In exploring changes in the classroom since the 9/11 attacks
occurred a decade ago, one notable development is growth in the
teaching of Arabic as a foreign language. To be clear, it's
still rare in comparison with most other languages, but the
study of Arabic has been gaining ground in U.S. schools, in part
with federal assistance. I reported on this development in a
recent story pegged to the 9/11 anniversary, but wanted to
expand on the topic here. (With the anniversary only days away,
I've been blogging on issues connected to 9/11, whether directly
or indirectly.) In my story, I featured a Chicago public school,
the Lindblom Math & Science Academy, which offers only Chinese
and Arabic. Most students there take Chinese, but about 200 are
in the Arabic classes, the principal Alan Mather told me. Like
others, he emphasized that, as with any language instruction,
learning a language invariably also includes some cultural
issues as well. When parents ask him about why the school offers
Arabic, he explains: "We