Washington, DC — The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has released Ivory Tower of Babel: Rebuilding Language Learning in Higher Education for a More Secure and Competitive America, a new report examining the steep decline of foreign language study in U.S. higher education. The report shows that foreign language enrollments at colleges and universities declined 59% from 1965 to 2016 and dropped 17% from 2016 to 2021 alone. Today, only 11% of colleges and universities require foreign language study at the intermediate level, the minimum needed for effective communication and intercultural awareness.
As colleges and universities face financial pressures, language departments are often the first programs targeted for cuts, with serious consequences for the U.S. intelligence service, military, and diplomatic corps. A 2020 report by the Council on Foreign Relations found that 15% of language-designated overseas are vacant, and 24% are filled by officers with insufficient language training. Our report shows that while multilingual employees earn more than their monolingual peers, employers consistently report a lack of language-enabled professionals.
ACTA Academic Affairs Fellow Veronica Bryant commented, “Foreign language study has been at the core of a liberal arts education since the earliest days of the university. Language knowledge strengthens careers, sharpens cognitive abilities, and advances our nation’s diplomatic and military success. Yet in the interests of belt-tightening and weakened academic standards, colleges are dismantling foreign language programs. This report offers solutions so institutions can preserve this essential component of higher education.”
College and university leaders can offer high-quality language programs while staying within budget. ACTA recommends that institutions require at least intermediate-level language instruction in general education programs; narrow the number of course options in general education curricula rather than eliminate core foreign language programs; and explore opportunities to form consortia and share courses with nearby institutions using ACTA’s Map of Foreign Language Program Graduates.
With thoughtful planning and collaboration, institutions can restore and even expand foreign language offerings. In the process, they will better prepare their graduates for the demands of a global economy, advance our national security, and strengthen the fabric of our multicultural society.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY An old joke goes, “If a person who speaks two languages is bilingual, and a person who speaks three languages is trilingual, what do you call a person who speaks one language? . . . An American.” Almost 80% of Americans speak only English; by contrast, just 25% of adults in the European […]
Since the colonial period, American higher education has prioritized foreign language study in both classical and modern languages. Yet in the twenty-first century, the United States faces a shortfall of professionals with strong language skills, jeopardizing both national security and global competitiveness. Eighty percent of Americans are monolingual, compared to only 25% of Europeans. A […]
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