[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 35 (Thursday, March 15, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S2390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COCHRAN:
  S. 541. A bill to improve foreign language instruction; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, today I am introducing The Foreign 
Language Acquisition and Proficiency Improvement Act of 2001. It is a 
bill which makes changes in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
that encourage and make possible the teaching of a second language to 
students in elementary and secondary schools, in particular, those 
schools heavily impacted by the unique problems of educating a high 
population of disadvantaged students.
  My bill also provides schools an incentive to initiate foreign 
language programs, promotes technology, distance learning, and other 
innovative activities in the effective instruction of a foreign 
language.
  According to the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, D.C., 
the early study of a second language offers many benefits for students: 
academic achievement, positive attitudes toward diversity; flexibility 
in thinking; sensitivity to language; and a better ear for listening 
and pronunciation. Foreign language study also improves children's 
understanding of their native language, increases creativity, helps 
students get better SAT scores, and increases their job opportunities.
  The evidence shows that children who learn foreign languages score 
higher in all academic subjects than those who speak only English. Most 
developed countries recognize this and, according to the National 
Foreign Language Center, the United States is alone in not teaching 
foreign languages routinely before the age of twelve.
  In 1999, the Center for Applied Linguistics released the results of a 
U.S. Department of Education funded survey of foreign language teaching 
in preschool through twelfth grade in the United States. The results 
show a rising awareness and increase in the teaching of foreign 
languages, but in the 31 percent of elementary schools that offered 
foreign language instruction, only 21 percent had proficiency as the 
goal of the program. Among the most frequently cited problems facing 
foreign language programs were inadequate funding, inadequate in-
service teacher training, teacher shortages and a lack of sequencing 
from elementary to secondary school.
  This survey is a good snapshot of the state of the teaching of 
foreign languages K-12 in our country. It can be read as encouraging: 
that we know we should be teaching languages earlier; that more schools 
are attempting to teach foreign languages; and, that more languages are 
being taught. It also clearly shows where we need improvement: that we 
need to show accomplishment in teaching our students foreign languages; 
that more schools need to have the resources to offer the necessary 
course work for attaining this skill; and, that foreign languages 
should be a priority.
  The picture hasn't changed dramatically in the last two years.
  Last year, I chaired hearings of the Governmental Affairs 
Subcommittee on International Security, Proliferation, and Federal 
Services which examined the relationship between foreign language 
preparedness and national security.
  These are some of the things we learned about foreign language 
learning at those hearings:
  The most attainable skill students can acquire for likely college 
admission is foreign language proficiency;
  The best predictor of foreign language proficiency in college is 
previous foreign language training, even if in another language;
  There are not enough foreign language teachers. For example, Fairfax 
County, Virginia schools have an agreement with the Education Ministry 
in Spain, which provided at least five Spanish language teachers last 
year. In Mississippi, it is not unusual to be taught French or German 
by distance learning, using live video transmission in classrooms 
around the state.
  The earlier one begins to learn any language, the quicker he or she 
will become proficient and sound like a native speaker.
  And, as to how foreign language acquisition relates to national 
security, it was clear from the testimony of representatives from the 
CIA, FBI, Department of Defense, and the State Department, that:

  There is a continuing need for highly proficient speakers of many 
languages for surveillance, reconnaissance, negotiations and other 
defense and intelligence gathering activities;
  The federal government spends up to $70,000 to train one person in a 
language as common as Spanish;
  Recruiting for language specialists includes attracting current 
teachers;
  Language learning, especially in sensitive government positions, best 
includes experience in the mother tongue country. This enhances 
cultural understanding, colloquialisms and other language usage that 
cannot be approximated in a classroom.
  Another fact is that America's businesses need foreign language 
speakers. According to a USA TODAY survey, top executives cited foreign 
language skills twice as great as any other skill in demand.
  The National Foreign Language Center published a 1999 report titled, 
Language and National Security for the 21st Century: The Federal Role 
in Supporting National Language Capacity. This report is very 
compelling in its review of the need for military and civilian 
personnel with foreign language capability. It explains that the 
language training business is estimated to be $20 billion 
internationally. That is money spent by our government, our businesses 
and individuals to teach adults a skill essential in the global 
relationships of industry, diplomacy, defense, and higher education.
  The evidence of need is great, and yet there is a lack of sufficient 
foreign language training at the K-12 level. We have one program in the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act aimed at providing incentives 
and giving grants to schools for this purpose.
  I am happy that we've been successful in raising the funding for this 
program from $5 million in 1998 to $14 million in FY 2001. However, the 
section of this law providing grants to schools that already offer 
foreign language instruction programs has never been funded. A 
frustrating aspect of this good program is that the schools in the most 
need of the assistance can't afford the ante. My amendments establish a 
50 percent set-aside for schools serving the most disadvantaged 
students, and eliminates the matching share requirement for those 
schools. This bill also increases the annual authorization for the 
program from $55,000,000 to $75,000,000.
  I hope that we will give greater attention to this program when we 
make funding decisions, so that schools without the advantages of 
plentiful resources can provide their students with a high quality and 
competitive education.
  The Foreign Language Acquisition and Proficiency Improvement Act will 
provide new opportunities and encouragement to our school children, 
teachers, and parents, so we can better meet our global business 
challenges and national security needs.
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