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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

Phys.org [phys.org]:

Of all the skills that a person could have in today's globalized world, few serve individuals – and the larger society – as well as knowing how to speak another language.

People who speak another language score higher on tests and think more creatively [actfl.org], have access to a wider variety of jobs [newamericaneconomy.org], and can more fully enjoy and participate [ed.gov] in other cultures or converse with people from diverse backgrounds.

Knowledge of foreign languages is also vital to America's national security [cfr.org] and diplomacy [gao.gov]. Yet, according to the U.S Government Accountability Office, nearly one in four Foreign Service officers do not meet the language proficiency requirements [gao.gov] that they should meet to do their jobs.

Despite all these reasons to learn a foreign language, there has been a steep decline [insidehighered.com] in foreign language instruction in America's colleges and universities. Researchers at the Modern Language Association recently found that colleges lost 651 foreign language programs [chronicle.com] from 2013 to 2016

The advice to learn foreign languages has been repeated for decades, but how much does it really help native speakers of English, professionally, to learn other languages? Additionally, does the decline of language courses at traditional schools reflect cheaper, better alternatives online?

Original Submission