Between 2016 and 2021, college enrollment in non-English languages dropped 16.6% nationally — the steepest decline since the Modern Language Association began recording these data in 1958.
There were over 1.18 million foreign language enrollments at 2,455 institutions in fall 2021, according to a report released by MLA on Nov. 15. That’s more than 236,000 fewer enrollments than 2016 and almost 500,000 fewer than 2009, when national enrollment in languages peaked at 1.67 million.
Languages that saw the most dramatic enrollment decreases during the five-year period included German (-33.6%), Arabic (-27.4%), modern Hebrew (-26%) and French (-23.1%).
The report comes on the heels of West Virginia University’s controversial decision to eliminate all of its world language majors, sparking a national dialogue about the value of a language degree and humanities education. WVU leaders justified the cuts by pointing to language enrollment drops at the Morgantown school.
Other universities, such as Duquesne University and Johns Hopkins University, have ended their language general education requirements. Both schools still offer language degrees.
MLA Executive Director Paula Krebs said despite enrollment downturns nationwide, language studies are still vital to colleges. Proponents of language studies say learning a new language builds soft skills and bulks students’ knowledge and job opportunities.
“In the current professional and cultural climate, we can't afford to devalue the study of languages,” Ms. Krebs said in a news release. “The world is increasingly interconnected, and the need for knowledge of languages other than English is even more important. Institutions of higher education have an obligation to both prepare their students for their future careers and create well-informed citizens. If they are going to fulfill these obligations, they have to prioritize investing in and supporting language education.”
The 2021 enrollment figure puts national language enrollment on par with 1990 enrollment numbers. Between 1958 and 1970, language enrollment grew. It then dipped in the 1970s and began increasing again in the 1980s and 1990s. Enrollment escalated in the 2000s, only to fall again after 2009.
But MLA’s report isn’t completely bleak for colleges. It found that over one-third of language programs in the country reported enrollment boosts or stability.
And it found that three languages experienced enrollment increases during the five-year period. Biblical Hebrew enrollment grew 9.1% and American Sign Language enrollment increased slightly by 0.8%.
Meanwhile, Korean enrollment seemingly exploded by 38.3%. Over 19,000 students studied Korean in 2021, per the report. The University of Pittsburgh, which currently offers a Korean minor, plans to develop a Korean major.
Kathleen Stein-Smith, a foreign language educator and advocate, believes universities are generally “well-intentioned” when it comes to language studies, but more needs to be done to support this discipline. She said increased investment in language programs and interdisciplinary collaborations could bolster world language education.
Ms. Stein-Smith also believes if colleges want to see their language enrollments increase, language learning must rise among all age levels. She hopes more K-12 students and adult learners have opportunities to learn languages, whether in a classroom, at a summer camp or through an online platform.
“I really think if we continue to focus on young learners [and] give them the time, realistically, to develop language skills, and if we also offer complementary types of learning out in the community to independent lifelong learners of any age … those would be ways to support a real resurgence in language growth,” Ms. Stein-Smith said.
First Published: November 20, 2023, 10:30 a.m.
Updated: November 20, 2023, 6:22 p.m.
