{"id":21344,"date":"2014-02-03T16:19:05","date_gmt":"2014-02-03T21:19:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/?p=21344"},"modified":"2014-02-04T10:20:30","modified_gmt":"2014-02-04T15:20:30","slug":"computer-programming-could-count-as-a-foreign-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/2014\/02\/03\/computer-programming-could-count-as-a-foreign-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Computer Programming Could Count As A Foreign Language"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Learning<\/a>

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Learning to write computer code could replace foreign language courses.<\/p><\/div>\n

Florida students could choose computer programming courses instead of a foreign language as part of a bill to help Florida schools add more technology and digital instruction.<\/a><\/p>\n

The bill would require state colleges to accept two years of computer programming if the courses applied to a student’s major. State universities would have the option of accepting those courses instead of a foreign language.<\/p>\n

Senate education chairman John Legg, who is sponsoring the bill, said it would prepare students to fill high-tech jobs. Advocates argue Florida won’t produce enough computer programmers over the next decade to fill available jobs.<\/p>\n

Computer coding is getting a strong push in education. A national non-profit is urging students to write computer code for an hour daily<\/a>. A South Florida woman has also started a program to teach kids the high-tech skill<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Florida students aren’t required to take foreign language in order to earn a standard high school diploma<\/a>. A “scholar” diploma requires two years of foreign language. Florida universities often require students have studied a foreign language.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Read the bill below. The section on computer programming is at the end:<\/p>\n