Student Prioritization of World Language Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v12i1.4051Keywords:
world language, student, student priority, employment, foreign languageAbstract
This paper compares a student’s priority of world language learning to an employer’s demand for multilingualism. Massachusetts high school students responded to a survey about world language availability and their success with and enjoyment of learning world languages, which was compared to statistics regarding the value employers place on multilingualism in job candidates. The results show that while students prioritize world language learning relatively highly, they pursue it more for fun than for practical value, likely due to the lack of visibility of world language needs in job postings. Employers need to clarify and emphasize these needs to encourage students to continue learning world languages and educators can assist in filling this gap by promoting the importance of world languages in their curriculums.
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