Diminished black student enrollment in Spanish courses: The current situation in the U.S.

• In Event: The diminished presence of black learners studying Spanish in the U.S.: Reasons and solutions

Abstract

Enrollment data shows a consistent decrease of black student enrollment in intermediate and advanced level Spanish courses, as compared to students with others ethno-racial backgrounds. A recent case study (Anya, 2011) purported that this discrepancy is due to a lack of racial representation in the Spanish classrooms, as well as students’ negative formative experiences—including racist behaviors within the Hispanic community. The present study reports on two studies to demonstrate the current situation in the U.S. First, it reports on quantitative enrollment data from select public universities in the United States. Second, it provides information on teachers’ perspectives of their own classroom contexts. It also examines other reasons for diminished black student presence in the Spanish classrooms. A brief glance at the intermediate and advanced Spanish course enrollment suggests that students’ chosen major can also play a crucial roll in the pursuit of mastering a second language. Unlike other degrees, majors associated with international politics, business and relations; and languages and literature, among others, tend to require its students the acquisition of a second language at a proficient level or, at least, emphasize its importance in order to be competitive in the job market. If this is the case, which percentage of black students are enrolled in these programs? Is their presence also diminished in these fields? Are black students encouraged to pursue careers that do not demand the proficiency in a second language? We address these questions by presenting on our analysis of the collected data.

Author

• Deborah Gomez