ORCI Opinion Research

Spanish Strongly Favored Over French Among Young Americans PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Spanish has taken a clear lead over French as the language Americans are most likely to study in school, according to a recent study by Opinion Research Corporation (NASDAQ:ORCI). About seven in ten Americans (71%) studied a foreign language when they were in school. Of those taught a foreign language, the most common one learned was Spanish (60%), followed by French (36%), German (14%) and Latin (9%). Looking at the results by age, Spanish and French used to be about equally-taught, but Spanish has been heavily favored over French in recent decades. Among adults 45 and older, 48% took Spanish, compared to 44% who studied French. Among younger adults, however, Spanish has a 70%-30% edge. Latin has almost completely fallen out of favor, dropping from 16% among adults 55 and older, to only 3% among those 18-44. "What language or languages were you taught?" Total 18-44 Year Olds 45 and Older Spanish 60% 70% 48% French 36% 30% 44% German 14% 13% 16% Latin 9% 3% 16% The "Foreign Language" study was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation's CARAVAN(R) among a nationally representative sample of 1,011 adults 18 and older August 13-16, 2004, including 684 who studied a foreign language when they were in school. The study has a margin of error of +/- 3% at the 95% confidence level for results based on all adults, +/- 4% for results based on those who studied a foreign language. At Opinion Research Corporation, we value the success of our clients and immerse ourselves in the business issues they face, the industries in which they compete and the audiences they serve. By providing objective, fact-based decision support, we earn their confidence with our fresh ideas and perspectives, grounded in rigorous research methods and business savvy. The firm's website is located at http://www.opinionresearch.com/ . DATASOURCE: Opinion Research Corporation CONTACT: Robert Furr of Opinion Research Corporation, +1-609-452-5458 Web site: http://www.opinionresearch.com/

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