What are the similarities and differences among English language, foreign language, and heritage language education in the United States?

This brief describes the importance of developing proficiency in languages in addition to English, whether a student is a native speaker of English, a native speaker of a language other than English, or bilingual. It also addresses social, political, pedagogical, and curricular differences among K-16 English language, foreign language, and heritage language programs in the United States. These differences have important implications for how we approach the teaching and learning of languages other than English.