As we transition from understanding heritage languages, we hope you have a better understanding that many languages in the world remain underrepresented in educational systems. Within this broader context of minoritized and heritage languages, we draw your attention in this section to another way of grouping less visible languages, which can help us understand more about the role of power and access in language learning. Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) are languages people learn as their heritage or second language in a context that has limited access to them, limited either in the form of educational opportunities or public attention.

What makes a language “Less Commonly Taught”?

PennState College of the Liberal Arts (2024) defines less commonly taught languages as  “Languages that are now taught only infrequently in a particular country”. From this definition, it is clear that the classification of languages as LCTLs is relative and depends on various factors such as place, time, and status of the language. For example, Persian, a majoritized language in countries like Iran, Afghanistan, or Tajikistan, becomes minoritized in Europe or Asia and hence it will be less commonly taught in, let’s say, Germany or China.

In the context of the U.S., The Modern Language Association, in their enrollment report for world languages (2023), considers “all languages not included in the top fifteen” to be less commonly taught languages. These top languages are the world’s most spoken languages in terms of their L1 speakers and include, Mandarin Chinese, English, Spanish, Hindi/Urdu, Arabic, Portuguese, Bengali, Russian, Japanese, German, French, Javanese, Korean, Italian, Panjabi, Marathi, Vietnamese, Telugu, Turkish, Tamil, Ukrainian, and Polish.

But in a broader context, The National Less Commonly Taught Languages Resource Center (n.d.) considers “all languages other than English and the commonly taught European languages of German, French and Spanish” as less commonly taught languages worldwide.

LCTLs and the Power-Access Equation 

You can ask how LCTLs intersect with the topics of power and access. The answer lies in the word, less-commonly taught; the less power a language has, the less access people have to learn or use it. Minoritized languages like LCTLs, in other words, do not get educational and public attention. Access to resources and public services in these languages also consequently remains limited. For example, over 7000 languages are spoken in the world but how many of them do you see represented online? In fact, 80% of online content is limited to only ten languages: English, Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Portuguese, German, French, Russian and Korean (Consumers International, 2018). Does this surprise you?

LCTLs have their own Privileges 

Although we are aware that the LCTLs face challenges in terms of resources, accessibility, and fewer formal learning opportunities, these languages also bring unique privileges and advantages to human societies. Murphy et al. (2009), in their review of the literature for reasons students take courses in less commonly taught languages, summarize and report two main motivations: utilitarian (academic or professional) and humanistic (personal). Drawing on these reasons, let’s look at the privileges and opportunities LCTLs can bring to you:

If you become proficient in one of these languages, you are more likely to become a priority candidate in many professional settings. Many international organizations need people with multilingual skills to expand their global reach by extending partnerships with local communities in different regions. If you have your own business, it can grow economically with your ability to communicate in a LCTL by expanding your network in different regions and making your product global. If you are a scholar or researcher, proficiency in a LCTL is a bonus, with access to primary texts and people for collecting data. Whether your pursuit is international relations, business, or research, think about the unique experiences and diverse perspectives LCTLs can bring to you and your work.

On the other hand, diplomacy, business, and research are all noble pursuits but human endeavors can extend beyond diplomatic and scientific goals. If you are a heritage speaker of a LCTL, learning your language can be a way for your hybrid identity to become more grounded and your personal expression more fluid and uniquely translingual. Or, if you are a traveling geek with a curiosity to explore different cultures, think about the experience of exploring a culture with its language! You can participate in local events with a deep appreciation for their culture instead of attending events with only a surface understanding. Interacting with local people in their language may also result in lifelong friendships! Most importantly, if you have the privilege of speaking a globally dominant language, adding a LCTL to your repertoire will give you a personal sense of contribution by giving some attention to less visible languages. Your contribution can make a difference in preserving these languages!

Where to go to learn these languages? 

While English, Spanish, French, and German remain the most commonly taught languages in the world, there is a growing recognition for LCTLs as well in recent times, worldwide. More and more universities in the U.S. are also offering programs and courses in these languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Swahili, and more. One of the examples of such programs is the Self Study Language Program at the University of Oregon.

Self-Study Language Program at the University of Oregon

The Yamada Language Center at the University of Oregon hosts a Self Study Language Program for less commonly taught languages. This program offers a unique opportunity for students and community members in Eugene to learn a variety of languages such as Hindi/Urdu, Turkish, Nepali, Russian, Dutch, Persian, and other languages as requested. These languages are taught by teachers who speak these languages as their L1. For example, Halima taught Hindi/Urdu in this program as a Fulbright Scholar from Pakistan in 2022-23. Read her story below.

There’s more!

The National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL) is a nonprofit organization in the U.S. that advocates and supports the expansion of LCTLs around the world. The National LCTL Resource Center (NLRC) at the Michigan State University is another federally funded center dedicated to resources development for LCTLs. The Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning (COERLL) at the University of Texas at Austin offers a selection of open online resources for 14 different languages. If you want to search where a specific LCTL in the U.S. is being taught, the Center of Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) at University of Minnesota has a searchable database to find out those locations where the language is being taught. Some universities are also beginning to offer hybrid courses that allow learners from other regions to take their courses.

In addition to these language centers, online platforms also offer flexible learning options. There are many language learning apps that provide varied proficiency level courses for different languages. These apps and platforms include Babble (14 languages), Ling App (60 languages), Mango Languages (70 languages), Pimsleur (51 languages), and Duolingo (38 languages). These platforms have their unique characteristics and they can be used for various purposes and needs to support your learning.

Here’s the Bottom Line

Less commonly taught languages are unique languages! Whether you are motivated by a career opportunity or a connection to your heritage language, learning these languages is an extraordinarily rewarding experience. Even if you don’t choose to learn a LCTL, you can notice and appreciate the people around you who do speak them or are learning them. For example, some of your neighbors, local shopkeepers, teachers, or fellow students in your classes all might have ties to these languages. With an increased awareness and appreciation for different cultures, you help to increase visibility and access to these languages, ultimately promoting linguistic diversity.

References

Lusin, N., Peterson, T., Sulewski, C., & Zafer, R. (2023). Enrollments in languages other than English in US institutions of higher education, fall 2021. Modern Language Association of America. https://www.mla.org/content/download/191324/file/Enrollments-in-Languages-Other-Than-English-in-US-Institutions-of-Higher-Education-Fall-2021.pdf

Consumers International. (2018, December 14). Over 7000 languages are spoken in the world today, but not many are represented online. Retrieved June 20, 2024, from https://www.consumersinternational.org/news-resources/blog/posts/over-7000-languages-are-spoken-in-the-world-today-but-not-many-are-represented-online/

Murphy, D., Magnan, S., Back, M., & Garrett-Rucks, P. (2009). Reasons students take courses in less commonly taught and more commonly taught languages. Journal of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages, 7, 45-80. Find in Google Scholar

Penn State College of Liberal Arts. (2024). Less commonly taught language initiative introduction. Retrieved June 20, 2024, from https://sgllc.la.psu.edu/less-commonly-taught-language-initiative/#:~:text=Languages%20that%20are%20now%20taught,Commonly%20Taught%20Languages%2C%20or%20LCTL’s.%20)

The National Less Commonly Taught Languages Resource Center. (n.d.). What are LCTLs? Retrieved June 20, 2024, from  https://nlrc.msu.edu/what-are-lctls/#:~:text=The%20National%20Council%20of%20Less,German%2C%20French%20and%20Spanish.%E2%80%9D