Foreign language instruction in New York City is guided by New York State standards and provides students the opportunity to develop communicative competency and a cultural understanding in at least one language other than English. Languages offered include Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), French, German, Greek (Classic and Modern), Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Urdu, and Yiddish. Instruction is also available in American Sign Language.
Foreign language instruction is typically offered in New York City schools in high school; however, heritage language and dual language programs may begin as early as kindergarten. Heritage language programs are enrichment programs provided by schools for students of a particular home language. A dual language program is an enrichment program in which English language learners of one common language and English proficient students learn together in two languages — English and a target language. Students not only develop new language skills and learn academic subjects in two languages, but they also practice and share language and culture with each other, making them bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural.