JHU foreign language enrollment increases
As the nation sees an upsurge in enrollment in for foreign language classes and a strain on the availability of qualified teachers, Hopkins has worked to meet the increased demands.
According to a study by the Modern Language Association (MLA), colleges have seen enrollments increase - particularly in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and American Sign Language.
While this growth has nationally brought on a shortage of teachers and a stop gap of sometimes unqualified replacements, Hopkins faculty feel they are sufficiently meeting the demand.
"Many of the top universities were insulated from any decline in foreign language enrollments," said Stephen Nichols, head of the German and Romance Languages and Literature Department.
Arabic, the fastest-growing major language in the nation, is taught by only two professors at Hopkins. National enrollment in Arabic has increased by more than 100 percent, according to the MLA study.
"I have had offers to teach at other universities. All universities are short of professors," Arabic lecturer Khalil Tahrawi said.
Tahrawi said he has seen enrollment increase to more than 100 students up from just 35 students when he started in at Hopkins in 2004.
The MLA study found that about 1.5 million students are currently taking language classes, a 12.9 percent increase since 2002.
However, enrollment numbers decreased significantly after the introductory level of study.
Analysis of national enrollment found that only five languages had 20 percent of the undergraduate classes offered at the advanced level.
Nationally, the ratio of enrollments in introductory classes to advanced classes in Arabic falls at only eight to one. Chinese is slightly better at nine to two, while Spanish is five to one.
Coordinator of German Language Instruction Deborah Mifflin said she feels the foreign language programs at Hopkins "do a good job of retaining students who start with us. We are keeping student s interested."
According to a study by the Modern Language Association (MLA), colleges have seen enrollments increase - particularly in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and American Sign Language.
While this growth has nationally brought on a shortage of teachers and a stop gap of sometimes unqualified replacements, Hopkins faculty feel they are sufficiently meeting the demand.
"Many of the top universities were insulated from any decline in foreign language enrollments," said Stephen Nichols, head of the German and Romance Languages and Literature Department.
Arabic, the fastest-growing major language in the nation, is taught by only two professors at Hopkins. National enrollment in Arabic has increased by more than 100 percent, according to the MLA study.
"I have had offers to teach at other universities. All universities are short of professors," Arabic lecturer Khalil Tahrawi said.
Tahrawi said he has seen enrollment increase to more than 100 students up from just 35 students when he started in at Hopkins in 2004.
The MLA study found that about 1.5 million students are currently taking language classes, a 12.9 percent increase since 2002.
However, enrollment numbers decreased significantly after the introductory level of study.
Analysis of national enrollment found that only five languages had 20 percent of the undergraduate classes offered at the advanced level.
Nationally, the ratio of enrollments in introductory classes to advanced classes in Arabic falls at only eight to one. Chinese is slightly better at nine to two, while Spanish is five to one.
Coordinator of German Language Instruction Deborah Mifflin said she feels the foreign language programs at Hopkins "do a good job of retaining students who start with us. We are keeping student s interested."
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