Universally, the study of changes in population trends and characteristics is called demography. Recent demographic trends indicate that the world in general, and the United States in particular, is experiencing rapid demographic changes. What are some of these demographic trends and how will they affect communication in the future?

What will be an ideal response?

- The United States is becoming more culturally diverse. This translates to roughly the following 2016 percentages: 74 percent of the population is white, 17 percent is Hispanic or Latino or Latina, 13 percent is black or African American, 5 percent is Asian, and less than 1 percent is American Indian. Projections from the Census Bureau suggest a significant increase in Hispanic/Latino/a, black, and Asian numbers in the near future, with a decline or stable percentage for whites.
- The changes in "how we look" are already occurring in elementary schools and high schools, as well as college and university classrooms. Moreover, many individuals enrolled in American schools will speak English as a second language. Language differences complicate communication within many schools. Some kindergarten through-twelfth-grade (K-12) schools on the East and West Coasts, as well as in other populous areas such as Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, and St. Louis, have students who speak 50 to 100 or more different native languages.
- College and university classrooms, too, have increasing numbers of students whose first language is not English, and each one's cultural and ethnic background affects the way these students communicate in the classroom, the residence hall, the supermarket, and the workplace.