grades K-12 and two and four year colleges and universities, allows for multiple entry points, and encourages life long language learning.
2. A broad offering of languages that support global literacy and communication goals related to the learning of languages and their cultures that are important for future economic and security needs.
3. Adequate financial support for, and philosophical commitment to, language education in the federal budget and by state legislatures.
4. Recruitment of highly qualified teachers along with the promotion of teaching excellence through effective pre-service education, professional development, and opportunities for participation in exchange and study abroad programs.
5. Incorporation of standards-based assessments of language and culture into state and/or federal accountability systems.
6. Maintenance and continued development of heritage language proficiency to promote bi-literacy and cultural awareness to enhance opportunities for further achievement-both for cultivation of heritage resources to teach these languages and for cultural understanding within our communities.
7. Establishment of standards-driven, research-based policies for teaching language and culture.
8. Integration of other content areas into the teaching of language and culture at all instructional levels.
9. Improved access to currently available foreign language instructional materials, distance learning resources, and technologies to expand foreign language and cultural learning opportunities.
10. Support for advanced research and development in second language acquisition, foreign language pedagogy, heritage languages, assessment, and other areas critical to the advancement of language education.
11. Continued development of policy and legislation to address gaps in national language capacity by creating a variety of program models and financial incentives for learning, maintaining, and teaching languages other than English.
12. Establishment of a national coordinating entity to develop, organize and oversee the implementation of a national world language strategy that will provide US students with the kinds of instructional programs needed to acquire meaningful levels of language and cultural competence.

July 8, 2005