Table Of ContentEducation for Global
Leadership:
The Importance of International
Studies and Foreign Language
Education for U.S. Economic and
National Security
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY increasingly important that America be better versed in
the languages and cultures of other world regions,
particularly the Middle East, so we can present our
As we begin the twenty-first century, technological, nation more clearly to the world.
economic, political, and social forces have created a new
era. Technological advancements and lower trade OUR MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY
barriers have paved the way for the globalization of Today’s America is, and will continue to be,
markets, bringing intense competition to the U.S. characterized by ethnic and linguistic diversity. In many
economy. Political systems and movements around the urban, suburban, and even rural school systems, student
world are having a profound impact on our national populations are becoming more diverse. Workplaces
security, as well as on our human security. The and customers also increasingly reflect our multicultural
increasing diversity of our workplaces, schools, and nation, and cultural knowledge has become critical to
communities is changing the face of our society. To American businesses. We must educate all of our
confront the twenty-first century challenges to our students about the world; or suffer diminished
economy and national security, our education system communication among our citizens and a weaker civic
must be strengthened to increase the foreign language culture.
skills and cultural awareness of our students. America’s
continued global leadership will depend on our students’ GLOBAL EDUCATION TO MEET THE
abilities to interact with the world community both CHALLENGES
inside and outside our borders. Most schools have not responded adequately to these
challenges of the twenty-first century, and thus many
THE CHALLENGES AHEAD American students lack sufficient knowledge of other
world regions, languages, and cultures. Only about one-
OUR ECONOMY third of seventh to twelfth grade students—and just five
As one of the world’s most open economies, the United percent of elementary school students—study a foreign
States already faces intense global competition, and new language. Few students study the less-commonly taught
competitors are emerging. Globalization has enabled “critical languages” that are vital to national security.
companies in less-developed countries to compete State high school graduation requirements often include
directly and on a more level playing field with American only minimal course work in international studies. At
businesses. Therefore, U.S. companies of all sizes must the postsecondary level, fewer than ten percent of
succeed in overseas markets, which requires having college students enroll in a foreign language and only
employees with knowledge of foreign languages and one percent of undergraduates study abroad.
cultures, as well as overseas experience.
CED believes that the international studies and
OUR NATIONAL SECURITY foreign language education of all of our students
In the post-Cold War era, non-state actors who tend to must be strengthened to prepare today’s students to
speak less-commonly taught languages (which include become tomorrow’s global leaders.
Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian/Farsi,
Russian, and Turkish) are challenging U.S. national Summary of CED’s Recommendations
security. The FBI and other federal government
agencies lack sufficient linguists to translate intelligence
International content should be taught across the
information in these critical languages in a timely
curriculum and at all levels of learning, to expand
manner. Furthermore, our diplomatic efforts often have
American students’ knowledge of other countries and
been hampered by a lack of cultural awareness. It is
cultures.
• International content should be integrated into centers and consider incentives, such as loan
each state’s K-12 curriculum standards and forgiveness and scholarships.
assessment criteria. • To develop a reservoir of critical language
• States should require every high school graduate practitioners quickly, the federal government
to demonstrate global literacy. High school should streamline recruitment and training of
graduates should achieve proficiency in at least critical-language and heritage-language
one foreign language, and demonstrate speakers.
knowledge of the geography and cultures of • University professional programs, such as
major regions of the world as well as an schools of business administration, engineering,
understanding of global issues. and medicine, should consider incentives to
• Congress should enact an Education for Global encourage students to pursue high-level foreign
Leadership Act that provides funds to modernize language study.
and globalize the curricula of elementary and
secondary schools to help states and school National leaders—political leaders, as well as the
districts design and create curricula with business and philanthropic communities, and the
innovative approaches to teaching international media—should inform the public about the
content. importance of improving education in foreign
• Teachers should receive professional languages and international studies.
development training to prepare them to teach an
international curriculum. • The President should host a White House
• Colleges and universities should form Conference on Education for Global Leadership.
partnerships with elementary and secondary The Conference would bring together business,
schools to make available their expertise in education, and national-security leaders to assess
international studies. how our education system—kindergarten
• Colleges and universities should internationalize through postsecondary—can maintain America’s
their campuses by expanding study abroad economic and national security.
opportunities for students and faculty and • Governors should take advantage of
building institutional commitment to opportunities to educate their citizens about the
international education. link between international commerce and jobs in
• Teacher education programs in colleges and their states.
universities should include a strong international • Each Governor should convene a high-level
component. review of the state’s K-12 curriculum and
• Corporations should play a more active role to standards by business and education leaders to
support education in cross-cultural determine whether they reflect global content.
competencies. • Business leaders should champion international
studies and foreign language education by
Expand the training pipeline at every level of articulating why Americans need to learn more
education to address the paucity of Americans fluent about the world.
in foreign languages, especially critical, less- • Private philanthropic foundations should
commonly taught languages. intensify their support for an international
perspective in the curricula of our elementary
• Federal language initiatives should encourage and secondary schools.
states and local school districts to implement • The media should increase coverage of global
language programs in the elementary grades and issues and highlight educational programs that
offer more advanced language classes in middle prepare students to become global citizens.
schools and high schools.
• Expanding foreign language instruction in
Committee for Economic Development
elementary and secondary schools, particularly
2000 L Street, NW, Suite 700
in critical languages, will require increased
Washington, DC 20036
professional development for teachers and
employing the resources of our heritage
202-296-5860 (phone) 202-223-0776 (fax)
language communities.
• To encourage enrollment in higher education The complete Policy Statement, as well as other
programs that lead to careers as language CED publications, is available online at
professionals, the federal government should
support advanced critical language learning www.ced.org
