Highlighting African Language StudyFebruary 22, 2013
According to an article by Institute of International Education research officer Leah Mason in Language Magazine, there is a renewed interest among U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study African languages. This interest, she argues, can be attributed to a growing awareness of the culture and history of the continent, new opportunities to study abroad there, and students’ desire to link their future careers to government initiatives focused on US-Africa relations.
She further demonstrates how NSEP programs like the Boren Awards, the African Language Initiative and the Language Flagship have all contributed to this growth. By providing funding and resources for students to study these languages, they enable exposure to and even fluency in languages that can otherwise be difficult to access in university settings.
Click here to read the full article (found on pages 36-40).