Spanish, French, and German have leads, but Chinese and Latin are at a near dead heat at about 2% of students studying them in US Schools.
In the classical world, we know we’re not quite mainstream. Parents often ask: Why don’t you teach Spanish? The attached chart from Education Week June 20, 2017 does show that almost 70% of students are currently learning Spanish.
Latin? 2%. This sounds small, but it’s curious to those in the education world. Why on earth would anyone study Latin? Spanish, French, and German handily beat the dead little language. But, Chinese and Latin are at a near tie at 2% “ish.” The powers that be in the public education world note this:
“…Almost eight times as many students are enrolled in courses in Latin, a so-called ‘dead language,’ than Arabic, one that is very much in demand in the 21st century.”
They see a problem, and are curious as to why Latin. When you next have to defend it with parents, note that only 3 languages get more instructional time, and Latin exceeds all other remaining languages, while at a near tie with Chinese. Our students won’t be so lost as some might think.
Continue reading: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/06/21/just-20-percent-of-k-12-students-are.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news1