February 24, 2005
U.S. Universities Offering 226 Languages for U.S. International Needs
Michigan State University’s e-LCTL Initiative has released these data in a major new website inventorying the nation’s capacity in the diverse “less commonly taught languages” (LCTLs) in both universities and government training institutes. For 2001-02, the report reveals that more than 30,000 students enrolled in 128 LCTLs in these 55 universities in 27 states, in centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI international education programs. This long-lasting partnership between the Federal government and these U.S. universities has created an unparalleled capacity to teach both foreign languages and “area studies” about societies around the world - covering all continents. Indeed, for the past decade, the study estimates more than 80% of all instruction in these less commonly taught languages – was in these Title VI-supported centers – excluding the “commonly-taught” languages of French, Spanish, German, and Italian.