“Making Languages our Business”-New ACTFL report

A groundbreaking report recently released by ACTFL as part of its Lead with Languages campaign provides evidence-based data that emphasizes the vital need for languages skills in the U.S. workplace and their impact on the U.S. economy.

The 2019 report, “Making Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers,”  is based on a survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for ACTFL as part of its Lead with Languages campaign, and with support from Pearson LLC and .

Among the key findings and recommendations in this report:

• 9 out of 10 U.S. employers rely on employees with language skills other than English.
• 56% say their foreign language demand will increase in the next 5 years.
• 47% state a need for language skills exclusively for the domestic market.
• 1 in 3 language-dependent U.S. employers report a language skills gap.
• 1 in 4 U.S. employers lost business due to a lack of language skills.

“Students, parents, teachers and administrators, community members, and business leaders will find this data helpful when advocating to sustain and grow language programs at the local, state, and national level—beginning with the establishment of early language programs and continuing up through university partnerships.” https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/language-advocacy/publications/

This timely report contains a wealth of information that you can leverage to advocate for language learning in your school and community. Please take time to contact your state and federal senators and representatives to make them aware of the data in is publication.