Language Votes: Attitudes Toward Foreign Language Policies

This article reports data from opinion polls on attitudes toward language policy in the American public over the last decade. The data appear to reflect sustained support for the teaching and learning of foreign languages at all levels and suggest that there is stronger grassroots acknowledgment of the value of languages than is reflected in statements issued by professionals engaged in, and organizations devoted to, the teaching and learning of languages. The data provide a foundation on which to advocate for increased support of foreign language learning as a core component of 21st-century education and citizenship.