Vol. 4 Issue 1. – Article: 20 Embarrassing Facts About Foreign Language Learning In The U.S.

ELTWeekly Vol. 4 Issue#1 | January 2, 2012 | ISSN 0975-3036

What it is that makes Americans so resistant to learning foreign languages? Maybe it’s our history of isolationism, maybe it’s patriotism, maybe (probably) it’s laziness. If English was good enough for Jesus and Shakespeare, it’s good enough for us, we sometimes say. But a few moments of surfing the worldwide web is time enough to discover that many of us refuse even to learn our own language. Here are 20 cold, hard, embarrassing facts about foreign language learning in the U.S. of A.

1. In Europe, 44% of citizens speak multiple languages. In the U.S., only a paltry 9% can say the same.
2. It is estimated that more than half the world speaks at least two languages, compared to our rate of slightly less than 1 in 10.
3. Students in Finland dedicate about 16 hours each week to foreign languages, and still manage to come in second in reading, second in math, and first in science. American students’ ranks: 14th, 25th, and 17th out of 34.

Visit OnlineColleges.net to read the full article.