A Look Back: The U.S. foreign language problem,as covered in Kappan

Abstract

In this monthly Kappan column, Teresa Preston shares a sampling of what past Kappan authors have written about foreign language instruction U.S. schools. Although it is not a topic that has appeared frequently in Kappan, concern about a lack of such instruction goes back at least as far as the 1930s. Although authors have generally agreed about the need for more foreign language study, disputes have emerged about which languages to study and what methods are most effective for teaching foreign languages. Authors have, however, agreed that language study should start earlier than it generally does.