Proposed Cuts in Funding for Foreign Language Programs in US

Public foreign language programs may now be cut or eliminated because of education budget cuts to the Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP), the only source of federal funding for K-12 foreign language programs. This is the second blow to our future global competitiveness. Higher education spending for foreign languages (Title VI) has already been reduced by $50 million, a 40 percent reduction from the previous year.

I wrote to my Congressional representative, Michael Honda, and was happy to get a response stating his support for FLAP. Rep. Honda was a Peace Corps volunteer in Central America and he speaks fluent Spanish.

Write to your Congressional representative to secure financial support for elementary, middle school and high school foreign language education. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) has an advocacy campaign for you to contact your Congressional Representatives and Senators to protect funding for FLAP.