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Politics : Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Compendium of Liberal Fiction -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JakeStraw who wrote (10750)	7/1/2004 2:00:29 PM
From: mph	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90947

You should read the series of posts which support Moore's comments on the basis that Americans rank low on academics and are otherwise not as informed as folks in other countries about international matters. One example given was the way news is handled. They don't realize the irony of their statements. The left has really controlled education for years and the major media to which they refer also has a decidedly liberal bias. Ergo, if Americans are as stupid as Moore claims, much of the blame goes to the very people touting his beliefs....

To: JakeStraw who wrote (10750)	7/1/2004 2:26:54 PM
From: Lazarus_Long	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90947

The fishy doesn't like me screwing up his fantasies with facts (he's banned me), but.... 22 percent of Americans have traveled to another country in the last five years foreignpolicy.com That's free, but it requires registration. Americans are surprisingly well-traveled, with 55 percent of national and 62 percent of student survey respondents reporting that they had crossed international borders at least once. While almost two-thirds of these sojourns were to Canada and Mexico, Europe as a whole (35 percent) and the United Kingdom in particular (24 percent) were also popular destinations, indicating a preference for travel close to home or to western destinations. Because vacations are the primary motivation for foreign travel, international exposure for most respondents was limited to a period of two weeks or less. Interestingly, 17 percent of those reporting international travel had been abroad for a year or longer, nearly half as members of the U.S. armed forces. Level of education was the most significant predictor of international travel: More than 75 percent of the college graduates had been abroad, a percentage more than twice as high as people who had not finished high school. Asked about their ability to speak a language other than English, 17 percent of the national survey respondents claimed a working fluency in another language, while 48 percent professed to be fairly or at least somewhat proficient. Both figures are a substantial drop from the 58 percent found in a previous survey of foreign language proficiency done in 1988. Ninety-eight percent of the students reported having taken a foreign language in primary or secondary school, with the majority planning to take additional language courses in college. Despite the linguistic interest and ability demonstrated by this group, colleges and universities nationwide continue to decrease foreign language requirements. The study found that people who speak multiple languages are more likely to travel abroad than those who do not. Young people (18 to 24 year olds) claimed the greatest facility with foreign languages. Sixty-four percent of the national sample reported that they follow international news events, although substantially less than those interested in local (89 percent) and national (82 percent) news. Interest in world affairs is higher for people with foreign travel arrow to top of pageexperience, with a quarter more than those who have never been abroad indicating that they follow international news. Respondents with college and university degrees demonstrated a greater interest in news events beyond our national borders than those without them. International Attitudes Do Americans believe globalization impacts their daily lives? Results from a series of attitudinal questions about international issues and events indicate a public that seems increasingly informed (in some but not all areas) and interested in what happens beyond U.S. borders. Eighty percent of the national survey respondents believe that the United States should be involved in world affairs, an increase of nearly 15 percent from five years ago. Asked how necessary knowledge of international issues will be for their career in 10 years, more than half considered it somewhat or very important. Commenting on its importance to the professional careers of future generations, positive response jumped to 90 percent. Informants from the student survey were similarly disposed—more than 80 percent believed that international skills and competencies would help them work with people from different cultures and provide a competitive edge when transitioning into the workforce. The shift in attitudes toward international knowledge is further evidenced by the public’s support of foreign language training. Over 85 percent of the national survey respondents indicated that knowledge of a foreign language was important—a significantly higher percentage than was found in a Gallup Poll conducted some 20 years ago. Eighty-five percent also believed that knowing a foreign language would help them find a better job. Three out of four students reported that proficiency in a second language was important to them, while 85 percent said that the availability of foreign language classes would be a factor in their selection of a college or university. Consistent with their belief in the importance of foreign languages, more than 75 percent of the national survey respondents stated that foreign language training should be mandatory for secondary school students, and more than 70 percent were in favor of making it a requirement at colleges and universities. The public was even more adamant that higher education institutions require general courses covering international topics, and nearly three out of four respondents believed it important that students study or participate in an internship abroad at some point. The preferences of college-bound high school students are especially interesting in this regard. Eighty-six percent said they planned to participate in international courses or programs, and almost 50 percent expressed an interest in study abroad. That is a substantially higher rate than the 3 percent who currently go abroad and, if these preferences materialize, even somewhat, presages a substantial increase in demand. The availability of other forms of campus-based international preparation was also important. Nearly eight out of 10 national survey respondents remarked that the presence of international programs would positively influence the choice of college or university for them or their children. Similar sentiments prevailed among the students surveyed. More than 70 percent considered it important that the institution they attend offer foreign language and international courses, study abroad programs, and opportunities to interact with foreign students. Eighty-six percent of the national survey respondents agreed that having international students on campus enriches the learning experience of American arrow to top of pagestudents. The importance given to international learning opportunities by both students and the public suggests that institutions with robust international offerings will have a competitive advantage in attracting future students. acenet.edu