by Karen Meaney
October 31, 2017
Instructional materials for high school world language learning represent a $150 million dollar market opportunity, according to EMC school, a major instructional materials market competitor. Several trends highlight the market potential of high school language instructional materials.
According to EMC, Spanish language instructional resources account for approximately 70% of high school language curriculum sales. Student enrollment figures provided in the 2017 report The National K-12 Foreign Language Survey Report, confirm the dominance of Spanish and points to different languages high schools students study.
Top 9 Languages Students Study by Enrollment:
Dominating the instructional materials market landscape is the rise of Chinese enrollment and number of high school Chinese programs, according to the report. Up to 72% of high schools reported offering courses or online instruction in Chinese. Chinese language instruction is widespread within school systems in 49 states and the District of Columbia.
Schools are supplementing language classes with technology including web-based programs and computer-assisted instructional materials. High schools with limited resources or staff use alternate formats, such as online courses, to provide instruction to students, and increasingly include technology in traditional classes.
Companies are producing language learning technology to assist schools with limited resources. EMC, began bundling i-Culture immersion tools with its Spanish, French, and German ebooks. i-Culture content updates regularly and offers immersive experiences into Spanish, French, and German culture through news articles, videos, and songs.
To enhance high school world language programs, schools provide more elements that use technology or relate to the culture of the country where the language is spoken. There are other elements that could be added: The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages promotes an integrated, 21st century approach to language learning that includes five C's: communcation, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities.
Another opportunity to enhance instructional technology for language learning is in the area of assessment, as few standardized assessments are in place to measure language-learning outcomes, according to the National K-12 Foreign Language Survey Report.
For more information on technology in high school world language curriculums, visit the story on world language instructional materials to be published in the November 3rd issue of Electronic Education Report.
Provide the following details to subscribe.