1. Benefits of World Language Study By Melisia Taylor

2. Changing World WEF (World Economic Forum) Competitive Index Global Competitive Index Rankings: 1 - Switzerland 2 - Singapore 3 - Finland 4 - Germany 5 - USA 6 - Sweden 7 - Hong Kong SAR 8 - Netherlands 9 - Japan 10 - UK

3. General Benefits Elevated academic performance Higher achievement on standardized tests Improved problem solving skills Expanded employability Increased cognitive ability Increased brain elasticity Off-set of age-related cognitive losses

4. Employment & Careers Highest unemployment rate is between 18-24 year olds Amongst this age group, those with foreign language experience have a 30% better chance of being hired Employers usually pay those with foreign language experience 2%-3% more

5. Employment ~ 4,600 French companies conduct business in the U.S., providing over 650,000 American jobs U.S. is 4 th largest exporter of goods to Germany Japanese companies number ~ 900+ in Ohio and Michigan alone and employ ~ 109,000+ people NAFTA - trade with Canada and Mexico is ~ $1.2 trillion, and the two countries buy about one-third of U.S. merchandise exports (supports ~ 14 million U.S. jobs)

6. Economic Foreign language services are a $20 billion industry Much of the growth potential for businesses is overseas Globalization requires cultural aptitude as well as language