ABSTRACT
American public schools have a long history of promoting language study as a core part of a student's basic education. The demand for Arabic in American elementary, middle, and high schools has only grown in recent history. The Arabic teaching methods and materials in today's classrooms look very little like what schools could and did offer only ten years ago. The American national identity, especially in regards to language use and study, is in many ways Janus-faced. The Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP) has tried to fulfill a similar goal through different means. Elementary, middle, and high school Arabic teachers usually feel a great sense of responsibility. The future of Arabic education may include regular course work in graduate programs on teaching Arabic to younger learners, as the field becomes more mainstream and job opportunities continue to open up.
