Share of All K–12 Students Enrolled in Language Courses Other than English, by State, 2014–2015

Proficiency in a second language requires extended course sequences that ensure adequate opportunities to learn and practice using the language. As of 2014, only twelve states had more than one in four elementary- and secondary-school students studying languages other than English. (Note that English language learners are not included in these reports.) The share of elementary- and secondary-school students enrolled in language classes or programs in individual states ranged from 7.9% in New Mexico to 51.2% in New Jersey. The share for the nation as a whole is 21.5%. In comparison, more than half of all students in European primary schools were learning another language in 2014.