Federal and State Legislative Updates

When you call, write, or visit your policymaker, we encourage you to do some research first. Review our suggested talking points to help them better understand the impact of their decisions on education, world language education, and the teaching profession.

Commission on Language Learning

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences created the Commission on Language Learning, in response to bipartisan requests from members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, to examine the current state of language education, to project what the nation’s education needs will be in the future, and to offer recommendations for ways to meet those needs.

The Commission’s final report, America’s Languages: Investing in Language Learning for the 21st Century, offers concrete recommendations to improve access to as many languages as possible, for people of every age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background.

The State of Languages in the U.S.: A Statistical Portrait summarizes the nation’s current language capacity, focusing on the U.S. education system.

Five white papers contained the context and vital information and data on issues articulated in the Congressional letters to inform the Commission’s work.