education for leadership.pdf

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The Importance of International Studies and Foreign LanguageEducation for U.S. Economic and National Security

Education For Global Leadership

A Statement by the Researchand Policy Committee

of the Committee for

Economic Development


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Education for Global Leadership: Te Importance of International Studies andForeign Language Education for U.S. Economic and National Security

Includes bibliographic references

ISBN: 0-87186-180-1

First printing in bound-book form: 2006

Printed in the United States of America

COMMIEE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMEN

2000 L Street, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, D.C., 20036

(202)-296-5860

www.ced.org


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PURPOSE OF HIS SAEMEN ................................................................................................................... viiI. INRODUCION AND SUMMARY ........................................................................................................1II. CHALLENGES .................................................................................................................................................. 5 he Challenge to Our Economy ............................................................................................................... 5 Knowledge of Foreign Languages and Cultures is an Economic Necessity ...............................6 U.S. Employees Lack Foreign Language Skills and International Knowledge ..........................6

he Challenge to Our National Security ................................................................................................. 8 he Challenge to Our Multicultural Society .........................................................................................10III. GLOBAL EDUCAION O MEE HE CHALLENGES ...............................................................13 Student Knowledge of International Studies and Foreign Languages ................................................14 School System Barriers to Foreign Language and International Education .......................................15 he Benefits of Foreign Language Study and Early Learning .............................................................16 Internationalizing College and University Campuses to Meet New Global Challenges ..................16 Foreign Language Enrollments and Requirements .....................................................................16 Study Abroad ..................................................................................................................................17 Internationalizing Campuses ......................................................................................................17 Foreign Students At U.S. Schools .................................................................................................18 he Demand for International Studies ........................................................................................18

he Supply of International Studies and Foreign Language eachers .....................................18 Higher Education and the Needs of Business .............................................................................19 he Medias Role in Educating Citizens on International Issues ........................................................19IV. MOVING GLOBAL EDUCAION FORWARD ...................................................................................21 Encouraging Programs and Developments ............................................................................................21 New Interest in the Study of Middle Eastern and Asian Languages ........................................21 U.S.-China E-Language Learning System ...................................................................................21 he e-Less Commonly aught Languages Initiative ..................................................................21 Centers for International Business Education and Research .....................................................22 State Leadership to Upgrade International Education ...............................................................22 New Models for Internationalizing Our Schools........................................................................23 Recent Foreign Language and International Studies Legislation ..............................................24 Visas for Foreign Students at American Colleges and Universities ..........................................24V. RECOMMENDAIONS AND CONCLUSION ...................................................................................25 CED Recommendations ..........................................................................................................................26 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................29APPENDIX I: A IMELINE OF IMPORAN DEVELOPMENS IN

INERNAIONAL SUDIES AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCAION .....31APPENDIX II: MAJOR FEDERAL LEGISLAION PERAINING O

INERNAIONAL SUDIES AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCAION .....37

Table of Contents


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Te Committee for Economic Development is anindependent research and policy organization of over200 business leaders and educators. CED is non-profit,non-partisan, and non-political. Its purpose is to pro-pose policies that bring about steady economic growth

at high employment and reasonably stable prices,increased productivity and living standards, greaterand more equal opportunity for every citizen, and animproved quality of life for all.

All CED policy recommendations must have the ap-proval of trustees on the Research and Policy Commit-tee. Tis committee is directed under the bylaws, whichemphasize that all research is to be thoroughly objec-tive in character, and the approach in each instance is tobe from the standpoint of the general welfare and not

from that of any special political or economic group.Te committee is aided by a Research Advisory Boardof leading social scientists and by a small permanentprofessional staff.

Te Research and Policy Committee does not attemptto pass judgment on any pending specific legislative

proposals; its purpose is to urge careful considerationof the objectives set forth in this statement and of thebest means of accomplishing those objectives.

Each statement is preceded by extensive discussions,

meetings, and exchange of memoranda. Te researchis undertaken by a subcommittee, assisted by advisorschosen for their competence in the field under study.

Te full Research and Policy Committee participates inthe drafting of recommendations. Likewise, the trust-ees on the drafting subcommittee vote to approve ordisapprove a policy statement, and they share withthe Research and Policy Committee the privilege ofsubmitting individual comments for publication.

Te recommendations presented herein are those of the

trustee members of the Research and Policy Committeeand the responsible subcommittee. Tey are not necessarilyendorsed by other trustees or by non-trustee subcommitteemembers, advisors, contributors, staff members, or othersassociated with CED.

Responsibility For CED Statements On National Policy


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Co-Chairmen

PARICK W. GROSSChairman, Te Lovell GroupFounder, AMS

WILLIAM W. LEWISDirector Emeritus, McKinsey

Global InstituteMcKinsey & Company, Inc.

Vice Chairman

IAN ARNOFChairmanArnof Family Foundation

REX D. ADAMSProfessor of Business AdministrationTe Fuqua School of BusinessDuke University

ALAN BELZERRetired President and

Chief Operating Offi cerAllied-Signal Inc.

LEE C. BOLLINGERPresidentColumbia University

ROY J. BOSOCK

ChairmanSealedge Investments

JOHN BRADEMASPresident EmeritusNew York University

DONALD R. CALDWELLChairman and Chief Executive Offi cerCross Atlantic Capital Partners

DAVID A. CAPUOPresidentPace University

MICHAEL CHESSERChairman, President and

Chief Executive Offi cerGreat Plains Energy Services

CAROLYN CHINChairman and Chief Executive Offi cerCebiz

RONALD R. DAVENPORChairman of the BoardSheridan Broadcasting Corporation

RICHARD H. DAVISPartnerDavis Manafort, Inc.

RICHARD J. DAVISSenior PartnerWeil, Gotschal & Manges LLP

FRANK P. DOYLERetired Executive Vice PresidentGeneral Electric

W. D. EBERLEChairmanManchester Associates, Ltd.

EDMUND B. FIZGERALDManaging Director

Woodmont Associates

HARRY L. FREEMANChairTe Mark wain Institute

CONO R. FUSCOManaging Partner-Strategic RelationshipsGrant Tornton

GERALD GREENWALDChairmanGreenbriar Equity Group

BARBARA B. GROGAN

PresidentWestern Industrial Contractors

RICHARD W. HANSELMANFormer ChairmanHealth Net Inc.

RODERICK M. HILLSChairmanHills & Stern, LLP

EDWARD A. KANGASChairman and Chief Executive Offi cer,

RetiredDeloitte ouche ohmatsu

CHARLES E.M. KOLBPresidentCommittee for Economic Development

BRUCE K. MACLAURYPresident EmeritusTe Brookings Institution

LENNY MENDONCAChairman, McKinsey Global InstituteMcKinsey & Company, Inc.

NICHOLAS G. MOOREDirectorBechtel Group, Inc.

DONNA MOREAPresidentCGI-AMS, Inc.

SEFFEN E. PALKORetired Vice Chairman and PresidentXO Energy Inc.

CAROL J. PARRYPresidentCorporate Social Responsibility

Associates

PEER G. PEERSON

Senior ChairmanTe Blackstone Group

HUGH B. PRICEFormer President and

Chief Executive Offi cerNational Urban League

NED REGANUniversity ProfessorTe City University of New York

JAMES Q. RIORDANChairmanQuentin Partners Co.

LANDON H. ROWLANDChairmanEverglades Financial

GEORGE RUPPPresidentInternational Rescue Committee

SARAH G. SMIHChief Accounting Offi cerGoldman Sachs Group Inc.

MAHEW J. SOVERChairman

LKM Ventures

JOSH S. WESONHonorary ChairmanAutomatic Data Processing, Inc.

Research and Policy Committee


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Subcommittee on International Education and Foreign Language Studies

Co-Chairmen

JOHN BRADEMASPresident EmeritusNew York University

CHARLES E.M. KOLBPresidentCommittee for Economic Development

ALFRED . MOCKEChairman and CEOCorinthian Capital LLC

rustees

BRUCE K. MACLAURYPresident EmeritusTe Brookings Institution

COLEE MAHONEYPresident EmeritaMarymount Manhattan College

SEFFEN E. PALKORetired Vice Chairman and PresidentXO Energy, Inc.

DONNA E. SHALALAPresidentUniversity of Miami

HAROLD M. WILLIAMS

President EmeritusTe J. Paul Getty rust

Guests

MICHELE ANCIAUX AOKIProject Director, State Innovations GrantWashington State Coalition for

International Education

BARBARA CHOWVice President, Education and

Childrens ProgramsNational Geographic Society

KAREN CLANCY

President, Board of EducationBelmont-Redwood Shores School District

BESY DEVLINFOLZProgram DirectorLongview Foundation

KAHLEEN DIEZChairpersonOffi ce of the New Jersey State Board

of Education

LINDA FREY

Senior Fellow, Global Affairs InitiativeTe William and Flora

Hewlett Foundation

JOHN GRANDINExecutive Director, International

Engineering ProgramUniversity of Rhode Island

ERESA KENNEDYDirector, International/U.S. Partnerships

and OutreachTe GLOBE Program

BARBARA KNAGGSProgram Managerexas Education Agency

GARY KNELLPresident and CEOSesame Workshop

MICHAEL LEMMONFormer Ambassador to ArmeniaFaculty AdvisorNational War College

MICHAEL LEVINE

Executive Director, EducationAsia Society

DAVID SKAGGSExecutive Director, Center for Democracy

& CitizenshipCouncil for Excellence in Government

VIVIEN SEWARVice President, EducationAsia Society

SHUHAN WANG

Education Associate, World Languages &International Education

Delaware Department of Education

JEYA WILSONDirectorUnited Nations Development Programme

Project Director

DAN SCHECERPresidentDan Schecter Associates

Project Associate

RACHEL DUNSMOORResearch AssociateCommittee for Economic Development


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Purpose of This Statement

Americas leadership and national security rest on ourcommitment to educate and prepare our youth for activeengagement in the international community. I call onschools, teachers, students, parents, and community leadersto promote understanding of our nations and cultures byencouraging our young people to participate in activities

that increase their knowledge of and appreciation for globalissues, languages, history, geography, literature, and thearts of other countries. President George W. Bush1

Te Committee for Economic Development (CED)has long been a business voice on education reform andglobalization. From preschool to higher education,recent CED reports such as Cracks in the EducationPipeline (2005), Preschool for All (2002), and MeasuringWhat Matters: Using Assessment and Accountabilityto Improve Student Learning (2001) have called for

reform of our school system to prepare todays childrento become tomorrows educated workforce. CEDsglobalization statements have focused on enhancing theeducation and training of the workforce to maintainU.S. economic competitiveness. Such reports includeMaking rade Work (2005), Promoting U.S. EconomicGrowth and Security through Expanding World rade:A Call for Bold American Leadership (2003),andAmerican Workers and Economic Change (1996).

In the policy community at large, the educationreform movement of the 1980s and 1990s urged a

greater focus on standards and accountability in ourschools, particularly in subjects such as reading, scienceand mathematics. At the same time, however, theglobalization of the worlds economies has created ahost of new and different demands on our workforce,our citizens, and our students. CED is concernedthat the recent trends in these two policy areas may bepulling us in opposite directions. Full participationin this new global economy will require not just

competency in reading, mathematics and science,but also proficiency in foreign languages and deeperknowledge of other countries and cultures. Our effortsin education reform must be harmonized with globalrealities if we are to confront successfully a multitude ofnew and growing challenges to Americas security and

prosperity.

We are now at a critical moment in our history. TeSeptember 11, 2001 terrorist attacks demonstratedto many Americans that movements from acrossthe globe impact our country in ways never beforeimagined. Despite Americas status as an economic,military and cultural superpower, we risk becomingnarrowly confined within our own borders, lackingthe understanding of the world around us that isessential to our continued leadership role in the

world community. Te day has long passed when acitizen could afford to be uninformed about the restof the world and Americas place in that world. CEDtherefore believes it is critical to ensure that all studentsbecome globally competent citizens who will lead ourcountry in the twenty-first century.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the dedicated group of CEDrustees, advisors, and guests who served on thesubcommittee that prepared this report (see page vi).We are grateful for the time, effort, and insight thateach contributed to this project.

Special thanks go to the subcommittee co-chairs, theHonorable John Brademas, President Emeritus ofNew York University, Charles E.M. Kolb, Presidentof the Committee for Economic Development, andAlfred . Mockett, Chairman and CEO of Corinthian


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Capital LLC, for their guidance and leadership. Weare also particularly grateful to project director DanSchecter, President, Dan Schecter Associates, as wellas Joseph J. Minarik, CEDs Senior Vice Presidentand Director of Research, and Donna M. Desrochers,Vice President and Director of Education Studies atCED, for their direction and advice. We also thank

Rachel E. Dunsmoor, CED Research Associate, for hersubstantial contributions to this report.

Many thanks go to Martha Abbott, Director ofEducation at the American Council on the eaching

of Foreign Languages, and her colleagues for providing

the multi-language translations on the cover.

Patrick W. Gross, Co-Chair

Research and Policy CommitteeChairman, the Lovell Group

Founder, AMS, Inc.

William W. Lewis, Co-ChairResearch and Policy Committee

Director Emeritus, McKinsey Global Institute

McKinsey and Company, Inc.


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As we begin the twenty-first century, technological,economic, political, and social forces have created anew era. echnological advancements and lower tradebarriers have paved the way for the globalization ofmarkets, bringing intense competition to the U.S.economy. Political systems and movements around the

world are having a profound impact on our nationalsecurity, as well as on our human security. Teincreasing diversity of our workplaces, schools, andcommunities is changing the face of our society. oconfront the twenty-first century challenges to oureconomy and national security, our education systemmust be strengthened to increase the foreign languageskills and cultural awareness of our students. Americascontinued global leadership will depend on ourstudents abilities to interact with the world communityboth inside and outside our borders.

While globalization is pushing us to expand ourstudents knowledge, the education reform movement,though laudable in its objectives, has led many schoolsto narrow their curricula. Reforms like those outlinedin the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB)hold states accountable for student achievement inreading, science, and mathematics, thereby encouragingschools to devote more time to these subjects. Whilestudents certainly need to master reading, science andmath, schools must move beyond these subjects if they

are to prepare students for our global society. Manyschools do not afford all children the opportunity tostudy foreign languages and learn about other countriesand cultures.

Approximately one-third of seventh to twelfth gradestudents study a foreign language and fewer than one-in-ten college students enroll in a foreign languageclass.2 Introductory language courses continue to

I. Introduction and Summary

dominate enrollments. Spanish, the most commonlystudied foreign language, accounts for nearly 70 percentof enrollments in secondary schools and just over50 percent of enrollments in institutions of highereducation.3 Few students study the less-commonlytaught critical languages that are crucial to national

security, such as Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese,Korean, Persian/Farsi, Russian, and urkish. WhileArabic is attracting an increasing number of students,it still accounts for just 0.8 percent of foreign-languageenrollments in American postsecondary institutions.4

State high school graduation requirements ofteninclude only minimal course work in internationalstudies, such as world history, geography, politicalscience, and area studies, and some states requirenone at all. As a result, many students only have

rudimentary knowledge of the geography and cultureof world regions. Approximately one percent ofundergraduates study abroad, and teacher educationrequires few courses on international topics.5 Wecannot afford to give our students a pass on developingthe understanding of other cultures and world regionsthat will be vital to Americas prosperity in the comingdecades.

Outside of school, the American public gets most ofits information on international trends and issues fromthe media. Te media can play an important role inincreasing Americans knowledge of foreign affairs bydevoting more time to coverage of world events in theirlocal broadcasts. Our continued ignorance jeopardizesboth American economic prosperity and nationalsecurity.

o compete successfully in the global marketplace,U.S.-based multinationals as well as small businessesmust market products to customers around the


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globe and work effectively with foreign employeesand business partners. Our firms increasingly needemployees with knowledge of foreign languages andcultures. For example, cultural competence and foreignlanguage skills can prove invaluable when working onglobal business teams or negotiating with overseasclients.

Te need for foreign language skills is even moreacute for our national security. Te FBI and otherfederal government agencies lack suffi cient linguists totranslate intelligence information in critical languagesin a timely manner. Furthermore, our diplomaticefforts often have been hampered by a lack of culturalawareness. President George W. Bush has encouragedAmericans to learn the languages and cultures ofthe Middle East, and in early 2006 introduced theNational Security Language Initiative to increasethe number of Americans with advanced proficiency

in critical languages.6 Tis new initiative proposesincreased funding for early language education inelementary schools, expanding the number of foreignlanguage teachers, and strengthening immersion andstudy abroad programs.

It is increasingly important that America be betterversed in the languages, cultures, and traditions ofother world regions, particularly the Middle East, sowe can build a more secure future for both our nationand the world. As citizens of the world, we must teach

our students the importance of working well with othercountries to advance our common goals of peace andprosperity.

In 1998, television interviewer Larry King askedformer President Gerald Fordthen 85 yearsoldwhat he worried about most for our country.President Ford replied: I worry about the possibilitywe might drift back into isolationism.7America mustbe engaged with the rest of the world: an isolated orinsulated America is an America in jeopardy. When

attacked by a terrorist movement from beyondour shores, as we were on September 11, 2001, wemust resist the impulse to circle the wagonsto cutourselves off from the rest of the world. In short, wemust re-define, as each generation has done, whatit means to be an educated American in a changingworld. Te educated American of the twenty-firstcentury will need to be conversant with at least one

language in addition to his or her native language, andknowledgeable about other countries, other cultures,and the international dimensions of issues critical tothe lives of all Americans.

CED recommendsthat international content betaught across the curriculum and at all levels oflearning, to expandAmerican students knowledge

of other countries and cultures. At the federal level,legislative incentives to design and create model schoolswith innovative approaches to teaching internationalcontent can help develop programs that can be replicatedin all schools, and thereby provide a new generationof students with global learning opportunities.Increased professional development funding will assistteachers in incorporating international perspectives intheir classes, so that international knowledge can beintegrated into each states K-12 curriculum standardsand assessments. Efforts now underway in highschool reform should require high school graduatesto demonstrate proficiency in at least one language inaddition to English, and include in-depth knowledgeof at least one global issue or the history, culture, andgeography of at least one world region. Colleges anduniversities should internationalize their campuses, by,among other things, devoting more resources to expandstudy-abroad opportunities. Te business communityitself can play an important role in internationalizingAmerican education by supporting programs that

promote increased international knowledge throughoutthe education pipeline.

o improve our national security, CED recommendsexpanding the training pipeline at every level ofeducation to address the paucity of Americansfluent in foreign languages, especially critical, less-commonly taught languages such as Arabic, Chinese,Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian/Farsi, Russian,and urkish. Te federal government should expandits support for loan forgiveness and fellowships for

students who pursue careers as language professionalsin critical languages. Additionally, funding should beincreased for federal programs supporting increasedforeign language education in the elementary grades,as well as developing a pipeline for critical languagelearning. Business schools, in particular, shouldinstitute foreign-language requirements and includecourses on world regions that are growing in economic


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and business importance. Governors should provideincentives for alternative teacher certification routesto encourage native speakers of critical languages tobecome foreign language teachers.

Finally, CED recommends thatnational leaderspolitical leaders, as well as the business andphilanthropic communities, and the mediainform

the public about the importance of improvingeducation in foreign languages and internationalstudies. Both national and state leaders shoulddiscuss ways to strengthen the international andlanguage education of American students. Businessleaders must champion the issues of internationalstudies and foreign language education by articulatingwhy globally literate employees are essential to theirsuccess in a global economy. Trough partnershipswith local schools and universities, business can

support international education efforts, and evenprovide more international internships for Americanstudents. Private philanthropic foundations should

support projects to increase international content inthe curriculum, as well as innovative approaches toteaching and learning about other world regions. Temedia should increase their coverage of the importantinternational trends and issues that affect Americanseconomic and national security.

Te time to act is now. Keeping Americas economycompetitive requires that we maintain our position asa leader in the global marketplace, obtain a foothold inimportant emerging markets, and compete successfullywith countries that boast multilingual, multicultural,and highly skilled workforces. Keeping America saferequires that we strengthen our intelligence gatheringand analysis, conduct international diplomacy andexplain Americas identity and values more effectively,increase our militarys capabilities, and protectAmerican soil from global threats. Keeping Americas

education system strong requires that we provide ourstudents with the tools they need to communicate andwork with their peers overseas and at home.8


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The Challenge to Our Economy

All business is global, yet all markets are local. Tisglobalized multicultural world needs leaders with a keenunderstanding of national cultures. By learning from othercountries, these leaders develop the best thinking and best

practices from around the world enabling them to leverageculture as a tool for competitive advantage. RobertRosen, author, Global Literacies9

Globalization is driving the demand for a U.S.workforce that possesses knowledge of other countriesand cultures and is competent in languages otherthan English. Most of the growth potential for U.S.businesses lies in overseas markets. Already, one in fiveU.S. manufacturing jobs is tied to exports.10 In 2004,58 percent of growth in the earnings of U.S. businesses

came from overseas.11

Foreign consumers, the majorityof whom primarily speak languages other thanEnglish, represent significant business opportunitiesfor American producers, as the United States is hometo less than five percent of the worlds population.12And trade is shifting to different parts of the world;our annual trade with Asia is now approaching $800billionout-pacing our trade with Europe.13

Our own markets are facing greater competition fromforeign-owned firms, many of which manufacture

products on U.S. soil. United States affi liates offoreign companies directly employed more than 5.4million workers in the United States in 2002.14 Globalmergers and acquisitions have resulted in more U.S.companies being owned by foreign parent companies,such as DaimlerChrysler AG, Bertelsmann, and BPAmoco.15 Future careers in business, government,health care, and law enforcement will require globalknowledge and skills.

As one of the worlds most open economies, the UnitedStates already faces intense global competition, andnew competitors are emerging. Several seeminglyunrelated developments over the last several decadeshave contributed to increased globalizationtheend of the Cold War, the dot-com bubble and the

overinvestment in fiber-optic telecommunicationscable, and the advent of new Internet and softwaretechnologiesenabling companies in less-developedcountries, which previously lacked the necessaryeconomic and technological infrastructures, to competedirectly and on a more level playing field with Westerncompanies. With the aid of inexpensive computersand Internet access, consumers and producers havealmost unlimited data and markets at their fingertips.Tis shift in the global marketplace has meant thatprofessionals from countries such as China and

India are more likely to stay in their home countries,rather than come to the United States for betteropportunities.16

As former North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt,Jr. stated, Countries such as China and India areno longer low-wage, low-tech. Now, many of thesecountries have become low-wage, high-tech.17 Indianand Chinese companies selling unfinished textiles,finished computer chips, or even computer services arepenetrating the American market. In 1994, machinery,

electronics, and transport equipment constituted 18.1percent of Chinese exports. By 2003, the percentagehad more than doubled to 42.9 percent of exports,and, as one might expect, total exports from Chinahave experienced similar dramatic increases. It is nocoincidence that as the Chinese exported an increasingquantity of these types of goods, the U.S. global tradebalance in advanced technology products decreased andultimately became negative.18

II. Challenges


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Knowledge of Foreign Languages andCultures is an Economic NecessityIt is becoming increasingly important for U.S.companies of all sizes to succeed in overseas markets.Many small- and medium-sized businesses from NewEngland to the Pacific Northwest are now finding itnecessary to do business in the languages and cultural

environments of the worlds emerging markets.Some small businesses especially need employeeswith foreign-language skills, as managers must oftencommunicate directly with foreign customers.19However, small companies are not able to acquireemployees with foreign-language expertise as easilyas multinationals.* Without foreign-language skillsand cultural knowledge, small businesses face greaterdiffi culties exporting to overseas markets.20

For U.S. multinationals, conducting internationalbusiness effectively is a necessity, as their productionoperations are located around the globe, and sales fromtheir foreign subsidiaries comprise a greater share oftheir profits. Over 70 percent of Coca-Colas profits,for example, come from outside the United States.21Tus, American multinationals success in expandingtheir operations and increasing their sales in overseasmarkets depends on their understanding of the culture,language, and customs of local markets.

U.S.-based multinational corporations employed21.8 million workers in the United States in 2003,

accounting for one-fifth of total U.S. non-governmentemployment.22 American workers in multinationalcorporations deal with the changing nature of workin the global economy through their involvement inmulticultural teams. Many of todays global businesschallenges are too complex, occur too quickly, andinvolve too many resources for localteams or leadersto handle on their own.23 Instead,globalteams includeindividuals of different nationalities who work togetheracross cultural barriers and time zones for extendedperiods of time. Tese teams work on projects servinga wide set of customers, solve problems across borders,and significantly improve an organizations profitabilityand services. Te success of multicultural teams isbecoming critical to success in the global marketplace.

American companies lose an estimated $2 billion ayear due to inadequate cross-cultural guidance for theiremployees in multicultural situations.24 Companiescould be spared these financial losses if employeespossessed the necessary cross-cultural skills to interactsuccessfully with their foreign counterparts.

U.S. Employees Lack Foreign Language Skills

and International KnowledgeU.S. students often lack the cross-cultural skills of theirforeign peers. When the RAND Corporation surveyedrespondents from 16 global corporations, many werehighly critical of U.S. universities ability to producegraduates with international skills. One marketingmanager said that, compared to their counterpartsfrom universities in other parts of the world, U.S.students are strong technically but shortchanged incross-cultural experience and linguistically deprived.Another corporate human resource manager explained:Universities dont think globallyits not ingrained intheir philosophy and curriculum to create the globalworker. One corporate respondent went even further:If I wanted to recruit people who are both technicallyskilled and culturally aware, I wouldnt even waste timelooking for them on U.S. college campuses.25

It may come as no surprise then, that a 2002 survey oflarge U.S. corporations found that nearly 30 percentof the companies believed they had failed to exploitfully their international business opportunities due to

insuffi cient personnel with international skills. Teconsequences of insuffi cient culturally competentworkers, as identified by the firms, included: missedmarketing or business opportunities; failure torecognize important shifts in host country policiestoward foreign-owned corporations; failure toanticipate the needs of international customers; andfailure to take full advantage of expertise available ortechnological advances occurring abroad. Almost 80percent of the business leaders surveyed expected theiroverall business to increase notably if they had more

internationally competent employees on staff.26

Employees lack of foreign language skills andinternational knowledge can result in embarrassingand costly cultural blunders for individual companies.For example, when Microsoft Corporation developeda time zone map for its Windows 95 operating system,it inadvertently showed the region of Kashmir lyingoutside the boundaries of India. India banned the

*Several large companies, including Procter & Gamble, IBM,and Intel, compensate employees who learn a foreign language forbusiness purposes (Gretchen Weber, English Rules, WorkforceManagement, May 2004, pp. 47-50).


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software, and Microsoft was forced to recall 200,000copies of the offending product. Other examples ofsuch avoidable mistakes include software distributedin urkey that contained a map that explicitly labeledKurdistan, a crime in urkey, or the video game thatoffended Arab countries by including Arabic chanting

of the Koran to accompany violent scenes in the game.28In addition to the adverse economic consequences ofsuch mistakes to individual companies, they fosternegative attitudes toward America, as the mistakes arerarely viewed as accidents by the offended countries,but instead are considered negligent indifference orintentional slights attributed to all U.S. companies.

Te need for language expertise and culturalcompetence is only expected to grow. About 40 percentof the companies in a 2002 survey reported that their

international sales are growing more rapidly thandomestic sales, and more than 60 percent said that overthe next decade they expected the proportion of theirsales revenue from other countries to increase.29

America may be the worlds only military superpower,but U.S. businesses cannot always insist on their wayof doing things if they want to do business with therest of the world.30o be successful abroad, Americanbusiness leaders have to understand the minds andpreferences of people and cultures very different from

their own. However, American business executives lagbehind their European peers when it comes to languageskills. Te average number of languages spokenby American business executives is 1.5, comparedwith an average of 3.9 languages spoken by businessexecutives in the Netherlands.31In internationalbusiness negotiations, managers are at a disadvantageif they must rely on a translator to communicate theirmessage. Speaking the language of their counterparts

allows executives to build relationships and earnrespect more easily.32

For Richard Wagoner, the President and CEOof General Motors, learning Portuguese while onassignment in Brazil increased his effectiveness in

working with the Brazilian business community.Douglas Daft, the former chairman and CEO of theCoca-Cola Company, spent nearly three decades livingin Asia while working for Coca-Cola. He believesthat the cultural knowledge he gained from his time inthe region shaped his ability to lead the company, andconsiders understanding and valuing other cultures tobe an essential skill for anyone working at Coca-Cola.33

A 2004 survey of graduates of one of Americas leadinginternational business schools, Tunderbird Te

Garvin School of International Management, furtherdemonstrates how important international knowledgeand skills are in todays business environment. Forover 50 years, the Garvin School has required studentsto complete four semesters of a foreign language forgraduation. Over 80 percent of the 2,500 graduatesfrom 1970 to 2002 reported that foreign language skillsgave them a competitive advantage in the workplace.Even more important than language skills, however,was their understanding of other cultures. Nearly ninein 10 of the graduates said their knowledge of other

cultures gave them some or a significant competitiveedge. Tey said that this knowledge helped themunderstand the business environment in othercountries, earned them respect and credibility withforeign business people, and enhanced their negotiationsuccess.34

Many corporations, especially multinationals, tendto emphasize cultural competence more than foreign

Te Boeing ExampleTe recent experience of the Boeing Aircraft Corporation reveals how the need to compete in a global marketplaceis prompting some American companies to develop a more internationally literate work force. At Boeing, thetransformation from a company designed to build aircraft primarily for the U.S. market into a multi-nationalcorporation marketing its products throughout the world fueled the need for international education within thecompany. In response, Boeing established a range of international training options for its employees and executives.Tese programs included: a Global Leadership Program, in which executives spend a month abroad improving theirbusiness problem-solving skills while immersed in the culture, business, and politics of another country; and a courseon globalization for employees interested in advancing their professional development and international skills. Boeingvalues international knowledge so highly that it has become linked to future promotion.27


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language skills,* but many still rate language skills asimportant.35 In fact, in one survey of human resourcemanagers, participants reported that proficiency in aforeign language was a consideration in hiring decisionsat 42 percent of firms, and 66 percent considered itin making retention decisions.36 For businesses of allsizes, having an appreciation for cultural differences

and a global business perspective are very important forall employees and managers, even for those in domesticpositions.37 Looking across all sectors (public, for-profit, non-profit), cross-cultural competencewasrated as the fifth most important attribute (of nineteen)of a successful professional in an organization with aglobal mission.38 Employees who demonstrate culturalcompetence are more likely to be selected for andperform well on global teams, which can lead to greatersuccess and advancement within the organization.

Te cross-cultural competence that is neededto succeed in the business world may require acombination of foreign language skills, internationalknowledge, and international experience. Employersvalue meaningful international experience such as studyabroad, as well as the application and developmentof the international skills learned in the classroom.Education abroad must be well designed to be trulyeffective; the ability to work with people of othercultures and function effectively in a foreign countryis not as easily attained if students take courses from

U.S. professors and socialize with other Americanswhile abroad.39

U.S. businesses are concerned with developing theworkforce that they need for the United Stateseconomy to retain its position as the global leader.Foreign language skills, knowledge of other worldregions and cultures, and overseas experience all

contribute to creating the employee who has the cross-cultural competence needed by American businesses inthe twenty-first century.

The Challenge to Our National Security

Immediately after September 11, 2001, Americansfound themselves again facing a Sputnik moment. Teyrealized that they were caught flat-footed, unpreparedto confront Al Qaeda terrorists. We need a nationalcommitment to languages on a scale of the NationalDefense Education Act commitment to science, includingimproved curriculum, teaching technology and methods,teacher development, and a systemic cultural commitment.Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ)40

In the post-Cold War era, new national securitychallenges, such as the international war on terrorism,

are coming from non-state actors, and human-securitychallenges, such as the AIDS pandemic, environmentaldegradation, and Tird World poverty, have becomeglobal problems. echnological advancements haveled to an explosion in new media markets and outlets,which, in turn, has expanded access to informationand knowledge to a greater segment of the worldspopulation. One result has been an increase inthe audience for Americas public diplomacy.41Tese trends underscore the need for citizens withenhanced global knowledge and skills. Over time, our

effectiveness in communicating Americas message tothe world could be decisive in encouraging countriesthroughout the Middle East and South Asia toembrace democratic pluralism and reject violentextremism. o make our case persuasively, we will needcredible, articulate representatives who have attaineda high degree of proficiency in a host of strategiclanguages and dialects as well as an understanding ofthe cultures and geographic contexts of these regions.

Michael Lemmon, former Ambassador to Armenia

and former Dean of the School of Language Studiesat the State Departments Foreign Service Institute,commented on how language shortcomings areaffecting the war on terrorism: Part of the reasonfor our diffi culty is that we simply dont have enoughcompetent speakers of Arabic with credible policycontext and an ability to connect with the intendedaudience so they will at least listen to what we aretrying to say and give us a hearing.42

* One explanation for why foreign language skills are not as highlyrated is that employers see foreign language education as moreliterary (e.g., reading and writing) than applied (e.g., speaking

skills for social and business interaction) (ora K. Bikson, GregoryF. reverton, Joy Moini, and Gustav Lindstrom, New Challenges

for International Leadership: Lessons from Organizations with GlobalMissions(Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2003), p. 25, able 4.5).

Cross-cultural competence is defined as the ability to work wellin other countries and with people of different cultures (ora K.Bikson, Gregory F. reverton, Joy Moini, and Gustav Lindstrom,New Challenges for International Leadership: Lessons fromOrganizations with Global Missions(Santa Monica, CA: RAND,2003), p. 25, able 4.5).


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Americas national-security institutionsthe military,the Foreign Service, and the intelligence agencieslacksuffi cient personnel with international knowledge andforeign language skills. Te language needs are mostacute in such critical, less-commonly taught languagesas Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian/Farsi, Russian and urkish. According to the Chief

ranslator of the National Institutes of Health, morethan 80 federal agencies, from the State Department tothe Patent and rademark Offi ce, employ individualswith proficiency in more than 100 foreign languages.43Our international knowledge needs are just as severein critical but poorly understood world regions such asthe Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa, Central Asia,South and Southeast Asia, and China.

Te September 11thintelligence failures provideconsiderable evidence of our shortage of expertise inArabic and Asian languages and cultures. Te Army,for example, had authorization for 329 translatorand interpreter positions for its five critical languages(Arabic, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Persian/Farsi,and Russian) in fiscal year 2001, but was able to fillonly 183 of them, a shortfall of 44 percent.44Prior toSeptember 11th, our intelligence community was at30 percent readiness in languages critical to nationalsecurity.45

In the CIAs Clandestine Service, the end of the ColdWar did not bring about changes in hiring practices.

New recruits were hired with skills similar to those ofcurrent offi cers and were not equipped to seek or useassets inside the terrorist network.46CIA recruitsrequire five to seven years of training, language studyand experience to become fully equipped. Te FBIscounter-terrorism efforts have also been hampered bya lack of trained linguists, translators, and area experts.Te 9/11 Commission found that, Te FBI did notdedicate suffi cient resources to the surveillance andtranslation needs of counter-terrorism agents. It lackedsuffi cient translators proficient in Arabic and other

key languages, resulting in a significant backlog ofun-translated intercepts.47

Although the number of linguists being hired bygovernment agencies is on the rise, the backlog ofmaterial waiting to be translated continues to grow. Forexample, four years after September 11th, thousandsof hours of audiotapes remain un-translated or un-reviewed, and the amount has more than doubled from

April 2004 to March 2005.48 In fact, since September11th, some 20 percent of audio recordings in criticallanguages have yet to be translated.49 Moreover,bureaucratic processes have worsened the backlogsthe average time to hire a linguist has grown from13 to 14 months, while the FBI has failed to meet itshiring targets in more than half of 52 languages.50 Tis

backlog has weakened the FBIs ability to locate andmonitor terrorists and other violent criminals.51

After September 11th, the Departments of State andDefense expanded training in certain critical languagesto help meet short-term needs. Nevertheless, thefederal government spent 25 percent less (adjusted forinflation) on preparing citizens for advanced foreignlanguage proficiency in 2003 than in 1967.52 Tatfigure even includes an additional 20 percent increasein appropriations for Arabic and Middle Easternstudies after the terrorist attacks of September 11,2001. From 1967 to 2003, the number of fellowshipsin all advanced foreign language and area studiesdeclined by 30 percent.53 In our Foreign Service, theUnited States had only eight Arabic speakers at thehighest levels of proficiency in August 2004 and 27Arabic speakers at the second-highest level.54 Evenmore troublesome is that 60 percent of our speakers ofArabic and other critical languages are eligible to retirewithin five years.55

In January 2005, the Department of Defense issued

its Defense Language ransformation Roadmap, acandid appraisal of our defense establishments abilityto meet the need for language skills and internationalknowledge in confronting current and future nationalsecurity challenges. Te report acknowledges that,Language skill and regional expertise have not beenregarded as war-fighting skills, and are not suffi cientlyincorporated into operational or contingency planning.Language skill and regional expertise are not valued asDefense core competencies yet they are as importantas critical weapon systems.56 Te report calls for

significantly improving the Departments capabilitiesin regional area expertise and in critical languages,recognizing that national security challenges in theMiddle East, Asia, and elsewhere will likely continue.

Already, a shortage of translators is impeding ourefforts in Iraq. Gaining the trust and support of theIraqi public is essential to a successful rebuilding effort.ranslators play an integral role in winning public


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support and conquering the insurgency. Major GeneralDavid Petreus, former Commander of the 101stAirborne Division in Iraq, commented on how a lack oflinguistic and cultural understanding of Iraq hamperedmilitary efforts: We had terrific situational awareness;what we lacked was cultural awareness.57 One U.S.military unit had 70 translators, mostly from the local

population, but is now down to only four.

58

Otherunits lack interpreters entirely. An American soldierdoing translation work reported that during pre-deployment training, the Army did not offer him oranyone else Arabic classes.59 Te problem is pervasivethroughout the military, from engineers to the infantry.Te United States needs to develop more home-growntranslators to develop what President George W. Bushtermed a language-proficient military.60

In an effort to bridge the language gap in Iraq, thePentagon equipped thousands of American soldiers

with a hand-held translation device. Called thePhraselator,the device allows soldiers to deliverhundreds of useful phrases, prerecorded in Arabic,to the Iraqis they encounter.61 It can enunciate suchphrases as: Not a step farther, Put your hands on thewall, and Everyone stop talking. Unfortunately, thePhraselatoris still just a one-way translation device. Ittranslates perfectly well from English into Arabic (orany of the 59 other programmed languages), but it isjust as incapable of understanding the responsemuchless its cultural contextas the soldier who wields it.

In order to address Americas language needs, over300 leaders from federal, state, and local governmentagencies, academic institutions, business and industry,and foreign language groups convened for the first timeat the National Language Conference in June 2004.*One of the suggested actions from the conferencewas to develop critical language skills by utilizingour heritage language communities, and increasingdomestic capabilities by building a new critical-language pipeline from kindergarten through grade 16.

Business leaders are concerned about the nationssecurity, not just as American citizens, but also asbusiness people who see a lack of security as threatening

our domestic and international markets, as well as theiremployees and property. o protect our economic andnational security, our education system should trainstudents in critical languages, and ensure that ourintelligence agencies are prepared to meet the increasedthreats we face in this post-September 11thworld.

The Challenge to OurMulticultural Society

odays America is, and will continue to be,characterized by ethnic and linguistic diversity. Citizensexperience this diversity every day in our shoppingmalls, our schools, and in our workplaces. Accordingto the 2003 Census, Hispanics now comprise 13.7percent of the U.S. population, up from 10.3 percent adecade ago.62 Asians share of the population rose from

3.6 percent to 4.1 percent over the same period. TeHispanic population is projected to increase by almost200 percent by 2050, to nearly a quarter of the total.63Te Asian population is also projected to increase byover 200 percent. Currently, racial and ethnic minoritygroups, when taken together, account for over half thepopulation in California, Hawaii, New Mexico, andexas, and approximately 40 percent of the populationin Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, and NewYork. Te nation will soon follow in the footsteps of

these states, with the Census Bureau predicting thatby 2050, non-Hispanic whites will constitute onlyone-half of the U.S. population.

Growing diversity in the economy and population isalso evident in other states, such as West Virginia andNorth Carolina. In 2001, West Virginia conducted$2.2 billion in foreign trade with such countries asBrazil, China, Italy, and Japan. Seventy-five differentinternational companies have invested in WestVirginia, creating 30,000 jobs.64 Between 1990 and

2000, North Carolinas Latino population boasted thehighest percentage growth of any state in the nation.In excess of 1,100 international firms currently haveoperations in North Carolina, and 6 percent of allprivate sector jobs in the state are the result of foreigndirect investment.65 Moreover, during the 2003-2004school year, almost 71,000 North Carolina elementaryand secondary students were classified as Englishlanguage learners (ELL).66

* Te conference was sponsored by the Offi ce of the Secretary ofDefense, along with the Center for Advanced Study of Language,the Department of State, the Department of Education, and theintelligence community. See www.nlconference.org for moreinformation.


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Perhaps the best place to see the future demographicsof America is in our classrooms. In many urban andsuburban school systemsand not just in the majorcities, but in many smaller cities and rural areas aswellstudent bodies are ethnically, linguistically,and nationally diverse in ways that would have beeninconceivable a generation ago. For example, the

schools of Arlington County, Virginia, a suburb ofWashington, D.C., teach students who speak over 70different languages.67 In Portland, Maine, with a publicschool population of fewer than 8,000 students, 36languages in addition to English are spoken.68A recentRoper poll found that nearly half48 percentofAmericans have at least weekly dealings with someonewhose first language is not English.69 English is, andfor the foreseeable future will continue to be, theprimary language of the United States. But one surveyfound that, although 75 percent of Americans think

that English should be our offi cial language, the samepercentage thought that all students should know asecond language.70

Non-native English speakers account for an ever-growing percentage of students in the classrooms ofthis country. During the 2003-2004 school year, therewere over 4 million ELL students in elementary andsecondary schools, an increase of 51.6 percent overthe last decade. ELL students accounted for 9 percentof all students enrolled in American elementary and

secondary institutions in 2003-2004.71

Both white- and blue-collar workers are experiencinga more culturally diverse workplace. In 2004, foreign-born workers comprised 14.5 percent of the U.S.labor force. Of the 21.4 million foreign-born workersin American workplaces, the largest percentage, 26.5percent, were employed in various management andprofessional occupations, while 22.8 percent were

employed in service occupations.72Te impending

retirement of the baby boom generation will open thedoor for a more culturally and linguistically diverse

workplace in the coming decades.

As a result of Americas diversity, there are tremendouscultural resources that can be harnessed to educate

our students. Tis diversity is strengthened through

exchanges of exhibits, artists, and scholars. TeFulbright Program brings over 2,000 foreign students

to study at U.S. universities and nearly 700 scholarsto the United States to lecture or conduct research.73

American students and scholars enjoy similar Fulbrightexchanges abroad, sharing new cultural experiences

upon their return. International art exhibitions hostedby American museums also provide opportunities

for cultural exploration. Since 1975, the Arts andArtifacts Indemnity Act has encouraged international

art exchanges by insuring against potential losses, atalmost no cost to the taxpayer, when artwork is on loan

from other countries. In turn, lending American art to

museums abroad enhances the cultural tourism of theUnited States and exposes people all around the world

to American culture without leaving home.

As our communities and workplaces become morediverse, foreign language proficiency and cultural

knowledge will become critical in conducting businessin the United States. Companies will require such

skills to serve culturally diverse domestic customers.o meet the challenges ahead, it will be necessary to domore than educate our diverse immigrant population.

We must prepare allstudents to deal competently withthe world both inside and outside our shores. Failure

to do so will result in a diminished ability to foster thecommunication among our citizens that is essential to

maintaining our civic culture.


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o solve most of the major problems facing our countrytoday from wiping out terrorism to minimizing globalenvironmental problems to eliminating the scourge ofAIDSwill require every young person to learn moreabout other regions, cultures, and languages. FormerSecretary of State Colin Powell74

odays students will soon be finding their place ina world that is interconnected as never before. Techanging role of our nation in the internationalcommunity, the changing face of Americanneighborhoods, the changing sources of everydayconsumer products, the changing challengesconfronting science, health, environmental and lawenforcement expertsall must be understood andmanaged by a new generation of citizens, workers, andleaders. Dealing with these and future challenges will

require an education system that, from kindergartenthrough postsecondary education, prepares futurecitizens and employees to act and lead in a globalcontext. American educational institutions, fromelementary schools to professional schools, must bestrengthened to prepare students for the twenty-firstcentury challenges to our economy, national security,and society.

An educated American in the twenty-first centuryshould be proficient in at least one foreign language,

have studied at least one global issue or region in depth,and be knowledgeable of the geography and history ofour country as well as other world regions. Studentsshould demonstrate geographic knowledge such as thecharacteristics, distribution, and migration of humanpopulations, the complexity of the worlds culturalmosaics, the patterns and networks of economicinterdependence, and how the forces of cooperationand conflict among peoples influence the makeup

of our world. Recognizing the need to prepare our

students for living and working in the next century,

former President George H.W. Bush convened an

historic education summit with the nations governors

in September 1989 in Charlottesville, Virginia, leading

to the approval of six national education goals to be

achieved by the year 2000. One of these goals reflected

a growing awareness of Americas need to compete

internationally: By the year 2000, our children will be

first in the world in math and science.75Another goal

required documented competence in five key subjects:

English, science, math, history, and geography. In 1994,

under President Bill Clinton, the list was expanded to

include foreign languages and the arts.76

Although inspired by the goals of the Charlottesville

summit, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002focused more narrowly on measurable goals in

reading and mathematics. Some school districts,

understandably, have reacted to NCLB by shifting

resources toward the measured goals from foreign

languages, social studies, and the arts.77Tere is

evidence that schools are reducing the number of

languages offered and even eliminating language

courses entirely. In Winthrop, Massachusetts, for

example, the high school cut its French program and

now offers only Spanish. Fremont High School,

in Fremont, Indiana, eliminated some upper-level

Spanish courses.78 Te effects are felt most strongly

in high-minority school districts, where a 2003 survey

found that 23 percent of principals reported decreased

instructional time for foreign languages.79 Te same

survey found that almost half of schools with high-

minority populations reported moderate or large

decreases in time for social studies.

III. Global Education to Meet the Challenges


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If we truly do not want to leave any child behind, then

we should ensure that all students have the opportunity

to learn foreign languages and become knowledgeable

of other world regions. Internationalizing the

curriculum need not conflict with the aims of NCLB,

or with the education reform movement generally. It

can start simply with teachers integrating international

content into their courses.

Student Knowledge of International

Studies and Foreign Languages

Most schools have not responded adequately to the

new challenges the nation will face in the twenty-first

century. Tus many American students lack suffi cient

knowledge about other world regions, languages and

cultures, and as a result are likely to be unprepared

to compete and lead in a global work environment.80Seventy-seven percent of the public believes that

high school programs in the United States are not

adequately preparing students to understand current

international affairs.81

Statistics show that public opinion is correct. More

than 80 percent of New York City eighth graders

did not meet the state standards in social studies in

2004.82 Moreover, the number of students meeting

the social studies standards has decreased by almost

20 percentage points since 2002. Te 2001 NationalAssessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found

that only 11 percent of twelfth graders nationwide

demonstrated proficiency in U.S. history.83 Students

must have knowledge of their own culture and history

in order to fully develop an understanding of another

countrys culture.84

Students performance on assessments of international

knowledge is even more discouraging. For example,

the National Commission on Asia in the Schools

analyzed the growing importance of Asiahometo 60 percent of the worlds population and most of

the fastest growing economiesand what American

students know about this vast region of the world.

Te Commission concluded that young Americans are

dangerously uninformed about international matters

and in particular about Asia.85

Most young Americans lack geographic knowledge.Surveys conducted by the Asia Society in 2001 and bythe National Geographic Society in 2002 found that86:

Although roughly 85 percent of youngAmericans (between the ages of 18 and 24)could not locate Iraq or Iran on a Middle East/Asia map, most knew that the island featured

in the previous seasons television showSurvivor was in the South Pacific;

83 percent could not locate Afghanistan;

25 percent of college-bound high schoolstudents could not name the ocean betweenCalifornia and Asia;

80 percent did not know that India is theworlds largest democracy;

37 percent could not locate China on a map ofAsia and the Middle East; and

56 percent could not find India, despite thefact that China and India are the worlds mostpopulous countries, and major emergingmarkets.

Out of the nine countries surveyed, young Americansfinished second to last in the average number of correctanswers, ahead only of young adults in Mexico. Inpublishing its findings, the National Geographic Society

identified several factors that influenced respondentsknowledge of world geography. Young adults whospoke more than one language and who engaged ininternational travel fared better. In Sweden, the topperforming country, 89 percent of young adults spokeat least two languages, and 92 percent had venturedoutside of their home country within the previous threeyears. In stark contrast, at the time of the survey, only36 percent of young Americans spoke more than onelanguage and a mere 21 percent had left U.S. soil in thepreceding three years.87 In fact, only about 25 percent

of all Americans citizens have passports.*

* Passport estimates are based on the total number of passportsissued by the State Department over a ten-year period, from1994-2004, and the July 1, 2004 Census Bureau population data.Passports are valid for ten years for those over the age of 15, and forfive years for those age 15 or younger. Te number does not takeinto account death or immigration statistics. In addition, travel toCanada and Mexico by U.S. citizens does not require a passport.


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Although high school foreign language enrollmentshave been growing incrementally since 1985, foreignlanguage instruction is lagging in many Americanschools, despite surveys reporting that over halfof the American public supports foreign languagerequirements in high school.88Approximately one-fourth of American public elementary schools offer

foreign language instruction. In 2000, only aboutone-third of all secondary school students (grades 7-12) were enrolled in a foreign language course. Only44 percent of high school students were enrolledin a foreign language course, and only 5 percent ofelementary school students were enrolled. Spanishlanguage courses continue to dominate in our schools,and the overwhelming majority of students do not takelanguage courses past the second year of instruction.Spanish accounts for nearly 70 percent of all foreignlanguage enrollments in grades 7 through 12, and

introductory-level foreign language courses comprised78 percent of the total enrollments.89

Not only are American secondary school studentsstudying foreign languages too seldom, and with toolittle intensity, they are failing to study in suffi cientnumbers many of the languages essential to meetingthe challenges of a new era. Although approximatelyone million students in the United States study French,a language spoken by 70 million people worldwide,fewer than 40,000 American students study Mandarin

Chinese, a language spoken by 1.3 billion people.90

What is needed is not less study of French and Spanish,but a concerted effort to offer and encourage enrollmentin courses in other critical languages.

School System Barriers to ForeignLanguage and International Education

Opportunities to learn about other languages andcultures are severely lacking in many low-income,

minority, and urban school districts. Foreign languageinstruction is offered in only one-quarter of urbanpublic schools compared with about two-thirds ofsuburban private schools.91 At the middle-school level,78 percent of private (non-parochial) schools reportthat more than half of their students study foreign

languages, compared with 51 percent of students in

public middle schools. In 2003, 29 percent of public-

school principals in heavily minority school districts

anticipated future decreases in instructional time for

foreign languages.92 African-American, Hispanic, and

American Indian students earn fewer credits in foreign

languages than their white peers.93

Increasing access to and enrollments in foreign-

language courses in elementary and secondary schools

may not, by themselves, be suffi cient to improve

foreign language proficiency. Te average high

school student receives about 150 hours of language

instruction per year. Experience has shown that 300

hours of instruction spread over two years is woefully

inadequate for high-school students to develop any

usable level of proficiency. Elementary-school students,

who receive only 30-60 minutes of instruction per

week, are even more disadvantaged.94

Schools may also need to change the way languages are

taught. ime on task is important, which may mean

greater use of immersion programs and content-based

language learning, where subject matter drawn from

the school curriculum is delivered in a foreign language.

In 2002, only 29 states offered language-immersion

programs.95

Many schools also lack a framework for implementing

global education. Although international education

is offered to students in 80 percent of Delawares

schools, which are leaders in this field, fewer than half

of the students are actually exposed to meaningful

and sustained international education.96 wo-thirds

of the schools report that resources for teaching

international education are inadequate or nonexistent.

In addition, over 55 percent of international education

is incidental and occurs at the whim of the teacher

in response to major world events rather than from

a systematic disciplinary framework.97 Delaware

is responding to the problem by recommending a

statewide curriculum that would infuse international

education broadly throughout a students school

experience.


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third (29 percent) had foreign language instructionavailable.108 Another survey, conducted in 2003, foundthat of 17 business schools that offered MBAs relatedto international business, only four required a foreignlanguage for graduation.109

Study AbroadHistorically, study-abroad programs, especially in the

junior year of college, have been one of the primarymeans by which American college students havegained first-hand knowledge of other cultures andlanguages. Among the benefits of studying abroad areattaining a greater proficiency in a foreign language,gaining an appreciation for and understanding ofother cultures, and improving communication skillsand the ability to live and work effectively in anotherculture.110 Te effects of study abroad are felt long afterstudents return, as 95 percent of the Institute for theInternational Education of Students alumni reportedthat their study abroad experience had a lastingimpact on their world view and a majority said that itinfluenced their career path.111

In 1999, nearly half of high school seniors intendingto enroll at four-year colleges and universities expectedto study abroad while in college.112 September 11thdoes not appear to have affected the overall supportfor study abroad, though there is some indication thatfamilies are not as inclined to encourage it.113 In a 2002survey, 79 percent of the public agreed that students

should study abroad during college, while 60 percentof undergraduate students and half of the facultysurveyed were also in agreement.114

Although the number of students enrolled in study-abroad programs has doubled over the past decade,still, only one percent of undergraduates nation-widestudy abroad.115In addition, study-abroad programs,while growing in popularity, are becoming shorter induration. Over 90 percent of American students whostudied abroad in the 2003-2004 academic year did so

for one semester or less. Only 6 percent studied abroadfor a full academic year, compared with 18 percent in1985-1986.116 Further, the top five destinations of U.S.students in 2003-2004 were either in Western Europeor Australia. While experiencing these cultures iscertainly important, increasing the number of studentsstudying in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East wouldbenefit our national security. A program initiated bythe late Senator Paul Simon, the Abraham Lincoln

Study Abroad Fellowship Program, intends to increasethe number of American university students studyingabroad, especially in nontraditional locations. Teprogram, which provides grants to students, colleges,and universities, aspires to increase the number ofstudents studying abroad to one million annually by2016-17.117

Why are students not studying abroad in greaternumbers despite the many benefits? Tere are bothfinancial and educational barriers. Many studentsand families perceive that the cost of studying abroadis too great, and inflexible college curricula may notallow students to incorporate study abroad into theireducations.118

Internationalizing CampusesFaculty and administrators could demonstrate astronger commitment to internationalizing* college

campuses. Although several institutions havemade efforts in recent years to internationalizetheir campuses, overall there remains a low level ofinstitutional commitment to internationalization,with relatively few institutions including internationalthemes in their mission statements or strategic plans.International education receives support from studentsand faculty, but many do not participate in internationalprograms on campus. Looking at institution types,community colleges have made significant progressin terms of greater foreign language requirements

and study abroad opportunities, though the numbersremain low compared with four-year institutions.119Such programs are important in ensuring that a greaternumber of low-income and minority students haveaccess to international education.

Tough many colleges and universities need to makegreater progress on international education, campusinternationalization efforts are on the rise and aregaining recognition. Many U.S. universities now

* Internationalization is defined by the American Council

on Education as a measure of foreign language entrance anddegree requirements, the number of students studying abroad,international courses in the curriculum, international studentsand faculty on campus, and the degree of institutional support forinternational programs.

Te Institute of International Education and NAFSA:Association of International Educators select winners forthe Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in InternationalEducation and the Senator Paul Simon Award for CampusInternationalization, respectively.


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have campuses abroad. A curriculum review releasedin 2004 by Harvard University concluded that all ofits students must develop global competence and beable to function as global citizens.120 o do so, theHarvard review recommends that students increasetheir international knowledge and skills through, forexample, study abroad. Several universities, including

Harvard, have announced plans to expand their studyabroad programs and even make study abroad a degreerequirement.* Boston College has created a GlobalProficiency Program,and the University ofCalifornia at Los Angeles now awards degrees inGlobal Studies.121

Foreign Students At U.S. SchoolsIt is becoming more diffi cult for colleges anduniversities to internationalize their campuses byenrolling foreign students. During the 2003-2004academic year, the absolute number of international

students studying at higher education institutions inthe United States declined for the first time in thirtyyears.122 Tis trend continued, albeit on a smallerscale, during the 2004-2005 school year.123 Althoughthe United States remains the leading destination forforeign students, the competition from other countriesis growing stronger. New Zealand, for example, hasseen a dramatic 49 percent increase in foreign studentenrollments between 2002 and 2003.124

ighter visa restrictions instituted as a result of the

September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have contributedto the decline in the number of foreign studentsenrolling in American colleges and universities. Manyproblems still plague the system for processing andapproving visas, including a lack of communication andcoordination between the Departments of State andHomeland Security. In addition, virtually all applicants

must be interviewed prior to being approved for a visa,which creates unnecessary delays in the applicationprocess and inconveniences for individuals who pose nothreat to the United States.125

The Demand for International StudiesTere is clear demand for greater internationalization.In a 1999 survey of college-bound seniors, 57 percent

said that they planned to study a foreign language, andhalf said that they expected to take courses focusingon the history or culture of another country.126 Nearlythree out of four students said they believe that theircollege should offer courses on international topics.Indeed, in 2002, over half of the public indicated thatthey believed that knowledge of international issueswould be important to their careers in the next tenyears.127 Te same 2002 survey noted that 74 percentof the public supported a foreign language requirementin college, and the number who strongly agreed hasincreased since 2000. Seventy-seven percent of thepublic supports international course requirementsat the college level, and more than one-third ofundergraduates surveyed reported that they were morelikely after September 11thto take courses on globalissues and cultures.

The Supply of International Studies and ForeignLanguage TeachersIncreasing international studies courses at all levelsrequires more teachers who are knowledgeable of the

international dimensions of their subjects. eachers atthe elementary and secondary levels are not preparedto meet the need for international knowledge and skills.Most prospective teachers take very few courses onforeign languages and international issues, which maybe due, in part, to teacher certification requirementsthat do not include international components.128Additionally, fewer than five percent of undergraduatesstudying abroad are education majors.129

A shortage of qualified foreign language teachers,

especially in the lesser-taught languages, seriouslyhampers our ability to develop proficient foreignlanguage speakers. For example, only 192 Bachelorsdegrees, 265 Masters degrees, and 13 doctorateswere awarded in 2000-2001 in foreign-languageeducation.130 Dr. Nina Garrett, Director of LanguageStudy at Yale University, stated: We have nowhere nearenough qualified teachersand very limited prospectsfor training more than a handful of new onesin the

* Te University of Minnesota, San Francisco State University,Michigan State University, and Goucher College are all planningto expand their study abroad programs. (Commission on theAbraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program, Global

Competence and National Needs: One Million Americans StudyingAbroad, (Washington, DC: Commission on the Abraham LincolnStudy Abroad Fellowship Program, November 2005)).

Te Global Proficiency Program awards students a certificatefor studying, working or volunteering abroad; completingrequirements in foreign languages, humanities, social studies,business, or education; participating in additional interculturalcommunity service activities; and completing a synthesis projectwhich requires integration and reflection on their experiences withthe program.

18


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channels that has occurred over the last decadethe

profusion of cable television channels, new applications

of the internet and informal news mediapresent

new opportunities to educate the public about other

countries and regions, and how our world is becoming

increasingly interconnected. However, only 38 seconds

of a typical half-hour local newscast is devoted to

foreign policy issues, including the war in Iraq.141

Tedecline in coverage of world events helped create an

American populace that was stunned after September

11thbecause many had never heard of Al Qaeda or

understood the threat posed by Islamic terrorists,

which had been building for years.142 Tere is demand

for more international news: over 70 percent of the

American public said they follow international affairs

every day.143

Te media could develop a more culturally aware

citizenry who will improve our cross-cultural

relationships inside and outside our borders. Te

media can explain the importance of internationalstudies and foreign language education by increasing

coverage of foreign policy, world events, and issues

affecting the lives of those outside the United States,

as well as important international trends and issues

affecting Americans economic and national security.


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faceted approach for developing capacity in the less-commonly taught languages. Te website containsdata on an array of topics, including enrollments inless-commonly taught languages, as well as the numberand locations of universities and training centers thatteach such languages and the variety of languages beingtaught.* Te project has also set out to developcriteria for determining the highest-priority languages,and has created an international on-line databaseof internet modules for LCL learning and course-planning that will allow linguists to coordinate theirefforts in teaching Americans less-commonly taughtlanguages.149

Centers for International Business Educationand ResearchTe Centers for International Business Educationand Research (CIBER) were created through theOmnibus rade and Competitiveness Act of 1988.

Tese centers are located at 30 universities across thecountry, with more than 900 programs geared towardincreasing the international competitiveness of U.S.firms. Teir mission is to serve as a resource for thebusiness and academic communities on internationalbusiness issues. CIBER institutions teach businesstechniques and strategies with an internationalcomponent, provide instruction in foreign languagescritical for U.S. business, conduct research and trainingin the global aspects of trade and commerce, providean outstanding international business education for

students, hold events of interest to local businesses,and serve other regional higher education institutionsand faculty. Teir results are impressive: From 1989to 1999, CIBER universities awarded degrees withinternational business concentrations to 70,000students; coordinated internationalization workshopsfor over 18,000 faculty and Ph.D. students; supported2,400 faculty and Ph.D. international business researchprojects; taught 3,613 commercial language coursesto over 53,000 students; conducted training programson international business for 56,000 executives;

and offered 2,600 workshops and seminars for localbusiness communities.150

Michigan State University and the Universityof WashingtonMichigan State University and the University ofWashington provide two examples of innovativepartnerships between businesses and universities. At

Michigan State University, CIBER has developed a webportal, globalEDGE, which provides comprehensiveresources on many aspects of global business. It hasbecome the leading online resource for global businessknowledge.151

At the University of Washington, programs at theundergraduate and graduate school level pair teams of

students with local businesses to work on internationalbusiness projects. Te MBA Field Study Program andthe International Projects class offer business schoolstudents and undergraduates the opportunity to workon projects with local businesses. Te teams developrecommendations to increase their competitiveness andto help them take advantage of business opportunitiesoverseas. Some students even conduct researchfor Washington businesses while they are studyingabroad.152 Te University of Washington boasts theparticipation of over one hundred companies, including

Microsoft and Starbucks.

State Leadership to UpgradeInternational EducationCED is encouraged to note that several states, andin particular governors, have shown commendableleadership in recent years by undertaking high-profile reforms to upgrade their schools internationaleducation programs. For example:

Delaware: Te Delaware Department of Educationjoined the International Council of Delaware and

the University of Delaware in conducting a baselineanalysis of Delawares capacity in internationaleducation from kindergarten through postgraduateeducation. Te state created new professionaldevelopment tracks to prepare teachers in internationaltopics and is creating a recommended statewidecurriculum that would infuse international knowledgeinto all subject areas.153

New Jersey: Students must study world history andcultures for a minimum of one year, and are requiredto demonstrate proficiency in a world language forhigh-school graduation. An International EducationSummit was held in the fall of 2004, and a five-yearstrategic plan is being developed by an advisory groupfor submission to the Governor, Commissioner ofEducation, and State Board of Education.154

North Carolina: Te North Carolina in the WorldInitiative, based at the University of North CarolinasCenter for International Understanding and the* For more information, visit www.elctl.msu.edu.


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Governors offi ce, is coordinating four leadership teamsto develop strategies to expand international educationthroughout the states schools.155

Wisconsin: Wisconsin has created a curriculumguide for teachers demonstrating how to integrateinternational content into state standards at all gradelevels and in all subjects.156Wisconsin has formedan international education council, along with fourregional leadership alliances, to coordinate andimplement international education efforts acrossthe state. Te regional leadership alliances will beco-chaired by a business leader and an educator,and will focus on strengthening school and businesspartnerships.157 Foreign language enrollment inWisconsin public schools has increased dramaticallyover the past decade.

Wyoming: Te state legislature appropriated $5 million

in 2004 to implement a K-6 foreign-language pilotprogram in fifty elementary schools for five years.158

Many states are beginning to include knowledge ofAsia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and globalissues in their social studies standards. Geography andeconomics have been incorporated in the standards ofmany states. Te new Advanced Placement exams inWorld History and Human Geography are growingin popularity, and the decision by the College Boardto

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