More and more Americans want their children from an early age, "immersed" in the learning of foreign languages. Especially popular began to use the so-called "immersion programs".
According to the Modern Language Association, never before in US colleges and universities are not seen such a large number of students studying foreign languages, as they are now. During the period from 1998 to 2002 their number increased by 17%. About 9% of all students in American colleges are engaged in language courses - the highest rate in the country since 1972!
The most popular among American students is now Spanish, followed by French, German, Japanese, Chinese and Italian. Much more popular than ever before, are rare or, so to speak, exotic languages: American Sign Language, Arabic and biblical Hebrew.
What explains this sudden appeared in carriers of one of the world's most popular languages the interest of expanding the linguistic horizons? What made the Americans realize the importance of linguistic erudition, if English is still not lost its secret status as a "lingua franca"?
According to American experts, for a long time about the lack of interest of their compatriots to learn foreign languages, the United States needs to expand the capacity of the language, but at the same time, faced with internal and external contradictions, slowing down the process of raising the linguistic education of citizens.
On the one hand, the US shows downright paranoid concern regarding the prevalence in the country of any language other than "American". This "mania" was formed in the first place, due to the low interest of immigrants in learning English. Some "patriots" are especially afraid of bi- or multilingualism as a factor that could destroy the foundations of American society: in this case, if the English acts as an adhesive layer, the removal of which would lead to the disintegration of the country into separate pieces.
Another circumstance explaining the apathetic attitude of the Americans on the study of foreign languages is a high prevalence of English in almost all countries of the world community. How at the inhabitant of America can be a need for knowledge of other languages, if anywhere he can be understood without it ?!
Many teachers say that children from migrant families, who speak English poorly, should be able to at least primary school study and write essays in their own language, to keep up with their English-speaking peers. On the other hand, knowledge of foreign languages takes on added significance for the US military. In connection with the situation in the Middle East, the US military increasingly feel the need for a linguistic educated specialists.
However, despite the promotion of language learning, as long as this aspect of the learning process has not yet received sufficient development in the United States on a national scale. Only seven of the 50 states included foreign languages in the curriculum of compulsory school children aged 6 to 12 years. For additional support of language teaching in primary schools by the US government have developed a special piece of legislation called "No Child Left Behind".
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