The U.S. Foreign Language Deficit

This volume explores why Americans are among the least likely in the world to speak another language and how this U.S. foreign language deficit negatively impacts national and economic security, business and career prospects. Stein-Smith exposes how individuals are disadvantaged through their inability to effectively navigate the global workplace and multicultural communities, how their career options are limited by the foreign language deficit, and even how their ability to enjoy travel abroad and cultural pursuits is diminished. Through exploring the impact of the U.S. foreign language deficit, the author speaks to the stakeholders and partners in the campaign for foreign languages, offering guidance on what can and should be done to address it. She examines the next steps needed to develop specific career pathways that will meet the current and future needs of government, business, and industry, and empower foreign language learners through curriculum and career preparation.

Offers a compelling analysis of the failure of United States policy makers, educators and American citizens to recognize the importance of learning foreign languages Issues a challenge for all Americans to become less tongue-tied but instead to embrace a foreign language and culture Outlines a focused set of steps which can be undertaken from the local level to the national level to remedy this deficit in foreign language fluency

Autorentext
Kathleen Stein-Smith is Associate University Librarian at Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus, USA, and Chair of AATF Commission on Advocacy and member of ATA Education & Pedagogy Committee. She has taught foreign languages at high school and college level, taught adult learners, delivered TEDx talk on the U.S. foreign language deficit, and is author of 2 books and several articles.

Inhalt
PART I: THE EXTENT AND IMPACT OF THE U.S. FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEFICIT.- Chapter 1: The Current Status of Languages in the United States.- Chapter 2: The Extent and Impact of the U.S. Foreign Language Deficit.- Chapter 3: The Career Connection -- Foreign Languages as a Career Asset: The Importance of Foreign Language Knowledge and Intercultural Competence.- PART II FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING -- THE BENEFITS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING.- Chapter 4: The Importance of Foreign Language Skills in International Education and Education for Global Citizenship.- Chapter 5: A Brief History of Foreign Language Learning in the United States.- Chapter 6: Developing Foreign Language Capacity in the U.S. -- Heritage Language and Immersion Programs.- PART III: THE CAMPAIGN FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGES -- THE STRATEGIC CAMPAIGN FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGES: CHANGE LEADERSHIP; INFLUENCE AND PERSUASION: AND A SOCIAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN.- Chapter 7: Addressing the U.S. Foreign Language Deficit -- The Campaign for Foreign Languages.- Chapter 8: Current Trends -- Multilingualism as a Global Trend.- Chapter 9: Challenges -- Getting Students Interested in Foreign Languages and Keeping Them Interested.- Chapter 10: Encouraging Signs -- -- Advocacy, Biliteracy, and Creativity.- Chapter 11: The Resurgence of Foreign Languages in the U.S..- Chapter 12: Conclusions and Future Directions -- From the Foreign Language Deficit to Foreign Languages 2.0.- Concluding Thought: Foreign Languages 2.0 -- Curriculum and Careers for a Changed World.