Not my email day. I replied privately to Brian and it
bounced. So to the list instead:

> 
> --- Brian Densmore <DensmoreB@hq.ctbs.net> wrote:
> > FYI,
> > 
> >    Americans are the only "1st/2nd World"
> > nationality where it is common
> > to speak only one language. Every other developed
> > nationality generally
> > speak 3 or more languages.
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> Brian,
> 
> How well I know. My late father-in-law spoke Arabic,
> English, & French fluently and could get by in a few
> others.
> 
> I was told by parents & guidance councillor to take
> 2 years of High School Spanish in order to get into
> college. This was taught almost like Latin, as a
> non-spoken language. After two years I wouldn't have
> understood spoken directions to the head. No wonder
> a lot of Americans hate foreign languages.
> 
> Imagine my shock and disgust when I arrived at
> Central MO State (College, then.) in 1965 and
finding > it had no foreign language requirement to
enter -or-
> graduate.
> 
> My wife is from Lebanon. She'll be the first to tell
> you she hasn't the patience for teaching language.
> So I tried to get my mother-in-law to teach our
> children some Arabic. She lived in this country for 
> thirty years and spoke, at best, First Grade English
> only thru interaction with her grandchildren. Her   
> reply to  my request was literally, "Why? They don't
> need." End.
> 
> Often, like History & Geography, language is taught
> so as to make our children dread the thought of it.
> 
>                 Best,
> 
>                      Bob Kennedy

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