### Question
What does critical foreign language mean?


### Answer
**Critical foreign language** has the following meaning in *20 U.S.C. § 9802*:

> a foreign language that the Secretary determines, in consultation with the heads of such Federal departments and agencies as the Secretary determines appropriate, is critical to the national security and economic competitiveness of the United States

#### Citation:
  - *20 U.S.C. § 9802*
  - Heading: **CHAPTER 78-SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS, AND CRITICAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION**

