According to the Washington D.C. based Center for Applied Linguistics, the percent of elementary schools offering foreign language classes has risen, but the average age a student begins foreign language training is still 14.
Fourteen is the age most students are when they enter high school, a measure that has not changed between 1987 and 1997.
The Michigan Department of Education does not mandate schools teach a foreign language nor do they have an individual at their offices that concentrates solely on foreign language content.
A spokesperson from the Department of Education did advocate children learn a foreign language as early as possible, and did say individual schools make the decision to learn a language.
