Why Different Critical Languages Are Important

From http://www.thelanguageflagship.org

The U.S. Government has designated all Flagship-supported languages as “critical languages” because the national need for trained speakers in those languages exceeds the number of bilingual speakers available. These languages are also critical for U.S. national security and economic competitiveness.

See a webpage explaining the importance of different languages supported by the Flagship program at http://www.thelanguageflagship.org/students-a-parents/critical-languages