Community Language Schools Conference

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Language Education in Los Angeles

According to recent census data, over 57 million people in the U.S. —that is, nearly 20% of the population—speak a language other than English at home (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010). The State of California has the largest number of foreign born residents in the nation (over 10 million), followed by New York state and Texas (over 4 million each). Los Angeles County has the largest foreign-born population, with 56.4% of residents speaking a language other than English at home. Los Angeles Unified School District reports that its students speak 91 different languages. This paper will report on the linguistic landscape of Greater Los Angeles and will discuss whether the public educational system responds adequately to the presence of heritage language speakers. The findings underscore the importance of community schools as an integral part of language education in Los Angeles.