Increasing the Number of Minority FL Educators: Local Action to Meet a National Imperative

Abstract

The low number of minority foreign language (FL) educators reflects an overall decline in the number of minority educators. Both declines pose serious threats to effective education in the coming decades. Many recommendations have been made for increasing the number of minority educators in general, but the need continues for specific strategies to increase the number of minority educators in our own profession. This article sets the context of the problem by discussing difficulties of definition of the term “minority” and reviews the literature regarding minority students in general and the minority educator shortage in general. Then follows a discussion of problems specific to the foreign language profession and some of the surprisingly few proposals for solutions. One possible solution is action at the local level by community members, by schools and universities, by associations, and by each individual foreign language educator.