Notes on a National Strategy for Global Education

摘要

Scholarly literature and anecdotal reports have long suggested that the Americans lack the language skills and cultural competence to carry out the Nation's business effectively, in both the public and the private sectors, despite almost 75 years of federal support for cross-cultural and language education. This study sought to answer the questions whether there is in fact a problem; if so, why; and whether a national strategy for global education could contribute to the solution of the problem. Semi-structured interviews were held with a convenience sample of respondents connected with the intelligence, defense, diplomatic, and academic communities, and the private sector, and the results transcribed and coded thematically. Results were supplemented by relevant literature. Although the results were not unanimous, the respondents generally agreed that improvements in global education were critical to national and homeland security, including the Nation's ability to remain competitive in an increasingly global economy, and that a national strategy would be a useful tool for providing the necessary political leadership and public education. The respondents also offered preliminary thoughts on how a national strategy might be developed, what goals it might seek to achieve, and issues to be considered in planning.