Debate at the New York Times: Does the US Need To Be More Multilingual?

From http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/01/29/is-learning-a-language-other-than-english-worthwhile

The New York Times Room for Debate website recently featured responses to this essay: English Is Global, So Why Learn Arabic? Debaters and arguments include the following:

Stacie Nevadomski Berdan: Companies want globally competent employees, including multilanguage competency. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/01/29/is-learning-a-language-other-than-english-worthwhile/being-monolingual-is-no-longer-an-option

Anthony Jackson: Learning another language nurtures cognitive skills that are critical for students’ academic success. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/01/29/is-learning-a-language-other-than-english-worthwhile/theres-more-to-language-than-speaking

Michael Erard: If English is your only language, accommodating your ear and your speech to those for whom it's not takes linguistic skill and practice. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/01/29/is-learning-a-language-other-than-english-worthwhile/advice-for-native-english-speakers

Melanie Ho: Maybe you don't need to be 'fluent' in multiple languages, but life might be more interesting if you were proficient in more than one. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/01/29/is-learning-a-language-other-than-english-worthwhile/more-foreign-languages-means-more-opportunities

Marcelo M. Suarez-Orozco: Get economists like Lawrence Summers out of the education debate. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/01/29/is-learning-a-language-other-than-english-worthwhile/what-would-aristotle-think

Clayton Lewis: Knowing two or more languages is an advantage, not a burden. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/01/29/is-learning-a-language-other-than-english-worthwhile/getting-by-with-languages-isnt-enough

Follow the discussion at http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/01/29/is-learning-a-language-other-than-english-worthwhile

Read the original article at that the debaters are responding to at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/education/edlife/the-21st-century-education.html