Professional Development for Language Teachers: Preparing Educators for the 21st Century. 1998 State Survey.

The survey, using data gathered from state foreign language association presidents and state foreign language supervisors and a number of other sources, investigated issues in professional development for language teachers. Forty-six out of 50 states responded to the survey, but not all of the states responded to each quotation. The survey consisted of questions on teacher shortages, recruitment, certification, bilingual education, and American Sign Language. Results indicate that teacher shortages are affecting most states, and increasing student enrollments in elementary, middle, and high schools exacerbate this problem. Largest shortages are in Spanish and Japanese, followed by French, German, Latin, Chinese, Arabic, Italian, and Korean. Despite increased enrollment figures, foreign language requirements at any level are not common. Approximately 89 percent of all language teachers are certified; of the remainder, half are emergency certified and half are uncertified. Emergency certification is commonplace, and most school districts provide alternative methods for language teacher certification. While professional development is being addressed in the states, how it is supported and treated varies greatly. It includes training through workshops and conferences, inservice opportunities, and federally-funded programs. Obstacles faced by teachers in obtaining professional development include competition with other disciplines, treatment of languages as outside the core curriculum, poor program information dissemination, and lack of financial support. (MSE)