Historical trends of foreign language requirements in U.S. higher education and insights from a college Chinese program survey

Abstract

This study adopts a historically informed approach to examine the evolution, current structure, and implications of foreign language requirements in U.S. higher education. It draws on a survey of 161 Chinese programs at four-year institutions to examine the structure and variation of these requirements. Quantitative results show that approximately 82.6% of surveyed institutions maintain some form of foreign language requirement and that such requirements are typically clustered around two- and four-semester models. No significant differences in requirement length were found across institution types (e.g., public vs. private; liberal arts colleges vs. universities); however, a significant association was observed between requirement length and departmental affiliation. Interviews with program representatives further suggest that the weakening, restructuring, or elimination of foreign language requirements is often followed by immediate and sometimes substantial enrollment declines. The study concludes by arguing that effective advocacy for foreign language requirements requires attention not only to the length of such requirements, but also to clearer policy articulation of the educational value of language study, including intercultural competence, intellectual development, and global engagement.