"Multilingualism is basic.  Demographic, economic and social realities make linguistic and cross cultural competence essential skills for students today.  Several educational models can foster multilingualism for all learners."  Fred Genesee and Nancy Cloud, Educational Leadership, March 1998

The challenges inherent in preparing students to interact successfully in the twenty-first century make it imperative that foreign language be placed at the center of the curriculum in every school in the nation.  Nearly every report that analyzes present and future American demographics, and the ever more interdependent world economy, call for individuals and professionals who can, not only cope, but excel in an increasingly multilingual society.  In order to address these pressing educational demands, schools must also respond effectively to the needs of the growing number of ethnically and linguistically diverse students present in almost every school in the nation.  Educational institutions that recognize the existing language and cultural competence of all students as an asset to its basic education program, have long discovered that foreign language programs are key to bridging the distance among linguistically and culturally diverse students, families and schools.

While today’s desirable educational reform agenda makes a strong case for every school to establish effective foreign language programs, it also poses a considerable challenge to the language teaching profession.  It calls for establishing new and differing foreign language program models which focus on developing communicative competence in students of all ages, abilities and achievement levels.

 In order to address the learning needs of the heterogeneous language students, foreign language departments are concentrating on developing language courses which focus on raising the overall academic performance of students, as well as their linguistic and cultural competency.   High and low achieving students alike who are enrolled in foreign language courses are acquiring essential skills which enable them to succeed across the curriculum.

"Our nation can only grow stronger if all of our children grow up learning two languages." Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, Statement of March 15, 2000

In an era where every educational reform report calls for preparing every student for higher education, foreign language is an essential and indispensable element of this vision.  Many times, algebra is cited in these reports as the "gate keeper" for students’ access to higher education, and almost every state has either initiated or passed legislation which makes the teaching of algebra a requirement in middle or high schools.  While algebra and other "higher mathematics" courses are indeed required for admission to colleges and universities, so is foreign language.  The foreign language profession needs to take a proactive approach in arguing this position, and at the same time ensure that foreign language programs are accessible to all students in the schools, and that once they are enrolled, they have an equitable opportunity to learn.  In order for this notion to materialize the concepts of access and equity need to become the cornerstone of foreign language programs and constantly advocate that foreign language learning is, and must be, for all students.  The Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (1999 recognize that ALL students can be successful language and culture learners, and they:

• must have access to language and culture study that is integrated into the entire school experience,

• benefit from the development and maintenance of proficiency in more than one language,

• learn in a variety of ways and settings,

• acquire proficiency at varied rates.

Students’ access and equity to and in foreign language programs is both an imperative and a priority of the highest order for foreign language educators on at least two counts:  First, programs such as affirmative action and other diversity initiatives are being challenged at every level of our society.  Second, students who are ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse are increasing in numbers in our nation’s schools.  Foreign language educators are uniquely prepared to make significant contributions in resolving issues inherent in the two areas cited above.  As language and cultural workers, we can and need to be a counter force and help students acquire the linguistic and cultural perspectives that will enable them to be informed and positive change agents in our pluralistic society.

The expanded goals of the foreign language curriculum as espoused in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (1999) call not only for the obvious teaching of languages and cultures, but for foreign language programs to add goals and objectives which aim at having language students make:

• relevant connections to other subject areas,

• appropriate comparisons which lead them to develop insight to the nature of language and culture,

• meaningful contributions to multilingual communities at home and around the world.

Increasing numbers of students who enroll in foreign language programs already possess the ability to communicate in a variety of languages other than English.  For these linguistically and culturally diverse students, classes which focus more on literacy skills and culture rather than on oral language development, provide these students with the opportunity to develop a higher level of proficiency in their native languages and at the same time increase their academic performance in other subject areas.

Most language teachers who have had success in implementing language courses for diverse learners, have focused on linking context, content and process as an organizing principle for the language curriculum.  By examining the current dynamic contexts of society and communities (and thus schools), and studying the content of the curriculum, textbooks and other instructional materials, these teachers have devised learning processes which focus on connecting students’ diverse experiences, what they know, and bring to the classroom.   As Hernandez (2001) points out, "many educators have successfully enabled diverse learners to acquire a high level of linguistic proficiency by focusing  on establishing inclusive learning contexts, selecting appropriate and culturally relevant content, and identifying learning approaches which engage students in the learning process."

In summary, echoing the messages set forth in President  Clinton’s Memorandum of April 19, 2000, Secretary of Education Riley’s statement of March 15, 2000, the United States Congress’ Statement on Foreign Languages, and the profession’s Statement of Philosophy as stated in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning In The 21st Century (1999), the  United States must strive to implement quality foreign language programs in all of our schools so that all students will graduate with the ability to interact linguistically and culturally with people in multilingual communities at home and abroad.    Students who are competent in at least two languages will dramatically increase the US capabilities in diplomacy, world trade, and human understanding.

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Bamford, K.W., & Mizokawa, D. T. (1991). "Additive-Bilingual (Immersion) Education: Cognitive and Language Development."  Language Learning 41 (3): 413-429.

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Valdés, Guadalupe.  (1996).  Con Respeto:  Bridging the Distances Between Culturally Diverse Families and Schools.  New York, NY:  Teachers College Press.

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