xiggi

The definition of "significant language" goes well beyond the number of native speakers. One of the main attributes of a language is to allow people to communicate CLEARLY. Languages such as English, and to a certain extent, French, German, and Spanish have become languages learned and used on a global scale.

One reality is that the most people on earth do NOT have the ability to learn an oriental language and become reasonably fluent, and most definitely not fluent enough to conduct business transactions of any importance. If a bit of knowledge might help to establish a modicum of personal contacts, it remains that the role of interpreters and translators will not diminish any time soon.

Fwiw, the attempt to teach Chinese in high schools or colleges in the United States is as misguided as the asinine attempt to teach Japanese years ago. Because of how our education system is built, it is mostly impossible to learn a foreign language without OUTSIDE support. One has only to see how poorly Spanish is taught and how poor the results are to understand that the United States will never move far beyond to its complete reliance on English as its business language. And this despite a Hispanic population that will represent a VERY large portion of the population.

And, fwiw, perhaps the United States should focus on ensuring all its citizens do learn to communicate a LOT better in English before trying to add more languages to its basic instruction.

UCBChemEGrad

Just as asinine is elementary school kids not being fully immersed in English with OUTSIDE support from their teachers and parents who fail to fully integrate into U.S. society.

Columbia_Student

There are still German classes at USC, no major/minor, see link below

GERM | USC Schedule of Classes

And none of our public high schools has German as a foreign language. We only have Latin, Spanish, and French.

jkTERP123

Even though public school cost are going up, it is definitely more for your money compared to any private school that you would attend otherwise. I am an instate student at Maryland, in the Business School and my tuition per year is less than what my private high school tuition was per year. You can't beat that...