More than half of Americans believe it is very important for children to learn Spanish in school, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. The study found that 53% of those surveyed consider it "extremely or very" important for U.S. schools to offer Spanish classes, making it the most preferred non-English language for instruction.
Spanish is the second most common language spoken at home in the U.S. after English. Census figures indicate that 45 million people aged 5 and over speak Spanish at home, representing a significant increase from approximately 5% of the population in 1980 to nearly 14% in 2024.
While Spanish leads in public opinion, Mandarin Chinese was the second most requested language for school offerings, with one-fifth of respondents favoring it. Latin was also mentioned, with 14% of respondents believing it should be taught.
In terms of current school offerings, Spanish is available as an independent class in 40% of U.S. public schools. Mandarin Chinese and Latin are taught in a much smaller percentage of schools, at 3% and 2% respectively. French is the next most commonly taught foreign language, offered in 12% of schools, though public interest in learning French has reportedly declined, with only 13% of respondents indicating it should be taught.
The survey also revealed demographic differences in opinions on foreign language education. Immigrants and residents of urban areas are more likely than their U.S.-born counterparts and those in rural or suburban areas to believe foreign languages should be taught in schools. Among first-generation immigrants and individuals born in Puerto Rico, nearly two-thirds stated it was extremely important for U.S. children to learn a second language, compared to 36% of U.S.-born respondents.
Opinions on language education also correlated with perspectives on America's global standing. Only 27% of those who view the U.S. as the sole global superpower considered learning another language very important for American children. This figure rose to 43% for those who see the U.S. as one of several global superpowers and 51% for those who do not identify the U.S. as a superpower at all.