WASHINGTON, D.C., July 30th, 2024 -- On July 30th, the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL), the national coalition providing representation on Capitol Hill for language education, hosted a timely and powerful congressional briefing on federal efforts to address the language education crisis in K-12 schools. The briefing was supported by the America’s Languages Caucus House Co-Chairs, Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Representative Jen Kiggans (R-VA).
The event featured a panel discussion between educators who have seen the positive impact of the World Language Advancement and Readiness Grants Program (WLARP), and experts from the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence who emphasized how vital language education is to national security and intelligence.
This briefing comes at an important time with the upcoming election and ongoing decisions regarding federal education funding for FY25. It is crucial to address the need for federal efforts to improve K-12 education in the United States language education in order to support our nation's growing business and diplomacy needs.
Amanda Seewald, JNCL-NCLIS Executive Director, opened the briefing by underscoring the transformative power of language programs. She noted, "Well-articulated language programs and language learning for young children can have a transformational effect in the way that students see themselves and see the world." She stressed the necessity of multilingualism for national security, diplomacy, and business, pointing out the alarming language skills gap in the workforce.
Seewald highlighted three crucial federal legislative efforts to addressing the crisis in language education in the United States:
The World Language Advancement and Readiness Grants Program (WLARP), which provides grants to expand K-12 world language programs in schools with significant populations of military families
World Language Education Assistance Program (World LEAP), which would establish a grant program at the Department of Education to support world language and dual language immersion programs
The Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching (BEST) Act, which would support implementing and scaling Seal of Biliteracy programs and encourage more equitable access to Seal programs and their assessments.
Krista Wunsche, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Caitlin Johnson, Legislative Aide, Office of Representative Jen Kiggans (R-VA), encouraged staffers in attendance to speak to their bosses about joining the America’s Languages Caucus and supporting key language legislation to ensure that all students are prepared to be successful in today’s increasingly interconnected world.
Panelists discussed both challenges and opportunities for addressing this crisis, including ways that Members of Congress can support federal education funding and language education legislation.
Donald Gentile, Chief, Foreign Language Group, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), highlighted the critical need for foreign language expertise in the intelligence community, stating, "Foreign language expertise in the community is a mission-critical skill. It always has been and always will be." He expressed concern over the difficulty in filling language positions and the declining number of students studying foreign languages at all levels of education.
Kathleen Facon, Chief, Partnership and Resources, Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), discussed the strategic importance of language skills for national defense, explaining that early language education builds a pipeline of individuals with necessary skills, “Proficiency in strategic languages can lead to specialized roles and opportunities within the armed forces and in our intelligence enhancing the career advancement and effectiveness in various missions in connected to the national defense, the military's need for linguistic and culturally proficient individuals is growing, especially in today's interconnected world.” She lauded the World Language Advancement and Readiness program for its impact on public schools and military-connected students, who benefit greatly from these language programs.
April Wawryk, Grant Director, Project HELLO, North Hanover Public Schools (NJ), shared the transformative journey of her district’s language program, thanks to the WLARP grant. Prior to receiving the grant, their program offered limited language exposure, resulting in low proficiency. With the grant, they hired more teachers and were able to implement a comprehensive program tailored to diverse student needs, significantly improving language proficiency and student engagement. While STEM subjects such as math are often prioritized over language learning when it comes to school budgets, Wawryk expressed, ”In our experience, learning a foreign language is a STEM career field. Students need to have joy and passion for learning a language in order to continue. If you've ever tried to learn a foreign language, the critical problem solving skills that take place when you are immersed in a different language, even for 20 minutes, is a lot.”
Susanna Bailey, Instructional Supervisor, World Languages & Dual Language Immersion, Department of Teaching and Learning, Newport News Public Schools (VA), highlighted the impact of dual language immersion programs in her district. Before Newport News received its two WLARP grants, only one pre-K and one elementary school offered dual language programs, accessible only to students within a specific zone. The grants expanded the program to more schools, including middle and high schools, allowing more students across the district to participate. Bailey emphasized that the program's success in producing bilingual and biliterate students is largely due to immersive learning, stating, "Our students are coming out bilingual, biliterate as well. So they're learning reading comprehension, they're learning writing skills from pre-K all the way up."
As Seewald concluded, "Multilingualism is our asset already, and we want to amplify that and give every student the opportunity to experience that value."
It is clear that there is a critical need for federal support in language education to ensure national security, economic competitiveness, and cultural understanding. This briefing is a testament to the collective effort required to address the language skills gap and foster a nation that values and uplifts multilingualism.
JNCL-NCLIS urges policymakers, organizations, and educators to support legislative initiatives that recognize the essential role of language education in building a more secure and connected world.
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About JNCL-NCLIS: Established in 1972, the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL) and the National Council for Languages and International Studies (NCLIS) unites a national network of leading organizations and businesses comprised of over 300,000 language professionals to advocate for equitable language learning opportunities. Our mission is to ensure that Americans have the opportunity to learn English and at least one other language.
Contact: info@languagepolicy.org
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