2006-12-31 14:54:36 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
1%, but I might be exaggerating
2007-01-01 03:47:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here's an actual statistic:
Enrollments in modern-language courses increased from 23 percent of U.S. secondary students in 1982 to 38 percent in 1990 – largely due to stiffer college entrance requirements. Nevertheless, according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, "only 3 percent of American high school graduates, and only 5 percent of our college graduates, reach a meaningful proficiency in a second language – and many of these students come from bilingual homes"; ACTFL Public Awareness Newsletter, May 1987.
As cited here:http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JWCRAWFORD/engplus.htm
Assuming that the source was cited correctly, ACTFL is a reputable source.
2007-01-02 19:08:16 · answer #2 · answered by drshorty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a rarity among Americans. I can speak English fluently, spanish 98% fluently, and German 15% fluently (still in the learning process). I have plans to learn many more foreign languages after german and spanish like Russian, Korean, Turkish, etc.
2007-01-01 09:12:16 · answer #3 · answered by mcc123 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's a really subjective question. The English language has over 600,000 words--Americans haven't mastered those yet.
2006-12-31 14:58:40 · answer #4 · answered by sixgun 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That all depends on if you mean native born Americans, immigrants that have attained citizenship or Americans born to American parents in other countries. Also what level do you consider mastered? Also do you count Spanish or English as the mother tongue?
2006-12-31 15:00:22 · answer #5 · answered by arikutoy 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
not a lot. but a huge percentage of mormons, especially men, has mastered a second language because they go on a mission for two years if that could help.....haha
2006-12-31 17:06:12 · answer #6 · answered by dang-duh! 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I don't really know but whatever it is, it's got to be very small; somewhere between five and ten percent. They can't even read/pronounce a foreign name written in English!
2006-12-31 15:16:50 · answer #7 · answered by Nikolas S 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Extremely small minority - I would venture to say no more than 10%. In Germany we had a joke:
"What do you call someone who speaks many languages? Multi-Lingual / What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual / What do you call someone who speaks one language? American"
2006-12-31 14:57:33 · answer #8 · answered by OrthoAng 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
100% of the bilinguals
2006-12-31 14:57:46 · answer #9 · answered by Sterz 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
some of us are still trying to learn--10 years now (mandarin).
2006-12-31 18:33:34 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋