Exploring the Spatial Relationships between Language Education and Surrounding Communities.

In the US high school system, foreign language is an important requirement but under-resourced. With the ever-increasing diverse workforce, there is a need to leverage foreign language skills to prepare students to become global citizens. In this study, we explore the relationship between language teaching in high schools and how language course offerings are related to the needs of the surrounding communities. By utilizing spatial tools and data visualizations, we demonstrate problems in the education system like estimating the types of courses to be offered based on the demands of the population. We selected Orange County as the site for our study. We found that only four out of the top ten languages are currently offered in the county's school districts. We hope that this research will provide school districts a better view on the language needs of the community so they can offer courses that fit with these needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]