Frankly, I think we need to have more language programs in the elementary schools. The universe of choices should go beyond Spanish. Mandarin and Arabic are in demand, yet positions remain perpetually vacant. The problem with learning any language in school is maintaining proficiency. It is a perishable skill. My wife is weighing whether to take a couple semesters of Spanish or Shoshone. The latter would be valuable for her minor and there's plenty of people around here that speak Shoshone. There are far fewer that speak Spanish.