More Oregon college students choosing to study Arabic and Chinese

'New world order stimulates new linguistic interests' is the headline on a Sunday, Nov. 25, story by The Oregonian's higher-education reporter Suzanne Pardington. She focuses on rising enrollment in Portland-area universities and mentions numbers are also up at the University of Oregon. (Read the story)

At the UO: In the last decade (1997-2007), undergraduate enrollment in foreign languages has increased 14 percent. Undergraduate enrollment in Chinese is at 511 students this fall, up 27 percent from Fall 1997.

Arabic at the UO has jumped: Fall 2007 undergraduate enrollment is at 126 students, compared to 52 students just last spring -- a 142 percent increase -- leading to the addition of class sessions to meet demand.

Enrollment in Italian, Japanese and Latin also increased in the last decade.