Reasons Students Take Courses in Less Commonly Taught and More Commonly Taught Languages

Abstract

Although postsecondary enrollments in modern foreign languages in the United States continue to be dominated by the more commonly taught languages (CTLs), recent changes in enrollments, as documented in Furman, Goldberg & Lusin (2008), show encouraging trends for the less commonly taught languages (LCTLs). The overall increase in foreign language enrollments from 2002-2006 was 12.1%, with almost all of the 204 LCTLs included in the report showing above-average increases in enrollments in that same time period. In comparison, the percentage increase in enrollments in CTLs was below average. (See Figure 1 based on Table 1a, Furman, Goldberg & Lusin 2008, p. 68)