FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C, September 24th, 2024 – The Joint National Committee for Languages and the National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS) is pleased to announce the release of its new report, “Higher Education Survey Findings & Recommendations for Language Education”. In today’s rapidly changing educational landscape, language programs in higher education face mounting challenges that threaten their sustainability and effectiveness. To obtain a clearer picture of these challenges and what’s being done to address them, JNCL-NCLIS conducted a qualitative nationwide survey of language program representatives in collaboration with its organizational members. The report sheds light on the critical obstacles facing language departments across U.S. institutions and highlights innovative strategies being employed to adapt and thrive.
In November 2023, JNCL-NCLIS issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to advocating for language programs following the findings of the Modern Language Association’s (MLA) "Enrollments in Languages Other Than English in United States Institutions of Higher Education, Fall 2021". This new report builds on that effort, offering a critical tool for policymakers, educators, and advocates working to preserve and enhance language education in higher education in the face of declining enrollment and budgetary constraints.
“Language education is not only a core academic subject, it’s an economic and national security imperative,” said Amanda Seewald, Executive Director of JNCL-NCLIS. “This report provides an important snapshot of the state of language education in higher education today. While the challenges are significant, there are also innovative solutions being pursued. JNCL’s goal is for the report to provide a roadmap for federal and state legislators, as well as higher education institutions, to enhance support for language learning by building on and investing in the best practices identified in the survey.
JNCL will host a virtual town hall on October 17th, 2024 at 1PM ET to discuss the full findings of the survey and detailed recommendations for congressional staff and language education leaders. Click here to register: https://www.languagepolicy.org/events-1/town-hall-jncl-nclis-higher-education-language-programs-survey-findings-report
To download a copy of the report, please visit https://bit.ly/JNCLReportIHE.
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About JNCL-NCLIS: Established in 1972, the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL) and the National Council for Languages and International Studies (NCLIS) unites a national network of leading organizations and businesses comprised of over 300,000 language professionals to advocate for equitable language learning opportunities. Our mission is to ensure that Americans have the opportunity to learn English and at least one other language.
Contact: info@languagepolicy.org
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