Community language schools provide language and cultural education to young people. Forming a key education sector worldwide with an estimated two million enrolments, these community-run, out-of-hours schools nonetheless tend to be marginalised by 'mainstream' education and 'mainstream' educational research. There has been a dramatic increase in…

The objective of this paper is to trace the actual demand on enrolments over time, as much as the history of wavering public and academic sentiment towards teaching and speaking Spanish in this country during the last century. Secondarily, we examine the question of the value of mother tongue fluency or the acquisition, mastery and usage of the…

Reviews the present situation of foreign languages in the U.S. and discusses the prospects for their future. Sees reasons for believing that the near future may bring a resurgence of interest in at least some modern languages and advocates intimate knowledge of a foreign language and culture for its humanistic value. (MES)

Examines the status of foreign language teaching and internal and external factors that affect its status. Proposes solutions to problems in foreign language education, such as its isolation from other disciplines in the curriculum. Such solutions include communicating goals, developing cultural competence, and enhancing interdisciplinary…

An examination of Great Britain's declining language enrollment focuses on the disproportionate decline among boys taking languages. The literature and public policy decisions concerning equal educational opportunity for the sexes and students' curriculum choices are reviewed. The extent of the enrollment imbalance at the levels of secondary,…

Potential changes in education are examined against a background of pluralism in American educational history in comparison to the relative prestige of foreign language learning in the curriculum. Foreign languages suffer today from competition brought about by limited finances, early release programs, and many electives. (SW)

Discusses why there has been a decline in the political and educational pressure to learn languages other than English in Australia. Recent political, economic, and educational changes are outlined that encourage the study of European and Asian languages. (Author/CB)

Data from the fifteenth American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages survey on foreign language enrollment are presented in charts which indicate public high school enrollments (in Spanish, French, German, Russian, Italian, and Latin) from 1980-1985, foreign language enrollment by state, level of instruction, and enrollments in less…

An overview of the current status of Chinese language instruction in the United States focuses on trends in enrollment, interest in foreign language study, relevance of the less commonly taught languages, and instructional methods and materials. Solutions to long-standing problems in Chinese language study are included. (CB)