Learning European languages is no longer popular in American schools, with the possible exception of Spanish. To some extent, Mandarin has become the new French, but with a major difference: The language of Molière was a cultural tool, not (or not entirely) an instrument of economic success.
许多曾经对欧洲社会模式饶有兴趣的美国学者要么退休了，要么转向了其他研究兴趣，新一代研究者又无法顶替他们。学习欧洲语言不再是美国学校的潮流，或许西班牙语是个例外。从某种程度上说，汉语成了新的法语，但有一个极大的不同点：莫里哀的语言是一种文化工具，而不是（或者说不完全是）经济成功的工具。