German Programs in the U.S.

What is the most learned language in the U.S.? 

Spanish and French definitely. But what about German? 

Why is there a significant decrease in German programs across the country? 

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, the whole world started to take

an interest on all things German; and German classes in American public schools

saw significant enrollment increases. However, the increase ended by the mid 1990s.

The surge of the powers in the Mideast and China has caused many German programs 

across the country got pushed out of American curriculum. Ever since, the future of German

language across the globe has been a concern for the German government. 

This shift in language learning not only reflects the new surging powers in Asia, 

but also the shift in American demographics. Though the U.S. has always been a 

country built by immigrants, its population has shifted from predominantly White 

to more and more multiracial, and German has never been a popular language 

among the minorities. There is a general impression that German is a difficult language,

and many American students, not only minorities, still associate Germany with the Third Reich 

and the holocaust, a land of blue eyes and blond hair, and beer. Additionally, the U.S. 

is a country of immigrants and foreign-language speakers, but not a country of foreign language 

"learners." Even today, many Americans still don't see the importance of acquiring foreign-language

skills. 

Another reason why the German programs have been gradually pushed out of

American curriculum has to do with the well-financed Chinese government campaign that

tries to expand Mandarin Chinese across the States. "China pursues a very active policy

of subsidies, with the avowed goal of anchoring Chinese instruction in the U.S. educational 

landscape."

So far, German(half a million students) still remains the third most-studied

language in the U.S., after Spanish(more than 7 million students) and French(More than a million). But the decline in enrollments is astounding. A study financed by the federal Department of Education found that only 14 percent of high schools taught German in 2008, down from 24 percent in 1997. 

Nevertheless, not only is there a drop in German language programs, the proportion of high schools teaching French has also dropped from 64 to 46 percent, and the French government also has its own effort to promote student enrollments in French. Even worse, Italian is suspended by The College Board of its Advanced Placement

Test in 2009 due to its low student participation. Interestingly, after subsidized by the Italian government, the program has returned. 

The Think Trans-Atlantic campaign at the UW Germanics department is also an event sponsored by the 

German government and promoted by students of German. However, besides the German film-series and 

the promotion of the campaign within German-related programs(such as the language courses and European Studies

courses), are there other ways to attract new students to learn German? Ideally, a more multiracial classroom? 

I think it is important to show students that Germany is also a multicultural country, that not only Europeans, but also many Asians and Africans speak fluent German. Another important aspect is to perhaps, recruit more younger generation

German teachers that represent the "young Germany." In this way, the students can relate more with their teachers. 

The UW Germanics department does a good job in this aspect, which exchange students from Germany not only come 

here to study, but also gain experience in teaching.