Video Transcript – Lead with Languages: Making Language Proficiency a National Priority

Video Transcript

[Narrator]: Imagine waking up one day to a new reality. A world where English is only one of thousands of languages, and 90% of Americans are left out of the conversation. Realize that that day is today. In the world we share with 7 billion people, 75% don’t understand any English. And the fastest growing economies across the globe are non-English speaking. How can we succeed in commerce, in diplomacy, and in our careers, in today’s multilingual and multicultural world? With languages.

Learning other languages is essential for America. Language competency equips our workforce for a competitive job market. It opens the doors for businesses of every size to connect with the 95% of the world’s customers who live outside our borders. And in an era of increased global challenges and conflicts, it empowers our diplomatic, military, and intelligence communities to be effective in their missions. Outside the US, knowing multiple languages is the standard, not the exception. Time to wake up and lead ourselves from today to tomorrow, with languages. Let’s make languages a national priority to prepare Americans for a brighter future in a more connected world.