The Indiana Language Roadmap Initiative aims to make high-quality world language instruction and training in global skills available, equitable, and affordable to all Indiana residents. It began in 2017, funded through a grant to Indiana University from the Language Flagship, an initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense through the National Security Education Program and administered by the Institute for International Education. Led by Indiana University’s Center for the Study of Global Change in the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, the Indiana Language Roadmap relies on the expertise of a statewide network of individuals and organizations that are committed to advancing the international identity of Indiana. The Center for the Study of Global Change will continue to coordinate efforts in conjunction with its partners to develop the infrastructure required to implement and sustain this important work.
Achieving the Roadmap Plan’s four priorities and eleven goals will require the ongoing involvement and commitment of these stakeholders and others.
Building a more purposeful educational pipeline to prepare Indiana residents for increasingly diverse and globally-connected lives and careers.
1.1 Incentivize Teaching and Learning
Cultivate opportunities for high-quality language instruction and global learning by encouraging and incentivizing teachers, learners, and schools through administrative support, improved compensation, increased recognition, and high-quality curriculum.
1.2 Train More Language Educators
Address Indiana’s shortage of K-16 world language teachers by developing stronger avenues for licensure, teacher training, and communication.
1.3 Enhance the Landscape for Global Learning
Internationalize and integrate global competencies training throughout Indiana’s pre-K to Career educational pipeline.
Preparing an Indiana workforce that can engage globally, communicate across cultures, and work alongside and provide services to diverse groups of people.
2.1 Strengthen the Infrastructure for Global Employability
Prepare a globally competent and multilingual workforce for the state’s economic development and success in importing, exporting, manufacturing, trade, service, and finance.
2.2 Train Service Providers
Advance the capacity of Hoosier service providers to serve citizens and professionals from all over the world.
2.3 Advance the Global Business Capacity of Indiana
Strengthen the capacity for Indiana’s economic development by supporting the global priorities and professional needs of businesses and by helping Indiana be a welcoming and internationalized place to live and work.
Building state connections to raise awareness, raise funds, advocate, and effectively implement the plan.
3.1 Build Networks
Develop networks of advocates, institutions, and individuals that are invested in the Roadmap mission and will help implement and sustain activity.
3.2 Align Priorities
Ensure that the implementation of the Roadmap Plan aligns with and advances the priorities of state, regional, and local organizations and businesses.
Engaging in a communications strategy that raises the profile of the Roadmap priorities and goals and educates Indiana residents and others about the state’s global connections and communities.
4.1 Promote a Global Identity
Develop and disseminate materials and messaging about the global identity of Indiana and its communities.
4.2 Increase Advocacy
Support effective forms of advocacy and increased communication and coordination between stakeholders, leaders, and policymakers.
4.3 Compile Research
Compile and communicate new and existing data and resources to build support and make the case for the value of language and global competency education for all ages and communities.
Quotes (2019)
"Language skills are vital to everything we do, not only in our schools but in our communities. Indiana is proud of our diversity, with over 291 languages spoken in our schools. The ability to communicate in multiple languages brings people closer together through an improved understanding of one another. As we look to prepare our students for a world that is continuing to become more connected, increased language skills will be a necessity to be successful in a global economy."
"The ability to communicate effectively, not just locally but globally, is vital to progress in government, education and business. As a Mayor, I have learned that language learning is, and will be, a cornerstone of our success as we build a community that embraces the global economy."
"To succeed in a global environment, language proficiency combined with intercultural competence will facilitate the ability not only to be aware of and observe cultural elements, but will give the proficient user the ability to effectively interact with(in) a culture."
"Indiana is representative of the globalization that is occurring all across the U.S. And yet, our country still faces a major deficit in our ability to understand and work with other people around the planet because we cannot effectively communicate with them. Ours remains a major — if not "scandalous" — foreign language deficit at a time when markets are rapidly becoming more global, when interdependencies among countries are becoming greater and when our national security challenges are becoming grander and more complex."
"On behalf of Ivy Tech Community College, I strongly support the Roadmap Plan of the Indiana Language Roadmap Project. As Lieutenant Governor, I focused a great deal of time investigating workforce and economic development needs across all 92 Indiana counties. The project leadership has created a compelling case statement, which effectively underscores the critical need for Indiana to expand the availability of world language instruction and global skills training."
"The Indiana Language Roadmap has been instrumental in identifying the language needs for our state in different key fields and has given us the space and opportunity to find an action plan to close those gaps and better prepare our Indiana students for the increasingly global workforce."
IU Global