MLA Report Spurs Discussion about the Value of Studying a Foreign Language

Since its release in February, the MLA’s report Enrollments in Languages Other Than English in United States Institutions of Higher Education, Fall 2013 has received coverage in the Washington Post, Inside Higher Ed, and numerous university and regional outlets. While enrollments in language courses have increased 11.9% since 2002, the 2013 survey showed a decline of 6.7% since 2009—the year of the last survey. This shift has prompted lively discussions about the importance of learning a foreign language in a global economy, including articles in the Chronicle of Higher Education and the Huffington Post. To hear an interview with Rosemary G. Feal, executive director of the MLA, about the benefits of learning a foreign language, visit the AirTalk Web site.