Foreign Language Readiness for National Interests: Bridging Academic Training and Strategic Workforce Needs

Author(s)	Caleb Setorglo, Alex Ohemeng
Country	United States
Abstract	The United States has strong overall English proficiency, but it continues to face a shortage of professionals with advanced skills in foreign languages, particularly French and Spanish, which are important for national security, diplomacy, and global economic engagement. The challenge is not the number of learners, but the limited number who achieve Advanced-to-Superior (ILR 2+/3+) proficiency required for complex professional tasks. This review looks at the factors contributing to the shortfall: university programs that emphasize general language skills over profession-specific training, language policies that are poorly aligned and subject to frequent change, underused pathways for heritage speakers, and limited adoption of teaching approaches like Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). Together, these challenges underscore the importance of joint action across education, policy, and workforce systems to develop and sustain high-level language skills in strategically important languages.
Field	Sociology > Education
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 2, March-April 2026
Published On	2026-03-27
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.72584

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