As the global economy is growing and events overseas receive more national attention, a record number of American students are enrolling in foreign language studies.

A recent survey conducted by the Modern Language Association (MLA) showed that the number of students taking foreign language classes has jumped 17.9 percent since 1998, the last time the group did the study.

Spanish remains the most widely taught language, representing more than half of the total foreign language classes at American colleges and universities. The enrollment in French and German languages — which showed declining numbers in the '90s — has also increased, the report stated.

Zsuzsanna Fagyal, an assistant professor in the French department, said she recently noticed that more students are taking French classes.

"But you cannot be sure if it is because of the (economic) recession and more students are returning to the University, or they are really interested in French," she said.

Many students who take French are majoring in sciences, hoping to get internships in countries where French is spoken, Fagyal said. She pointed out that taking a foreign language is a great addition to any field of expertise.

Elizabeth Kirby, a freshman in LAS, said she studies French and German, planning to get a job in business. She also took Italian classes in high school.

"(I think) it's important to have world-consciousness," Kirby said.

American colleges, however, are not concentrating solely on French, Spanish and German, the MLA report stated.

The Arabic language program offered by the University is one of the fastest growing in the country. Hala Jawlakh, instructor of advanced Arabic, said the classes are filling up a long time before the beginning of the semester. The growing demand has prompted the administration to open extra sections.

Chilin Shih, an assistant professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, said more students of different backgrounds are studying Chinese — some are interested in future careers in commerce and others are seeking their heritage and roots.

While Europeans are more likely to speak several foreign languages because of the constant interaction with people of neighboring countries, it's hard to say if the European language instruction is better, Fagyal said. The American way of teaching is mostly based on the development of the communicative skills, while the European colleges are putting a lot of effort in the analytical, grammatical way of teaching. Experience and practice, however, are the most important keys to success, she said.

"You just have to immerse yourself in language and keep your sense of humor," Fagyal said.