ABSTRACT
In today’s increasingly global community, it is essential to train students who are able
to negotiate successfully across linguistic and cultural borders. To meet this chal-
lenge, we must develop strong, effective education in second and foreign languages
and cultures. In the United States, however, where monolingualism rules the day and
there are widespread biases against languages other than English, foreign language
education (FLE) encounters obstacles. FLE is considered to be less important than
other subjects in the curriculum and, as a result, is the target of budgetary cuts during
economic downturns. Foreign language education often fails to attract new teachers
because of the prevalence of English and prejudice against any second language.
