Guess which is the fastest growing language in America?

[enhanced_deficit]

You guessed it right:

Arabic is fastest-growing language at U.S. colleges

Denes Gazsi, UI lecturer and Arabic program coordinator teaches an Arabic Language class in Phillips Hall Monday, March 22, 2010 on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City. UI is seeing huge enrollment growth in its Arabic language classes, mirroring a national trend showing the most growth in Arabic and Chinese. (Brian Ray/The Gazette)

Arabic is the fastest-growing foreign language taught at U.S. colleges and universities, a trend mirrored at the University of Iowa.

Enrollment in Arabic classes grew 127 percent nationally from 2002 to 2006, by far the largest jump of any language, according to the Modern Language Association.

At the UI, enrollment in Arabic classes tripled from their launch in fall 2006 to fall 2009 — from 34 students to 102 students. The UI in December added an Arabic minor.

“That’s fast growth,” said Roland Racevskis, chairman of the UI French and Italian department, which also houses Arabic. “Interest in languages is often influenced by the world political scene.”

Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa have fewer Arabic offerings than the UI, but the three universities participate jointly in a regents study-abroad program in Morocco for students in Arabic. Officials at Cornell College in Mount Vernon are considering adding Arabic classes.

Students often have interest in Arabic because of family background, because they are in the military or because they have career interests in linguistics, said Denes Gazsi, UI lecturer and Arabic program coordinator.

Arabic is the main language in 24 countries, mostly in the Middle East and North Africa.

Denes Gazsi, UI lecturer and Arabic program coordinator, talks with University of Iowa sophomores Asad Hashmi of Bettendorf (right) and Chris Stevens of Cedar Rapids (center) as they work on a drill during an Arabic Language class in Phillips Hall Monday, March 22, 2010 on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City. UI is seeing huge enrollment growth in its Arabic language classes, mirroring a national trend showing the most growth in Arabic and Chinese. (Brian Ray/The Gazette)

Diversity in dialects and a different alphabet written from right to left make Arabic tricky to learn, said Gazsi, a native of Hungary. The UI program offers three years, six classes total: two elementary, two intermediate and two advanced.

“It seems every fall, the numbers almost double,” Gazsi said.

http://thegazette.com/2010/03/25/arabic-is-fastest-growing-language-at-u-s-colleges

 

[enhanced_deficit]

FTOT (Fight Them Over There)

This was posted in other section but might be relevant here also:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ4QFqTeFw8





American singer loses 'Arabs Got Talent' to Syrian dance troupe

UPI News Service, 12/08/2013

A 23-year-old American singer, who won praise for singing traditional Arab songs, lost the top prize in "Arabs Got Talent" to a Syrian dance troupe.

Jennifer Grout, of Massachusetts, was one of the top-three finalists Saturday in Beirut, Lebanon, but ultimately lost to the Sima dancing group, CNN reported Sunday.

"I'm really happy I was in the top three and it was such a good experience, but I'm so happy for Sima because they deserved it," Grout said.


Grout earned support for choosing to sing classic Arabic songs even though she barely sings the language. Most singers in the competition chose to perform more Western music, CNN said.

"Jennifer's achievement is something that's made me very happy," said Lebanese singer Najwa Karam, one of the show's judges. "It shows music is universal. When it comes to the arts, there are no barriers between us and any other people in the world."

The fact that Grout is American caused some to question why she was allowed in the competition.

Grout said she first began singing Arabic music three years ago, and moved to Morocco to learn Berber music and sing in Marrakesh's Jemaa el Fnaa Square, CNN said.

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/...bs-got-talent-syrian-dance-troupe-1038115.php

 

[ThePenguinLibertarian]

Well thats pretty bad

 

[mczerone]

Not surprising. Do you know how much more the CIA, FBI, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, UN mercenaries, US mercenaries, and some weapons/infrastructure manufacturers pay people that can do their job AND speak to the occupied population?

 

[enhanced_deficit]

Exactly what mczerone said.

$200-250K arabic lang skills jobs ads used to be around during Iraqi freedom, now they are probably even more in demand to handle all the No Such Agentry freedom trafiic.



Although things would get more interesting though as Arabic seeps more across US in coming years as Freedom continues to be on the march.

Waiter Charged Over Arabic Chant at Jewish Wedding | Fox News
www.foxnews.com/.../waiter-charged-over-arabic-chant-at-jewish-weddi...‎
Jan 11, 2009 - Stephen Buttafuoco, 23, said he was playing the recording for a co-worker and was unaware it was being amplified over a sound system at the ...

 

[specsaregood]

./

 

[gwax23]

So?

 

[juleswin]

As the saying goes "when all you have is 10c, finding a dollar multiplies your holding 10 folds.

I bet when you use actual number and not percentages, the number of English speakers to Arab speaker is still about the same

 

[DamianTV]

I was tempted to say Chinese or Spanish... One things for sure, English is on the decline.

 

[RickyJ]

I don't believe this because I hear Spanish everywhere I go these days, not Arabic. I live in Georgia, not a border state. Spanish is without a doubt the fastest growing language in the USA.

 

[eduardo89]

Sure, if 2 people were learning Arabic and now 50 are that's a huge growth if you look at it percentage wise.

 

[erowe1]

Nope. The OP is wrong. The fastest growing language in America is Oomphish.

Oomphish has two words, a noun, gorvel (meaning person), and a verb gurpson (meaning hiccup).

Before I wrote this post, there were zero people who knew this language. By the time I finished writing it, there was one, an increase of infinity percent in about a minute. As soon as one person in America reads this, that number will double. It may well increase 100-fold by tomorrow.

 

[anaconda]

I enjoyed the article and found it very informative. Remember, though, that there is a difference between "the fastest-growing foreign language taught at U.S. colleges and universities" and "the fastest growing language in America."

P.S. From what I understand Spanish is by far the fastest growing language in the U.S.

As a second language, I suspect learning English is huge in the U.S.

P.S. II - I'm glad people are learning Arabic here and at an increasing rate.

 

[anaconda]

Good voice.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ4QFqTeFw8

But move over, Jennifer Grout, for the fastest growing language in the U.S. (Spanish - and ironically done here with some Arabic influences..):

 

[Red Green]

I was thinking Klingon, but then again Arabic is close....

 

[anaconda]

Interesting fact: Apparently Tagalog is the fastest growing language in Canada..

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...-language-in-canada-data-show/article4650109/

 

[DamianTV]

I thought LolCat Speak was taking over. Hell, theres even a LolCat Bible...

 

[Henry Rogue]

My guess was abbreviations and acronyms, FWIIW, LOL. ICMSU.

 

[Henry Rogue]

I thought LolCat Speak was taking over. Hell, theres even a LolCat Bible...

You beat me to it. I had to google "LolCat Speak" to fing out what it was. I should have said UBMTI.

 

[jonhowe]

Uh, I took arabic in college because I thought it'd be in demand.

It does come in handy with the street vendors in Midtown, at least.