A global perspective on why the U.S. should invest in language learning:
…Not everyone is on the English bandwagon—by some estimates, 75% of the world does not speak English.
Let’s explore some of the policies other countries have regarding English—and why they matter to the U.S.
EDWeek: Foreign Language Policies: Is Everyone Else Really Speaking English?
A great discussion of the language learning process. On determining when a learner “knows” a language…
Lacking a clear line, language-learners have all manner of ad-hoc ways of describing when they finally got it. Some will say that the day they began dreaming in a language meant that they had it. But this is hazy; dreams, played in one’s own head, say little about real-world competence. Others recall the first conversation in which they did not have to struggle; this, at least, is a better rule of thumb. Others set the bar higher: only when you understand jokes do you really know the language.
The Economist: The Humble Linguist
A report on foreign language education in cities and towns south of Boston, highlighting the disparity in opportunities and the need for a Seal of Biliteracy in Massachusetts.
Found in Translation is a Boston area program that provides training, free of charge, to bilingual women who earn very low incomes so they can become bilingual medical interpreters, opening up new economic opportunities for the women and their families.
Language Opportunity 